What Is The Most Expensive Castle in The World?

Castles have come a long way. They evolved from being structures of necessity to symbols of power and wealth; today, Castles depict history, art, and affluence. As a result, castles are highly priced, and many are worth millions of dollars.

The most expensive castle in the world today is the Chateau Lois XIV of France. The Chateau Lois XIV Castle was valued and sold to the crown prince of Saudi, Muhammad bin Salman at $300 million in 2017. This massive ten rooms structure lies on a 23 Hectares estate, which is about 57 acres! 

Most Expensive castle in France
Image by SofieLayla Thal from Pixabay

Castles and luxury appear to be two sides of a coin. So, it is not surprising that there are highly expensive castles in England, Germany, Spain, etc. Would you like to tour or learn about the most expensive castles in the world? Read on.

This is a comprehensive list of the most luxurious and expensive castles in different parts of the world.

The most expensive castle in England

Think of luscious chandeliers, state-of-the-art decors, and absolute luxury, and you would have thought about Windsor castle. 

The decoration of the castle is said to cost £64 million! The castle has housed royals since the 9th century. 

The Windsor Castle dates back to 1070 when William I (William the conqueror) made the first constructions on the site.

 Henry II and Henry III built and completed the Round Tower and the South Wall, respectively. Each reign added one form of development to another until the current fortress’s construction ended. 

You will find Windsor castle at the North-Eastern edge of Windsor and Maidenhead County. It lies on a 13 acres landmass and two main quadrilateral-shaped buildings. 

Today, Queen Elizabeth II owns Windsor in the right of the crown. According to Fox Business, Windsor Castle is worth $236 million.

The most expensive castle in Germany

The most expensive castle in Germany is the Neuschwanstein Castle. The court is rising on a hilltop in Hohenschwangau, Germany‎. King Ludwig II built it in 1886 as a private haven (he was reportedly a shy person). 

Unfortunately, he didn’t get to live in it because it took longer than expected to finish, and he died before his workers completed it. 

The castle was only declared open seven (7) after his death. Nevertheless, the Neuschwanstein Castle is a major tourist site, and it attracts over 1.4 million visitors every year.

 Rumours are that the castle’s primary purpose was not to have royal looks but more of art and science which the king preferred at that time.

The exact value of the castle is unknown as the current owners haven’t placed the building on the market; however, history tells us that King Ludwig II spend 6.2 million marks (twice the initially estimated price). 

Today, scholars agree that the equivalent of 6.2 million marks is nothing less than £43 million. Additionally, the Neuschwanstein Castle and the Linderhof Palace have been valued at nothing less than $250 million together

By estimation, the Neuschwanstein is one of the most luxurious places to visit in Germany and the most expensive castle.

The most expensive castle in Scotland 

The most expensive castle in Scotland is the royal Balmoral Castle. 

The Balmoral is located at the Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, and happens to be Queen Elizabeth’s most preferable Scotland getaway location. 

There isn’t much information about this castle before it attained royal position. Prince Albert bought the Balmoral for Queen Victoria in 1852, who fell in love with the structure after spending some time there. 

She decided to develop the castle, and ‘Her Majesty’ contracted William Smith, City Architect of Aberdeen, to expand and develop the castle for the royal family. 

Each reign has done more in its preservation than any major alterations of the castle. According to fox business, the Balmoral Castle was currently valued at $140 million in 2020. 

The next most expensive castle in Scotland is the Edinburgh castle – it has not been valued lately, but this prehistoric castle has been voted the next luxurious and important structure. 

The Edinburgh Castle is also the most visited in Scotland with about 1.7 million visitors yearly.

Next in line is the Seton Castle, which was valued at £8 million in 2019. However, Balmoral tops the list in Scotland.

The most expensive castle in France 

According to the New York Times, the most expensive castle in France is the Chateau Lois XIV. 

It is also rated as the world’s most expensive home in 2021. This 2008 chateau was modelled after the 17th-century French castles. 

It is located in Louveciennes, near Versailles. This castle has exotic high-tech enablement, a meditation room that is second to none, state-of-the-art decors, iPhone-controlled features, a transparent underwater chamber, a statue of Louis XIV made of expensive Carrara marble, amongst many other wonders. 

It is owned by Mohammed bin Salman who purchased it for $300 million in 2017.

The most expensive castle in Spain 

This one is a little bit trickish as property experts can’t seem to agree on the most expensive castle in Spain. Spain is known for many landmark castles and fortresses, which have never been placed in the market or valued.

 Additionally, since most castles have been converted to national properties and museums, it is unclear how much they could be worth, considering that various indices may affect the value. 

Nevertheless, the Alcazar of Segovia leads the chart as the most expensive castle in Spain. This castle is One (1) hour drive from Madrid and located on a plateau between two rivers in Castile and Leon region.

 It has housed many royal families, the Habsburgs, the Bourbons, the House of Burgundy, and the Trastamara. Today, the Alcazar of Segovia is the most visited historical site in all of Spain. The Alcazar of Sergovia dates back to the 7th century. 

The most expensive castle in Italy

Italy is a town of aesthetics, fashion, and beauty. Also, it leaves a dilemma as to the most expensive castle. Experts have been divided in their view on which castle is the most expensive in Italy. 

The Scaligero Castle, Lake Garda, is voted the most expensive castle in Italy with a value of not less than $20 million. In addition, the Scaligero Castle, Lake Garda, is the 22nd most toured site, and it functions as a hotel today.

The Most Expensive Castle in Ireland 

Ashford Castle tops the list valuing up to $70 million. According to research, the castle was built and financed by the Anglo-Norman House of Burke in 1228. 

However, what we have today results from massive modifications and additions made by the various enthusiastic owners (The most notable being the two large Victorian extensions mounted in 1852 by Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness). 

It is located in Cong, close to Ireland’s border. It was turned into a luxury hotel in 1939 and remained so to date. What’s most interesting is that in 2013, it was only valued at $27 million. 

Please note that we only discussed castles; some palaces are worth remarkably higher than the castles analyzed here (for example, the Buckingham Palace is worth up to $5 billion).

Watch this space for more exciting information about castles. We’ve got your back.

Also, make sure to check what’s the most expensive palace in the world, I bet you will be surprised with the answer.

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