What Is The Most Expensive Palace in The World?

Building luxurious palaces allowed the Kings, Nobles and business people to show their power and wealth. Have you wondered what’s the most expensive Palace nowadays?

The most expensive Palace is Forbidden City Complex in Beijing, China. The estimated market value of the Forbidden City along with the land and its entire contents is more than $70 billion. This is making the Palace both the most expensive Palace and real estate anywhere in the world.

most expensive Palace is Forbidden City Complex in Beijing
Image by choe from Pixabay

You would probably think all the most expensive palaces belong to the royal family. After a few minutes of reading this article, you will be surprised that Buckingham palace is nowhere near the top of the list. 

What makes Forbidden City so expensive?

Probably to ultimately realise why it is so expensive, you need to visit it in person and film it with a drone.

From a bird’s eye view you can contemplate Its actual size, it lies in 720,000 square meters of land making it one of the largest palaces in the world.

Built between 1406-1420 the complex consists of 980 buildings, reportedly encompassing 9,999 rooms.

It sounds like you would probably need a week to see it all.

The story behind the Forbidden City has an impact on value as well, serving as a home for emperors and their households for almost 500 years.

Part of that is now located in the National Museum in Taipei.

Since 2012, the Forbidden City has seen an average of 14 million visitors annually and received a record of 19 million visitors in 2019.

If you are excited to add Forbidden City to your bucket list, check out the Button below for tickets, tours and accommodation.

Versailles Palace, France $50.7 billion.

Versailles Palace, The most Expensive palace in France
Image by AdamKinnwall from Pixabay

The next Palace on our list it’s one of the most extravagant and luxurious palaces ever known on the planet.

Palace of Versailles could easily hold first place on this list if not for the price difference of the market value.

Louis XIV started to expand from a simple chateau with a moat into a Palace until 1682 when the Palace became large enough to move his entire court and the French government to the Versailles.

Every country’s rulers since then contributed to the look of the architecture and design of today’s Versailles.

For example, Luis XV, installed an opera house in the north wing, for the wedding of Daphnis and Marie Antoinette.

Palace of Versailles hosted few political events like; Peace of Paris (1783), the Proclamation of the German Empire, and the end of World War l among many other events.

All these events, its magnificent architecture, and the art it possesses makes it one of the most expensive Palaces in Europe.

The Palace now is a UNESCO World Heritage historical monument, and in 2017 it received 7,700,000 visitors, making it the most visited monument after Eiffel Tower and Louvre.

Louvre Palace, France, $45,5 billion

Louvre Palace France
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

21 km from Palaces of Versailles located in the heart of the French capital, Palaces of Louvre is the third most expensive Palace in the world.

French historian Patrice de Moncan estimates that the Louvre on its own is worth $10,5 billion and the museum’s treasure has a minimum value of $35 billion, bringing to a total of $45,5 billion.

Located on the right bank of the river Seine the Louvre has initially been a medieval fortress and became a royal palace in the 14th century.

The present-day Louvre is a massive complex of wings and pavilions which went through countless days of rebuilding and restoration.

If planning to visit Louvre, check out helpful links to tours and accommodation.

Tokyo Imperial Palace, Japan – $12.25 billion

Tokyo Imperial Palace, Japan
Image by Pierre Blaché from Pixabay

The fourth most expensive Palace on our list is located in the eastern part of the world, in Tokyo, Japan.

Despite many people’s opinions that can’t see why this Palace is so valuable, the price of the square meter at The Tokyo Palace is $33.000.

So according to official figures in 2016, the cost of the whole complex is $12.25 billion.

Built on top of an old Edo Castle, the Palace covers 1.3 miles of land and today is the usual residence of the Emperor of Japan.

If you plan to visit the Palace, there are guided tours available for the inner area and the palace gardens, which are well worth seeing by the tourist feedback. 

Winter Palace, Russia – $6.44 billion

Winter Palace , Russia
Image by Robert Balog from Pixabay

Located in the heart of the most beautiful Russian city St Petersburg, the Winter Palace is worth $6.44 billion.

Like the other palaces mentioned above, the Winter Palace has been a home for the Russian emperors too, from 1732 to 1917.

Ones visiting you will admire the might of Imperial Russia as well as an iconic symbol of the Russian revolution resulting in the events that happened at the Palace in October 1917.

