Where Can I See a Castle on My European Cruise?

St. Petersburg has many marvelous palaces or castles. Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, and the Romanov family have palaces all over the city. The Hermitage Museum was once a winter palace, and the estates of the Catherine Palace and Peterhof are magnificent. If you love castles and well-manicured grounds, this is a great city to visit.

Baltic cruises to northern Europe and Russian waterways cruises include St. Petersburg as a port of call.

More on Catherine Palace - Photo Gallery

Amalienborg Castle is the home of the Danish royal family. Christiansborg Castle was also one of the homes of the royal family, but hasn't been used in over 200 years. It is now a museum and government building.
More on Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen

When your cruise ship is docked in Copenhagen, you might want to do a short driving tour into the Danish countryside and see three castles (or slots, as they are called in Denmark)--Frederiksborg Slot, Fredensborg Slot, and Kronborg Slot.

Frederiksborg is huge and a picture-perfect castle in a beautiful setting. It's often called the "Danish Versailles". Fredensborg Slot is still used by the Danish royal family as a summer residence. Kronborg Slot is perhaps the most interesting of the three Danish castles. Although Shakespeare never visited Kronborg, he renamed the castle Elsinore and made it the setting of his famous play, "Hamlet".
More on the Three Castles near Copenhagen

Akershus is one of oldest buildings in Oslo, having been constructed in the 1300's. It's easy to find since it's right across from the cruise ship pier. Oslo also has another castle--the Royal Palace of Norway.
More on Akershus Castle
Things to Do and See in Oslo
More Things to Do and See in Oslo

The Tower of London is now a museum and is one of London's most popular tourist attractions. You can see the Crown Jewels, many examples of armor and medieval weapons, and of course there's those Beefeaters and ravens. London has other castles, including Buckingham Palace.

Three ports near London--Southampton, Dover, and Harwich--are used as embarkation ports for cruises to northern Europe and the rest of the world.
More on the Tower of London

Many people may not think of Versailles as a castle, but it was certainly a royal residence. The baroque style is more ornate than like a fortress, but this grand building and its surrounding grounds are among the finest examples of a palace in the world.

Paris is an embarkation port for Seine River cruises and is also a port of call for ocean cruises docking in Normandy. The City of Lights is also a perfect add-on extension for other European cruises.
More on Versailles Palace
More on Versailles Palace from the About.com Guide to Europe Travel

The Alhambra Palace is an interesting mix of Moorish and European architecture. Originally built in the 1300's during the Nasrid Dynasty, the palace was modified by King Charles V in the 1600's.
More on the Alhambra Palace

Because of the number of castles along a forty-mile stretch of the Rhine River (between Koblenz and Bingen), this "Romantic Rhine" area was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. Cruises sailing the Rhine River between Amsterdam and Basel, or the Rhine, Main, and Danube Rivers between Amsterdam and Budapest highlight this section of the river and provide narratives about the various castles.

Sailing along this "Romantic Rhine" is a marvelous way to see a gorgeous part of Europe.
More on Castles on the Rhine River - Avalon Tranquility Cruise
More on the Romantic Rhine River - Viking Spirit Cruise

The Reichsburg Castle in Cochem dates back to the 11th century. The old castle has been restored and tours of the inside are available. The castle looks much like you would expect, with large rooms, fireplaces, and dark furniture. The views of the Moselle River are spectacular.
More on the Reichsburg Castle

Wertheim is a quaint town on the Main River in Germany. Like most river towns, it has its own castle, and this one dates back to the 12th century. Much of the Wertheim Castle is in ruins, but it was once one of the largest on the river.
More on Wertheim

• Belvedere Palace
• Hofburg Palace
• Schonbrunn Palace

You can't miss the Prague Castle when visiting this central European capital city. It towers over the city and offers great views from its courtyards.

Prague is offered as an add-on river cruise extension for Danube River Cruises.
More on Prague Castle

The Durnstein Castle is famous because Richard the Lionheart was held captive there in 1192-1193. Durnstein is a favorite stopover for Danube River cruises, and not just because of these ancient castle ruins (although the river and vineyard views from the castle are breathtaking). The town has fascinating shops and an excellent winery tour, but is also just fun to stroll the narrow streets.
More on Durnstein, Austria
A Day in Durnstein from the River Beatrice

More on the Schonbuhel Castle

The Wachau Valley of Austria has many castles, including this one--the Hinderhaus Castle near Spitz.
More on the Hinderhaus Castle

Budapest is one of my favorite cities on the Danube River. Filled with mystery and intrigue, the city is split into two parts--Buda and Pest--by the river. Castle Hill sits on the Buda side of the river, and the old Royal Palace is now a museum.
More on Budapest Castle
Budapest Photo Gallery

Golubac Castle was built in the 14th century. It sits in a lovely place on the Danube River near the Iron Gates.
More on the Golubac Castle

The 16th century Castle of Ram is near the village of Ram near Kostolac, Serbia and the ancient Roman archaeological site at Viminacium. More on the Castle of Ram

Rumor has it that that Loch Ness monster lives in a cave underneath the ruins of Urquhart Castle in Scotland. We didn't see Nessie, but enjoyed touring the castle and seeing one of Scotland's most famous Lochs.