Top 10 Beautiful Palaces Around the World

Top 10 Beautiful Palaces Around the World

The word PALACE is derived from the Latin name Palatium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. In many parts of Europe, the term is also applied to relatively large urban buildings built as the private mansions of the aristocracy. Here is a collection of top 10 palaces around the world. 

10. Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia

 The Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia was the official residence of the Russian Tsars. It was designed by many architects, most notably Bartolomeo Rastrelli, in what came to be known as the Elizabethan Baroque style; the green-and-white palace has the shape of an elongated rectangle. The palace has been calculated to contain 1,786 doors, 1,945 windows, 1,500 rooms and 117 staircases. Its principal façade is 250 m long and 100 ft high. 09 more after the break...

09. Summer Palace, Beijing, China

  The Summer Palace is the largest and best-preserved imperial garden in China. Its Chinese name, YiHeYuan, translates as ‘Garden of Nurtured Harmony’ or ‘Garden for Maintaining Health and Harmony’. As its name implies, the Summer Palace was used as a summer residence by China’s imperial rulers – as a retreat from the main imperial palace now known as the Palace Museum (or ‘Forbidden City’) – a pleasure ground in the countryside, yet near to the city.

08. Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

 Schönbrunn Palace is a former imperial summer residence in Vienna, Austria. Schönbrunn Palace with its surrounding buildings and the huge park is one of the most significant cultural monuments in Austria. The castle was build to rival French Versailles in Baroque beauty and importance.

07. Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet

The Potala Palace, winter palace of the Dalai Lama since the 7th century, symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central role in the traditional administration of Tibet. The complex, comprising the White and Red Palaces with their ancillary buildings, is built on Red Mountain in the center of Lhasa Valley, at an altitude of 3,700m.

06. Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan

  Tokyo Imperial Palace is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in Chiyoda, Tokyo close to Tokyo Station and contains various buildings such as the main palace and the private residences of the imperial family. The total area including the gardens is 7.41 square kilometers.

05. Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur, India

Udaipur, the jewel of Rajasthan, has a regal feeling even in the streets and marketplace, a sense of pride surrounding every shop and square. Lake Palace (formerly known as Jag Niwas) is a luxury hotel, of 83 rooms and suites featuring white marble walls, located on a natural foundation of 4 acres rock, which sits on a private island in the middle of Lake Pichola. The hotel operates a boat which transports guests to the hotel from a jetty at the City Palace.

04. Dolmabahce Palace, Istanbul, Turkey

  The Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, located at the European side of the Bosporus, served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire. The palace is composed of three parts; the Mabeyn-i Hümâyûn (the quarters reserved for the men), Muayede Salonu (the ceremonial halls) and the Harem-i Hümâyûn (the apartments of the family of the Sultan). The palace has an area of 45,000 m2, and contains 285 rooms, 46 halls, 6 baths and 68 toilets.

03. Chateau de Versailles, Versailles, France

The Palace of Versailles was the official residence of the Kings of France. It was originally a hunting lodge, built in 1624, by Louis XIII. It was expanded by Louis XIV beginning in 1669. He used it as a little lodge as a secret refuge for his amorous trysts with the lovely Louise de la Valliere and built a fairy tale park around it.  Jules Hardouin Mansart, the king’s principal architect, drew the plans to enlarge what was turning more and more into a palace from A Thousand and One Nights.

02. Buckingham Palace, London

 Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a rallying point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and crisis.

01. Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

Blenheim Palace is home to the 11th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Set in 2100 acres of beautiful parkland landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown, the magnificent Palace is surrounded by sweeping lawns, award-winning formal gardens and the great Lake, offering a unforgettable day out for all.

10 Most Fantastic Places on the Planet

10 Most Fantastic Places on the Planet

In science fiction films can often be seen unbelievable scenes, such as islands, flying in the sky or a house elf, built in the trees. But a world in which we live, too, is full of fantastic places and strange natural formations that amaze. And although people have changed the world beyond recognition, not all of the unique natural places have been lost. Beautiful mountains, turquoise water, amazing islands - our planet is truly rich in places that are breathtaking. 10 of the most fantastic places on the planet after the break...

01. Phi Phi Island, Thailand

 Phi Phi Island in Thailand, located between the large island of Phuket and the western coast of the Andaman Sea. Most of these islands - it is not just sharp rocks, rising from the ocean. The clear turquoise waters and lush tropical greenery make this place a paradise on earth.

02. The crater of Nyiragongo, Congo

Volcano Nyiragongo - is a unique volcano with steep slopes, located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Inside the crater of this volcano lava lake was formed, which is constantly bubbling and foam, filling the night sky with a supernatural glow red. It inflicts heavy losses on the nearby villages and towns, both because of volcanic eruptions, and the poisonous gases and other lethal forms of seismic activity.

03. Arch Berry Head, Newfoundland, Canada

 This beautiful arch is on the route Spurvink (Spurwink Trail) along the East Coast Trail in the Canadian province of Newfoundland. Arch looks pretty impressive with its massiveness, and it is so large that it has grown over the whole grove of trees. Be careful when you get to the arch, as the trail itself to her skirts steep cliffs.

04. Pamukkale, Turkey

Water flowing from the hot springs, and calcium carbonate deposits on the large terraces of Pamukkale give a spectacular view, and on clear days, a reflection of the sky adds a wonderful blue color of water. As a result, this place is a bit like an enchanted ice palace, although the temperature is quite comfortable.

05. Pura Tanah Lot, Bali

 Pura Tanah Lot - the temple is situated on a rocky formation, jutting from the island of Bali. This is an amazing place, the silhouette of which, when viewed from certain angles, like a fabulous ship. To reach the temple only through a narrow isthmus. According to legend, it was a holy place, built by a Hindu Brahmin, which is guarded by a huge snake, a scarf created from Brahman.

06. Tyantszu Mountains, China

 These mountains are a giant towering spiers, the height of several hundred meters, decorated with lush vegetation. They seem to defy the laws of gravity, resembling floating monoliths of the film Avatar. Mountains National Park, located in Zhangjiajie, Hunan province in the north, being recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Balancing elongated mountains are the result of years of erosion, which has arisen due to the expansion of ice in the winter.

07. Hamilton Pool Preserve, Texas, USA

 Hamilton Pool Reserve - is a natural pool, formed thousands of years ago in a major erosion. The pool itself is filled with amazing emerald water, framed by limestone rocks covered with lush ferns and moss. On the outcrop down the 15-meter waterfall that never completely dries up, even during the dry periods.

08. Las Kanadas, Tenerife, Canary Islands

 Caldera Las Kanadas - a series of volcanoes, which are amazing volcanic wasteland. Desert rocky ground radiates heat, and dotted with fumaroles - cracks and holes, spewing toxic fumes. Uneven terrain and rocky outcrops provide sharp true Martian form.

09. Machu Picchu, Peru

 There are many interesting ruins around the world, but Machu Picchu is in this respect, a cult place. Located high in the mountains of Peru, a tropical forest, this place is simply amazing with its beauty. Once he was a most impressive creation of the Inca Empire, its giant walls, terraces and rampady seem to have been carved in a natural way of the endless rocky ledges. Prior to 1911 this site and did not know until Hiram Bingham an American historian, did not find it.

10. Meteora, Greece

Meteors are a monastic complex in central Greece, which is located on the tops of the cliffs, which reach heights of up to 600 m above sea level. These monasteries were built in impossible conditions, virtually no roads, being the present state of the art and a shining example of the architectural changes in the perfect place of solitude, meditation and prayer.