Buckingham Palace, UK – $5.04 billion

Buckingham Palace, London, UK
Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay

Probably one of the most famous palaces in the world as it appears consistently on tv thanks to the number of events, ceremonies and movie filming happening at the site.

The real estate firm Foxtons evaluated the Queen’s residence for $2.2 billion just the building alone.

 Adding the collection of artworks, antique furniture and many other assets, Buckingham’s worth rises to $5.04 billion.

Originally a private townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham, then in 1761 King George III bought the building and used it as a residence for Queen Charlotte.

You can visit the interior of the Palace only in the summer by taking the State Rooms tour which tickets are selling quite fast.

In rest, you only can contemplate the magnificent building behind the gates and watch the famous ceremony of changing guards 

Istana Nurul Iman Palace, Brunei – $3.5 billion

Included in the World’s Guinness book for the largest living residence Istana Nurul (the Light Of Faith) took two years and more than one billion dollars to complete.

The government completed and used the castle as the attainment of Brunei’s independence from Britain on 1 January 1984.

Istana Nurul has 200.000 square meters of space which include 1788 premises, five swimming pools, 250 bathrooms and a helipad.

There are many tours available, including the boat tour where you can enjoy the view from the river of the Palace.

However, the Palace is open to the public for three days a year when His Majesty greets everyone on the occasion of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, the religious festival following the fasting month of Ramadan.

Summary 

It’s mind-blowing to realise the amount of money, blood and sweat our ancestors put in such and edifices through human history.

Hope we have inspired you in taking the next adventure and when you have a spare minute don’t forget we have much more to share with you about castles and palaces.

What Is The Biggest Palace In The World?

If we were to go based on size, the largest Palace in the world based on volume and floor space would be the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest. On the other hand, if we go by pure area, the title belongs to the Forbidden City in Beijing.

 

Is the Casa Loma Worth a Visit?

Every year, thousands of tourists flock to Ontario to see Castle Loma. But, is Casa Loma worth the visit?

An iconic Canadian landmark Casa Loma Castle is worth definitely visiting. A seven-floor gothic mansion surprises its visitors with a splendid facade and extensive gardens with a water fountain. It’s worth a visit for guided tours, beautiful interior, restaurants and panoramic view of Toronto city.

Image by freebie from Pixabay 

What is there to see at Casa Loma?

Casa Loma is a gorgeous gothic style castle mansion that has seven floors. It is estimated to have cost $5.4 million to build. 

Surrounding this beauty is a whopping five acres of immaculately kept gardens with installations and stunning water features.

Casa Loma Toronto
Casa Loma , Picture by saebaryo  on Flirckr.com

 When visiting, you can take a self-guided audio tour and see the gorgeous European furnishings.

Inside Casa Loma on the first floor, there is also a Great Hall that is 60ft tall! Inside this spectacular hall is wooden chandeliers and sculptures.

On the main floor are a 10,000 book library, Sir Henry’s study, and a plant-filled conservatory. 

Lining the foundations of the conservatory is marble flooring and a stunning stained glass ceiling. 

interior of the Casa Loma
Interiors of Casa Loma, Picture by Denis Jarvis on Flirckr.com

Likewise, on the second floor, there is an abundance of bedrooms, bathrooms, and suites where the family of Sir Henry Pellat stayed.

Once at the top of these towers, you will be mesmerized by the Toronto Skyline’s panoramic views.

Casa Loma also has a basement, originally supposed to be a bowling alley and a movie theatre. Today it serves as a gift shop, a cafe, and a movie exhibition.

Many famous movies have used the stunning Casa Loma as their backdrop, such films have been X-Men, Chicago, Scott Pilgrim vs the world, The Tuxedo, Strange Brew, and many more.

Inside the Basement is an 800ft tunnel that runs 18ft under the Austin Terrace. 

Inside the tunnel is an exhibit showcasing Toronto’s depression, prohibition, plague, Great Toronto Fire, and Toronto’s first plane crash. Moreover, there is also a car exhibit at the carriage house.

The tunnel connects to the stables and the potting sheds. Outside of Casa Loma is its gorgeous gardens full of walls, botanical plants, and walls. 

Many tourists come to visit Casa Loma just for the gardens alone!

When at Casa Loma, you can choose to take an audio tour available in English, French, Japanese, German, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, or American Sign language. 

If you choose not to take the tour, you can guide around it yourself, which takes approximately 2 hours on average to complete.

Check the forts person view video below from a tour in Casa Loma, to convince yourself if it’s worth visiting or not.

