The largest imperial palace. The ten most incredible palaces in the world - the magical appeal of wonderful creations

There are many real masterpieces of architecture in the world that amaze everyone with their beauty. No wonder travelers come from different corners planets in order to see with your own eyes these architectural monuments, among which palaces occupy an important place. About the most beautiful palaces peace, we propose to talk today.

Versailles in France

Without a doubt, Versailles is not only a symbol of France, but also one of the most beautiful and famous palaces in the world. Many writers have repeatedly described this architectural monument in their works, which once again proves its importance.

The Palace of Versailles was built in the 17th century, during the reign of King Louis XIV. Initially, he was assigned the role of a building in which important state meetings and receptions were to be held, as well as problems in political life countries. That is why the building of the creator is an example of classical architecture.

Today, Versailles, together with a huge park complex, is one of the main attractions of France. Every year, millions of tourists from all over the world come here to see this palace with their own eyes.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace occupies special place in the list of places of interest in the UK. It is still the current residence of Queen Elizabeth II of England. Not only is her office located here, but the entire royal family lives here. In addition to the residence of the Queen of England, Buckingham Palace is a museum, as it houses a huge collection of works by world-famous painters from different eras. In addition, the exposition of the museum contains many art objects.

Buckingham Palace was built in 1703. Since then he has been real pride London, and all of England. The palace is surrounded by 3 parks, where a wide variety of flowers bloom all year round. Since 1993, the palace has been open for free visits by tourists and residents of the city. And the changing of the guard ceremony Buckingham Palace has long been national tradition England, which attracts millions of curious visitors every year.

Royal Palace in Bangkok

The Grand Palace (royal palace) is a symbol of the power and majesty of the rulers of Thailand. Despite the fact that this attraction has been attracting millions of tourists for many years, the most significant events of the country still take place in the palace.

Royal Palace was built in the 18th century, during the reign of Rama I. The complex was built in an oriental style, and its painted structures and gilded elements make it look like a real fairy palace. Here, tourists can see the shrine of Buddhists - the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

At all times, people strived for prosperity, and kings and emperors lived in special luxury. The mansions that they once occupied have now acquired the status of museums and annually receive millions of tourists. We present you the most great palaces in the world that have survived to our time.

Palace of the Sultan of Istana-Nurul-Iman in Brunei Darussalam

The building combines Islamic architecture and modern finishes. The palace has 1778 rooms and several throne rooms. All rooms are illuminated by 51,000 lamps, connected by 18 elevators and 44 stairs. The Sultan's palace is completely decorated with gold accessories and fittings: even the buttons on the air conditioners and brushes for the bathroom are made of precious metal. Any visitor can get into the palace, but, according to Muslim traditions, only at the end of the month of Ramadan.

Royal Palace in Stockholm

Stockholm Palace was erected on the foundations of the medieval castle "Three Crowns" (Tre Kronor) of the middle of the XIII century, destroyed by fire in 1697. The new palace was built for 57 years, until 1754: at that time it was the largest building project in all of Europe. The Royal Chambers are made in different styles: from Rococo, Baroque and Gustavian neo-classicism to eclectic styles of the 19th century. The editors of the site also invite you to learn about the most expensive residential buildings in the world.

The Purple Forbidden City in Beijing

The “Forbidden City” got its name due to limited access to its territory during the time of the empire, and even in the 19th century, almost all foreigners were forbidden to enter there. Restrictions were lifted only in 1900, when the Boxer, or Yihetuan, uprising was suppressed in Beijing against foreign interference in the economy, domestic politics and religious life of China in 1898-1901. At first, the uprising enjoyed the support of the Chinese authorities, but then Empress Cixi went over to the side of the Eight Powers Alliance, which crushed the uprising.

Documentary about the Forbidden Purple City

The Forbidden City had unique characteristics for its time: huge complex there were no chimneys. Initially, it was heated using a heating system located under the floor of buildings. They also heated with braziers with charcoal, which, when burned, did not emit smoke and smell.