What are the restaurants at Casa Loma?

Casa Loma also has two excellent restaurants which are Liberty Cafe and Terrace Grill

Casa Loma Restaurants
Casa Loma Restaurants, Picture by Ted Drake on Flirckr.com

The cafe offers general snacks like pastries, sandwiches, salads, salads, pasta, soft drinks, tea, and coffee. 

The Terrace Grill is more of a dining place with beers, soft drinks, and full meals.

How much does it cost to visit Casa Loma?

It’s best to visit Casa Loma to purchase tickets online on their website to avoid ques in advance.

Depending on how you want your ticket, you can pay to have it sent to you by mail.

 After purchasing your ticket, you have six months to claim your purchase. If you have a Toronto CityPASS, you can get an expedited entry to Casa Loma. 

All you need to do is show the admission office your ticket on arrival.

What are the opening hours?

Casa Loma is open every day of the week, 9:30 am-5:30 pm apart from Monday. However, it does close on Christmas Day, and on Christmas Eve, it closes early at 4:00 pm.

On average, the best time to visit Casa Loma is during the summer; however, we recommend that you visit before 10:30 in the morning to avoid the summer queues!

Can you see Casa Loma without paying?

Unfortunately, for you to see Casa Loma, you have to pay an admission fee. The admission covers the gardens and the rooms.

What is the purpose of Casa Loma?

Sir Henry Mill Pellat built Casa Loma, he was and Canadian solider and financier.

Pellatt was extremely wealthy as he launched the Toronto Electric Light company back in 1833.

His wealth allowed him to become the chairman of 21 companies, leading him to own railroads and generating Toronto’s electricity, including Niagra Falls! His accomplishments got him knighted.

During 1903 he bought 25 lots of land from well sought after developers Kirtland and Rolf. 

Pellat was fanatical about castles and wanted a castle of his own, so he used the land he bought to build a castle. 

Pursuing his vision, he commissioned an architect to E J Lennox to design his dream, beginning in 1911.

Initially, the castle began as a hunting lodge with stables. Then over time, he moved into this accommodation with his servants while work carried on. 

After that, it took three years to build with over 299 workers and servants! Through hard work, Casa Loma managed to have 98 rooms that covered a scope of 64,700 meters, making it the largest private residence in Canada.

Then the first world war and the great depression hit, causing work on Casa Loma to come to a halt.

 As a result, the Toronto Electric Light company struggled, as the electric market in Toronto became publicly owned, causing Pellat great financial struggles.

Pellet was already facing significant difficulties owing $1 million dollars to the Home Bank of Canada.

 Similarly, the taxes on Casa Loma dramatically rose from $600 per year to $1000 per month.

As a result, Pellet had to auction off $1.5 million of his artwork and $250,00 of his furnishings to keep himself afloat. 

It was estimated that he sold all his belongings for 17% of its original cost.

Pellat struggled to keep up with finances and ended up departing his beloved Casa Loma in 1923.

 During the late 1920s, investors took over Casa Loma and turned it into a luxury hotel, where wealthy Americans would come to socialize, and famous bands would play.

Due to its original owner’s financial difficulties, World War I and the depression caused lots of property taxes on Casa Loma not to be paid. 

Finally, in 1924, Toronto took over Casa Loma, leaving it vacant for many years.

In 1937 the Kiwanis Club of West Toronto took up this destination converting it into a tourist attraction.

 Between the years 1997-2012, Casa Loma was renovated, undergoing a $33 million restoration project.

One Kiwanis Club of West Toronto’s lease was up, the city took back Casa Loma and opened it up for buyers of the private sector to run it.

How far is Casa Loma from downtown Toronto?

Generally, the distance from Casa Loma to downtown Toronto is not far; it’s only 4km! 

Depending on the day and the time, a journey in your car can take around 10-15 minutes. 

If you’re a cycler, it will take about 18 minutes to cycle, and walking will take 50 minutes to reach.

Similarly, if you plan to travel by train, it will take around 16 minutes to reach. 

The common routes to Casa Loma for the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and buses are as follows:

● Downtown to Dupont Station: Take the Spadina-University line and exit the station. When you exit, walk to blocks north, reaching Spadina Avenue. Once on Spadina Avenue, you will have to undergo a steep climb, 110 steps to be exact, to reach Casa Loma!