Royal Palace in Amsterdam

For the construction of the castle, about 14 thousand wooden piles were laid in the foundation, while the walls were erected from yellow sandstone brought from Germany. Three floors are decorated with a dome with a weather vane, which is made in the form of a sea vessel. Inside the palace is decorated with marble. The central hall impresses with its size: the height of the ceilings there is 27.5 meters, and on the floor you can see images of the earth's hemispheres.

Now numerous galleries and halls exhibit paintings by Dutch artists: Govert Flinck, Rembrandt, Jacob Jordaens, Ferdinand Bol, Jan Lievens. By the way, it was for this palace that Rembrandt made his largest canvas, The Conspiracy of Julius Civilis, but it was not accepted and replaced by the unfinished painting by Govert Flink.

Grand Royal Palace in Bangkok

The building is divided into two parts, one for prayers and religious ceremonies, and the other for receptions. By order of Rama I, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the so-called personal royal temple, was built here. The statue of Buddha Izmazad - the mascot of the dynasty of kings of Thailand - was made by them whole piece stone and three special golden robes. Three times a year the king changes his mantle at the statue.

One of the most beautiful palaces in the world, the Grand Palace was completed in 1783. At the same time, the palace was erected in a record short time - in a year. Since that time, Rama I and subsequent rulers lived and worked in the Grand Royal Palace. The castle has an area of ​​more than 218 square meters and is surrounded by a wall of 1900 meters.

Winter Palace in St. Petersburg

Hundreds of thousands of tourists come to St. Petersburg every year

Winter Palace and Palace Square form a stunning beauty architectural ensemble modern city and are one of the main objects of domestic and international tourism.
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Many periodically dream of their own glamorous home in beautiful place. Someone wants to have a large home theater, gym or swimming pool in it, and someone wants a huge bathroom and living room. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the review of elite houses, the interior, premises and interior decorations of which are simply amazing. This material presents the most expensive houses in the world.

Palace of Leopold

This palace was designed and built during the reign of the King of Belgium - Leopold II, at the beginning of the 20th century on the French Riviera.

Today Villa Leopolda is valued at as much as $736 million. This grandiose building has 19 bedrooms, a swimming pool and a huge garden. There are hundreds of workers in the mansion who keep order and housekeeping. The estate is truly large sizes: over a thousand cypresses, olives, orange and lemon trees grow on its territory.

At one time, Russian oligarch Mikhail Prokhorov intended to purchase this mansion for 370 million euros, but soon changed his mind. The owner of the villa, Lily Safra, refused to return Prokhorov's first installment of 37 million euros. The French court took her side in this matter. In addition, the oligarch was awarded an additional payment for Ms. Safra of 1.5 million euros for damages. They say that later another Russian businessman, D. Rybolovlev, bought the villa, but he did not confirm this information. As a result, it was announced that the transaction took place, and the villa was sold for a record amount of $ 750 million, but the name of the new owner remained a mystery.

Antilla

Located in the city of Mumbai (India), the Antilia skyscraper does not correspond to the usual notions of what is possible to have in a house and how it should look. This skyscraper consists of 27 floors, the building has a 6-story parking lot for 168 cars, one of the floors is completely occupied by a jacuzzi, there is a gym, a "cooling room", a dance floor, several floors with sleeping quarters and bathrooms, and even a 4-story garden.

The architectural basis of the building is a traditional Hindu interior and design system that promotes the movement of positive energy. Each of the floors has not only an individual design, but also a completely unusual set of materials, each of the rooms is amazing in its own way.

The house has everything you can imagine, because it is one of the most unusual structures in the world.

The cost of this elite skyscraper is 1 billion dollars. Its proud owner is Mukesh Ambani, India's most famous business tycoon and billionaire.

Residence of the Queen of England

Buckingham Palace is the London residence of British monarchs. It became the legal seat of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, immediately after her coronation. Today it is the most expensive house in the world, or rather, in Europe. Its estimated cost is $1.5 billion.

As you can easily guess - Buckingham Palace has never been put up for sale. But it is possible to admire it completely freely from August to September, at which time it is specially opened for visits.

Scala Number 7

Residential complex Skala Number 7 is located in resort area"Big Sky" (Big Sky), Montana, USA. Its cost is estimated at 155 million dollars.