● Exit at St.Clair West Station: You can either get the Spadina University line or the Yonge line to St Clair West. Outside of the station, walk east to St. Clair Spadina and turn right. After this, walk for around 15 minutes till you reach Casa Loma.

The best way of getting there

The best way to get to Casa Loma can be subjective. If you want to get there without spending much, you can use your fuel or get the Subway from St. Clair West Station and then walk; it’s less than $5! However, if you want to get there quickly, either take the car or train.

Who owns Casa Loma now?

In 2014, the Liberty Entertainment Group took over it, spending $7.4 million on upgrades and adding in restaurants. Today, Casa Loma still serves as a tourist destination and popular dining hotspot.

What events are happening at Casa Loma?

Every year, many spectacular events are held at Casa Loma. In the summer, Casa Loma is renowned for hosting mesmerizing concerts in its gardens; you can view the listings for these here.

Further to this, they host a series of Escape events where you have to work together in teams to solve puzzles and mysteries. 

To participate in this event, you have to pay an additional fee to the castle admission and check out more information here.

Similarly, during October, Casa Loma also hosts horror events.

Casa Loma is a pretty spectacular place to visit if you’re in Toronto. While it may not be as historical as other castles, it’s undoubtedly grand and mesmerizing to visit.

Summary

We hope you enjoyed reading the article, please visit our blog section for more castles related articles.

Best castles by country

Find the best castles to visit next

Lists o top castles around the world.

Which country has the most castles?

Do you love castles? Have you ever wondered which country has the most castles?

The country with the most castles in the world is Germany. It is estimated that there are about 25,000 castles in this country! However, the exact figure is still yet to be disclosed by the European Castle Institute.

map of Germany with castles

Whether you’re young or old, we can all agree; there’s just something about a castle that piques our curiosity.

We all grow up and hear of fairytales about such fortified structures, historical battles around the world, and tales of royals living in such castles. 

Likewise visiting a country for the largest amount of castles is a great reason to visit. However, there are many other countries with a significant amount of castles which are worth visiting!

Read on below for some of Europes best castles.

Which country has the most castles per square mile?

Caerphilly Castle

The country which has the most castles per square mile is Wales.

Wales, in itself, has 600 castles, all with a medieval narrative behind them whether it be from the Romans, British royals, or former Welsh princes. 

If you ever visit Wales, it’s most likely you won’t be far from a medieval castle!

How many castles Spain has?

Spain is a country rich in history and is renowned for its Christian monarchy. Due to its turbulent past and fighting between kings, lots of castles were established in the making.

Coca Castle

 It was rumoured that there used to be 10,000. In the past, everyone wanted to have their castle to protect them and house them safely. Today, in Spain, it’s been reported there are around 2500 castles in the country. 

How many castles the U.K. has?

It’s estimated that the U.K. has around 1,500 castles standing. It has so many because it’s made up of multiple kingdoms such as Wales, Ireland, and Scotland.

Warwick Castle

It turns out that many prestigious Anglo Saxon nobles owned such castles and refused to give them up!

When the Normans eventually came in, they had to find a way to control the Saxons. They did this by building castles on lands they had just conquered!

How many castles Ireland has

Ireland is a country with lots of castles and ruins. While the standing castles haven’t been counted, it’s estimated that the castles and their ruins total up to 30,000! 

Ashford Castle

When the Normans conquered Ireland during the late 12th century, they took large portions of land from the Irish.

 Like other areas of the U.K., to mark their terrority, they built a castle on the land. Hence why there are now so many and ruins about in Ireland!

How many castles France has

Château d'Angers

The French Ministry of Culture states there are currently 11,000 castles in France. However, Parisabout, mentions if all the private residencies were where people live in castles counted and historic castle ruins, the number could be well above 45,000! 

If you visit France, don’t be surprised if you frequently come across a castle. 

Best castles to see in Europe.

Now that we’ve mentioned how many castles German, Spain, France, the U.K., and Ireland has, let’s share with you a list of what we think are the best castles to see in Europe. 

We know we’ve left some marvellous countries out of this blog post up until now, however, don’t be disheartened as we most likely will cover them if you read on.

In no particular order, here are the best castles to see in Europe:

1.Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle

Do you like Disney? In Germany, the magical Castle of Neuschwanstein was a structure Walt Disney drew inspiration from to create Disney’s famous Cinderella castle! It often gets named the ‘Disney Castle.’ 