Scala is proprietary ski resort Yellowstone. This complex is designed for very rich, elite clients. The house is equipped with many amenities - underfloor heating, multiple pools, a gym, a wine cellar and even its own cable car. The owners of the complex are Edra and Tim Blixeth. Tim Blixeth co-founded the Yellowstone Club, but the club's bankruptcy, divorce and other hardships caused recent times a big blow to his well-being.

Elena Franchuk Villa, London

Elena Franchuk, a well-known figure, a citizen of Ukraine, daughter of the former president of the country, Leonid Kuchma, recently bought this villa in London for 80 million pounds. This house is absolutely luxurious and probably worth the money. This five-story structure has ten bedrooms, two swimming pools, a home cinema room, a sauna, an office and a gym.

Over the years of its existence, the villa has been reconstructed many times, for which millions of dollars have been spent in total.

Hearst Mansion

This famous Hollywood mansion was once owned by the eminent publishing magnate Randolph Hearst.

Hearst Castle has 29 bedrooms, a huge library, a circular balcony, a room for playing billiards. The master bedroom has its own access to the terrace, which can accommodate up to 400 people.

Directly on the site of the estate there are 3 swimming pools, a cinema hall, a tennis court and a night club.

The cost of this luxurious building is 135 million dollars.

Hala Ranch

This luxurious mansion is located in Aspen, Colorado, USA. To date, its declared value is $821 million.

It used to be the most expensive home in the world for sale in the United States of America. It was sold in 2006 by Prince Saudi Arabia- Bandar bin Sultan. The estate was then valued at just $135 million. Since then, everything has changed, its price has increased 6 times. Today the owner of the house is John Paulson.

The main building of the house has 15 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms. Also on the territory of the mansion there are several office buildings with modern equipment for water purification, gas supply systems and other important amenities.

Allison Villa

The Ellison Mansion is a whole complex of 10 buildings scattered over an area of ​​over 9 hectares.

In addition to living quarters, the complex has an artificially made lake, a small pond with Chinese carps, a tea house and a bathing house. Owner of this architectural masterpiece- Larry Ellison, co-owner of Oracle.

Today, the mansion is valued at $200 million.

Hariri Mansion

The Hariri Mansion, located in the capital of England - London, consists of 7 floors, on which 45 bedrooms are created. You can invite all friends, relatives and relatives to such a house, and there will still be a place in it. But this is not the only advantage of the mansion, the glass in the windows of the house is bulletproof, and the kitchen is completely decorated with gilding, including all utensils, which is very beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.

Initially, it was not a single building, but 4 separate houses, but they were sold as a single unit.

To date, the Hariri mansion is one of the largest and most expensive houses in the UK, its cost is 300 million pounds.

House in Switzerland

Let's move on to the most recognized exclusive building. Successful English designer - Stuart Hughes presented the most expensive house in the world, created according to his own design. In this case, he was assisted by Kevin Huber. As a result, the price of this small but exclusive house in Switzerland was more than 12 billion dollars. This figure beat all the most famous expensive houses in the world in its magnitude.

This price is justified, more than 200 tons of various precious metals were used to create this masterpiece. The interior of the house is made using such rare materials as dinosaur bones and parts of a meteorite.

The area of ​​this house is relatively small - only 725 square meters. The building has a large view terrace with a swimming pool, with total area almost 390 square meters, and below it there is an underground parking for 4 cars and a typical wine cellar for these places.

There are few rooms in the house, there are only 8 of them, but they all have a very original and unusual finish. The living room in the villa is decorated with meteorite fragments, mostly for the bar furniture.

The floor coverings in the house are made using Tyrannosaurus rex bone shavings. More than 200 tons of expensive metals - gold, platinum, silver - were used in the decor of the villa.

Who is the owner of the most expensive house in the world, unfortunately, is unknown. Rumor has it that the house was built by order of a very wealthy resident of Switzerland, who wished to remain anonymous. On this project, as mentioned above, the designer Stuart Hughes worked, but all the construction work was carried out under the direction of Kevin Huber.

A little more than 5 years were spent on recreating the most expensive house. The exact location of this house is not known.

Conclusion

Houses of high-ranking persons are expensive, chic and exclusive. But all our ideas about a very expensive home are incomparable with the range of real estate prices presented in this selection. After all, according to this information, the most expensive house in the world costs fabulous money.

Among the most attractive tourist attractions in many countries are ancient castles and palaces. Once they were the residences of monarchs, many of them are to this day. We present a list of the most beautiful castles and palaces of the world, visiting which is worth the journey, which sometimes needs to be overcome, once in a particular country.

List of beautiful castles and palaces

1. Chambord, France
2. Ussay, France
3. Schönbrunn, Austria
4. Matsumoto, Japan
5. Ashford, Ireland
6. Fasilides, Ethiopia
7. Schwerin, Germany
8. Versailles, France
9. Grand Palace, Thailand
10. Peles, Romania
11. Neuschwanstein, Germany
12. Royal Palace, Cambodia
13. Buckingham Palace, England
14. Bran, Romania
15. Windsor Castle, England
16. Frontenac, Canada
17. Petrodvorets, Russia

Photos taken from Instagram accounts.

Chambord Castle, France

The largest, most beautiful and majestic castle in the Loire Valley was built by order of François I and it plunges you into the heart of the Renaissance. Chambord is built in the heart of the largest closed forest park in Europe and has hardly ever been inhabited.

What impresses him the most appearance reminiscent of fairytale castles, its square and the double staircase designed by Leonardo da Vinci. Chambord Castle in 1981 listed world heritage UNESCO.

Usse Castle, France

This castle overlooking the river Indre is also located in the Loire Valley. The main building in the form of a fortress was built in the 11th century. In 1442, on its ruins, Jean V de Buel (Lord of Usset and captain of King Charles VII) began the construction of the current castle, which is currently owned by the Blacas family. Today the building is open to the public, and to add to the charm of the place, a visitor's tour of the castle includes a viewing of the tale of Sleeping Beauty.

Schönbrunn Castle, Austria

In the middle of the 18th century, Maria Theresa (from the Habsburg family) ordered to restore this majestic building which served as her summer residence. The baroque décor was replaced by rococo, and the transformation resulted in large-scale rooms such as the large gallery, which is 40 meters long and 10 meters wide.

Schonbrunn impresses not only with its rich decoration, extensive baroque gardens, which are included in the World Heritage List. The territory of the park includes a giant labyrinth (built in 1720), a zoo (1752) and the world's longest greenhouse (dating back to the middle of the 18th century).

Matsumoto Castle, Japan

Matsumoto Castle is one of four castles designated as national cultural heritage sites in Japan. Built around 1593-1594, Matsumoto differs from other buildings of its kind in that it stands on a flat surface of the soil, and not on a hill, as it seems at first glance. And it has not 5, but 6 floors.

Ashford Castle, Ireland

This castle was built in 1228 on the north bank of Lough Corrib, and throughout its existence it passed into the possession of different owners. In the 19th century, when the castle was in the possession of the Guinness family, it underwent significant changes under the influence of the Victorian style. In 1939, the building became the property of Noel Huggart, who turned it into a luxurious five-star hotel.

Fasilides Castle, Ethiopia

In 1636, the Ethiopian Emperor Fasilides settled in Gondar and made it his capital. He founded Fasil Gebbi, a fortified city that is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its territory includes monasteries, public and private institutions, royal residences. imperial city has more than one medieval castle, but Fasilides is the main and most impressive one.

Schwerin Castle, Germany

In 1160, on the site of the recently burned down Slavic fortress, Heinrich the Lion built the fortified castle of Schwerin. Later, from 1843 to 1857, grandiose reconstruction works were carried out here, which laid the foundation for the majestic castle that stands today on the island of Schwerin. Since 1990 the castle has been the seat of parliament federal state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Palace of Versailles, France

Excessive luxury, dizzying opulence, imperial chic... These are the words that best describe this embodiment of classic French art, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The former hunting lodge of Louis XIII was converted into a palace during the reign of Louis XIV.

Versailles is also famous for its gardens, which required forty years of work and the efforts of thousands of people. It is in these gardens that the palaces are located. Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon favorite place rest of Marie Antoinette.