It’s estimated that more than a million people visit this castle every year, and in the summer, up to 6000 people can visit! 

This charming blue and white castle is great to look at, but it also has epic views! Once you reach the castle, you can look at the top of the scenic Bavarian village of Hohenschwangau.

2. The Pena Palace

Pena Palace
Image by Walkerssk from Pixabay

Located in Sintra Portugal, The Pena Palace is a gorgeous structure full of warm colours such as yellow, orange, and brown. 

This castle was built in the 18th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s located in the Sintra Mountains on top of a hill overlooking the village of Sintra. 

3. Château de Chantilly

Château de Chantilly

This beautiful castle is located in the French town of Chantilly, Oise, located just over 50km from the capital. 

This was initially destroyed during the French Revolution but was later rebuilt. Ironically, this marvellous castle never was owned by any French royals, however many wealthy noblemen did live here.

 The castle even has an art collection, housing many French treasures.

4. Bran Castle

Bran castles

Bran Castle is where the fictional character of Dracula lives. Yes, Bram Stoker drew his inspiration from this majestical castle The Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania, Romania. 

Many armies have fought at this site, which makes it just, even more, feel like a castle when you’re visiting. Stand there and imagine the knights battling away!

5. Miramare Castle

Miramare Castle

If you’re visiting northeastern Italy, then you must visit the dreamy Miramare Castle.

However, later on, it houses emperors and empresses. The structure alone is impressive, but so is the gardens! There are tropical trees and plants all around the site.

6. Hohenzollern Castle

Hohenzollern Castle

It was then again rebuilt during the 14th century with the gothic architecture you see today. 

A third castle was also built onto this site during the 18th century. Today it attracts over 350,000 visitors per year and is privately owned by the House of Hohenzollern.

7. Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle

You can’t visit Scotlands capital without paying for a trip to the remarkable fortress, Edinburgh Castle.

 The castle sits on Castle Rock, and there’s been the discovery of life on this site by archaeologists since the iron age. 

Today Edinburgh is one of the tallest castles in Scotland and most visited in the UK.

8. Alcázar de Segovia

In the Spanish city of Segovia stands this magical castle. This fortification is completely built out of stone and also served as another inspiration for Walt Disney.

 It’s estimated that it was built during the 11th century, as the first reference to it was in documents dating back to 1120.

9. Conwy Castle

Conwy castle, wales

Located in North Wales, is the stunning Conwy Castle. This castle was constructed by Prince Edward I during the 12th century. 

This medieval fortress sits above overlooking the town of Conway. Inside there are mesmerizing spiral staircases that wind around the castle and lots of furniture. On a clear day, you can see Snowdonia from this castle!

Well, there you have it 9 of some of the best castles in Europe. They aren’t officially the best castles; we think they’re great. In all honesty, there are many more castles out there! So do check them out and visit them all! 

Don’t forget to check out our blog section for more castle-related articles

What is the Oldest Standing Castle in the World?

Formerly the oldest standing castle was in Aleppo, northern Syria, built around 3000BC. However, due to the countries war, it was bombed, and today it no longer exists. Therefore, now the oldest standing castle is The Reischsburg Cochem. It is located in Cochem, Germany, and was built in the year 1000.

What is the Biggest Castle in the World?

If measured by land area, the biggest castle in the world is Malbork Castle. This is a 13th-century Teutonic brick fortress located in the town of Malbork, north-central Poland. Today this mighty castle is still standing and visited by many.

Best castles by country

Find the best castles to visit next

Lists o top castles around the world.

What Is The Biggest Palace In The World?

There so many massive palaces all over Europe you wanted to visit, and also wondered what is the biggest one?

If we were to go based on size, the largest palace in the world based on volume and floor space would be the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest. On the other hand, if we go by pure area, the title belongs to the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Palace of Parlament, Bucharest
,Romania.
Image by Arvid Olson from Pixabay

The “largest palace in the world” is quite a controversial subject, there are too many criteria to take into consideration when giving the title ‘‘the biggest”.

The Palace of the Parliament [Romania]

The Palace of the Parliament was built in 1986, by Nicolae Ceaușescu, the communist leader at that time. The piece of Romanian architecture also holds the titles of the most expensive administrative building and the heaviest building in the world.

 It spans over 330.000 square meters (3,552,120 square feet) of floor space. Its volume is even more impressive, spanning over 2.550.000 cubic meters. As remarkable as this may seem, this palace does not hold the Guinness World Record.