Grand Palace, Thailand

Its construction began during the reign of Rama I in 1782, but it was later expanded by other rulers. The construction was completed in the second half of the 19th century. The body of this amazing palace covers about 218,000 m² and includes other buildings, including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which houses famous statue from jade. Today it hosts foreign leaders and dignitaries of the Buddhist clergy, invited by the ruler, who sits in the Chitralada Palace.

Peles Castle, Romania

This is one of the first castles in Europe to have electricity. Construction began in 1873 under the reign of Prince Carol I of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and continued for more than ten years. The 160 rooms of the castle show an eclecticism of different styles, including German baroque, rococo and Moorish style.

Among the most impressive halls are the armories, which contain about 400 weapons, including the executioner's sword, once used to behead the nobility, oriental sword samurai, swords made of ivory and sapphires.

Castle of the Teutonic Order, Poland

It is one of the most important monuments erected by the Knights of the Teutonic Order, monks from the monastic state of Prussia who fought against the pagans. Construction of the castle began in 1270. Its brick hue is stunning when combined with bright green vegetation. The Teutonic Order Castle is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

It is called the "Castle of the Fairy King" because it embodies exactly how we imagine castles and palaces from fairy tales and legends. The construction of the castle began in 1868 and continued for twenty years.

The construction of Neuschwanstein took place under the decree of Ludwig II, who was famous for his low sociability. For him, it was supposed to be a refuge that embodies the world of fantasy. The decor of the building reflects medieval legends, which inspired Wagner, and the paintings that adorn its walls are inspired by the operas of the composer, a close friend of the king.

Every year, about 1.3 million people come here to admire the dazzling beauty of this castle, which is today one of the most visited in Europe.

Royal Palace, Cambodia

The palace, built in 1866 during the reign of King Norodom, has an area of ​​183,135 m2, including grandiose buildings that have been built over the years. Among them there is a dazzling throne room with a 59 m high tower.

The palace is used for important ceremonies such as the coronation of monarchs or for royal weddings. The throne room serves as a meeting place for the current king of Cambodia with honored guests.

Buckingham Palace, England

At first it was a hotel, then it became a private mansion, turning into a palace at the beginning of the 19th century, during the reign of George IV. The king died before the work was completed, and Queen Victoria became the first monarch to settle here in 1837. Since then, Buckingham Palace has been one of the official residences of the British monarchy, enjoying its 775 rooms, including a sumptuous ballroom. Buckingham Palace is not private property: it belongs to England and is open to tourists for several weeks a year.

Peña National Palace, Portugal

The incredibly colorful palace could not go unnoticed with its combination of styles - Gothic, Egyptian and Moorish. Like the entire ensemble of Sintra, it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its construction began in the middle of the 19th century by order of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and ended in 1885. A few years later, in 1910, the palace became state property. Today it hosts music concerts and various exhibitions.

Bran Castle, Romania

Known around the world as "Dracula's castle", Bran attracts many tourists who want to get in touch with the legends surrounding this name. In reality, Vlad Tepes (the same Count Dracula) has never even been in this medieval castle. In 1377 King Louis I of Hungary built a fortress on top of Dietrich Rock, on the site of a former castle of the Teutonic Order. In 1920, the building passed into the possession of the Romanian royal family.

Windsor Castle, England

Windsor Castle is located in the suburbs of London, and unlike Buckingham Palace, which is open to visitors for a limited time, Windsor receives tourists regularly throughout the year. This is one of the residences of the royal family, which has owned the castle since the Middle Ages. The castle itself was built in the 13th century.

Frontenac Castle, Canada

Frontenac Castle is located in the Canadian province of Quebec, where it was built at the end of the 19th century under the direction of Canadian railway companies. Originally owned by Fairmont, this luxury hotel quickly became a symbol of Quebec.

Today Château Frontenac continues its work as a museum hotel where you can admire antiques, the most beautiful pictures, dazzling gilding on the walls and ceiling. This castle is named after Count Louis de Buade de Frontenac. They say there are even ghosts here.

Petrodvorets, Russia

There is Versailles French, Austrian, and there is also Russian. Petrodvorets is located 29 km from St. Petersburg, on the Gulf of Finland. As the name suggests, it was once the residence of the Russian Emperor Peter the Great, who ordered its construction after visiting Versailles in 1717.

The magnificent facade of the palace stretches for 260 meters, but the most impressive is, of course, the interior, which includes many dazzling halls, salons and galleries.

The palace is a monumental building that has housed royal families or heads of state, high-ranking dignitaries and bishops. The word itself comes from "prince's court". Over time, the most important public buildings began to be called palaces.

The earliest known are the royal residences of the Egyptian pharaohs at Thebes (at Karnak). IN East Asia, in Thailand, Japan and China, the imperial chambers consisted of many low pavilions surrounded by a huge garden, in contrast to the single building of medieval Europe.

Palaces of Europe

In France there was a clear distinction between palaces and castles. The palace has always been located in the city, as the royal residence of the Palais de la Cite, or popes in Avignon. The castle, on the contrary, is in the countryside, and had fortifications. An exception can be called - the residence of the king of France outside the city, but on French this estate is called Château de Versailles, and the official residence was the Louvre, devoid of defensive architecture, as it was completely surrounded by the city. Bishops also had palaces in the city and castles in the provinces. The same division was in Italy, Spain, Austria. IN Germany the distinction was not always respected.

IN England, by tacit agreement, there were no restrictions on the use of the name from the location. However, not everyone could be so majestically named as the residence of the British monarchs. So, the Beaulieu Palace got its name when it was acquired by Henry VIII. Blenheim Palace was built on the site of an abandoned royal estate in Woodstock, thanks to which he inherited the honor of bearing such a name. Set in the countryside, it clearly demonstrated that the "palace" had no specific urban restrictions in England.

IN Italy any urban mansion built with pomp was called a palace. It was not at all necessary to be a nobleman, many ancient mansions in Venice belonged to the patrician class. In the Middle Ages, they were also used as warehouses, commercial establishments, or residences.

palaces Spain amaze with their splendor. One of them is the Royal House in Madrid. Its decor and design is definitely a must see when traveling in Spain. Architecture is unparalleled: it seems to have absorbed the talent of thousands of architects of all known styles. The Royal Apartments amaze not only with their beauty, but also with their size. It is the largest palace in Europe with nearly 3,000 rooms. Currently, it is open to tourists, and the royal family lives in the small estate of Zarzuela. Special attention deserve Seville Alcazar(an elegant mixture of Moorish and European styles), Alhambra, Royal residence of Aranjuez.

palaces Ukraine appeared much later. The rulers built estates for themselves in the form of castles and estates, following the architectural traditions of Europe. A striking example- - the estate of the Russian Emperor Alexander III in french style the time of Louis XIII. By order of Count Vorontsov, an English architect designed a mixture of Scottish and English Gothic with Moorish architecture. Razumovsky's estate - a large architectural and park complex - was built according to the project of Cameron. The Potocki Palace - one of the largest in Europe in the classical style - was designed by the French architect La Croix, interior decoration- Dutchman Merckx.

Palaces of Asia

IN China an excellent example of traditional architecture is the imperial residence in the center of Beijing, the largest residential complex in the world. Other examples: summer residence, in the suburbs of Beijing, and Mukden in Shenyang. Presidential palace in Nanjing displays European-influenced architecture. Unlike the massive buildings of Europe, the palaces and castles of China consist of many large and small buildings with parks and courtyards.

India became the birthplace of a large number of palaces and vast empires. The history of India has many dynasties that ruled in different parts of the country. Although most of the buildings from the ancient period have been destroyed, some medieval buildings have been restored. These magnificent buildings are an example of the great achievements of architects and engineers of that time. Floating flowers in huge fountains and magnificent pools, Doric columns, decorative brackets and stairs, pouring light in large windows - in India there are the most interesting ancient fortresses and palaces with truly royal grandeur, splendor and splendor. The Rajputs ("sons of the rajah") were known as brave soldiers who preferred to die rather than be captured. They were also great connoisseurs of art and brilliant builders.