 It all comes down to the definition of the word “palace”. If you ask the commission a palace is a palace only if it was used as a bishop residence, sovereign residence, or royal residence. 

While the Palace of the Parliament was meant to be used as the residence of Nicolae Ceausescu, the Supreme Leader of Romania, the last Romanian monarch surrendered in 1947.

The definition of “palace” becomes even more blurry once you consider how many palaces have been converted into something else and then expanded after they have ceased being the residence of a noble, bishop, or sovereign. 

Louvre Palace[France]

One example of such an architectural phenomenon is the Louvre Palace. While it was a residence, its size was considerably smaller. In 1682, the Louvre Palace ceased being a residence, as Louis the 14th moved his court to the Palace of Versailles.

 After that, the palace was repurposed. Now it was given the honour of displaying the collections gathered by the royal family, as well as hosting administrative events. 

Being an important part of French history, it was renovated many times. It was expanded and given many additions over time. At this point, the palace is almost hard to compare the previous state of the palace with what it is now.

The palace reached its peak measurements in 1998, as the Louvre Museum. Currently, the palace spans over 2.260.421 square feet (approximately 210.000 square meters).

Winter Palace [Russia]

Another example of these “converted palaces” is Russia’s Winter Palace. The territories of this palace were not expanded even once since the end of the Revolution.

 Even though the State Hermitage Museum has an increased size due to the additional buildings it occupies, the Winter Palace does not. The palace itself spans over no more than 60.000 square meters. 

These buildings were once annexes that were part of the palace. They were used by the Imperial Court and thus are also considered to be pieces of the Winter Palace. 

The same can be said for the New Hermitage. It was used as a museum by the Imperial family. It has held its vast collections ever since the day it was built. 

It is because of this that all of the Hermitages, as well as the Hermitage Theater, are considered to be both wings of the Winter Palace, as well as independent buildings. 

Royal Palace of Madrid [Spain]

Several palaces span a vast amount of space, despite being unused for a long time. The largest functioning palace in the world is often considered to be the Royal Palace of Madrid.

There have been many disputes over the title, like the Royal Palace of Madrid, despite having a function in the state, hasn’t been used by the royal family for a long time. 

The royal family of Spain, instead, occupies the Palace of Zarzuela. The Royal Palace of Madrid spans an impressive 135.000 square meters (approximately 1.450.000 square feet). A lot of its space is open to visitors unless, of course, during state functions.

Royal Palace of Stockholm [Sweden]

Another peculiar location of a similar type is the Royal Palace of Stockholm, which claims to be the largest palace in the world which holds its original function to this day. Though, strangely enough, the royal family resides in Drottningholm Palace.

Forbidden City [Bejing, China]

If you ask the Guinness World Records, the largest palace in the world is the Forbidden City in Beijing. 

The definition that the association follows considers a palace to be a residence used by a chief of state, sovereign, bishop, or archbishop.

It was constructed somewhere between 1406 and 1420. These 500 years of usage spanned from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty. It holds another record, boasting the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

Thanks to all the assets mentioned above Forbidden City is also evaluated as the most expensive palace in the world.

Istana Nurul Iman [Brunei]

Another palace that needs to be mentioned when discussing the largest palace in the world is the Istana Nurul Iman. It holds the record for the world’s largest residential palace.

 Its name meaning ”The Light of Faith Palace” perfectly fits it in every way. It spans an incredible 200.000 square meters (approximately 2.150.000 square feet). 

 It also serves as the main seat of the Brunei government. It is often used for royal events and during state occasions. Even the geography of the palace is breathtaking.

 It sits between the hills near the Brunei River. The surrounding area is blindingly green and lush with life.

 It utilizes many vaulted roofs and golden domes to create a feeling of tasteful prestige. On top of that, the interior is nothing to scoff at. Initially designed by Khuan Chew, it exudes class.

 The building encompasses approximately 1700 rooms, including 250 bathrooms. The banquet hall is large enough to host 5000 people. A mosque is also built into the palace, and it is yet another architectural masterpiece, being able to accommodate up to 1500 people.

The building complex cost around 1.4 billion US dollars to build and, hosting 7000 of the Sultan’s cars; it is mind-bending to think about what kind of money we are talking about here.

Unfortunately, the palace is closed to visitors unless during the ten days of Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Best castles by country

Find the best castles to visit next

Lists o top castles around the world.