Europe’s Prettiest Fairytale Hotels

Within the fortified city of Carcassonne, Hôtel de la Cité could be plucked from the medieval times when knights in shining armors, and maybe dragons, still roamed the land. It was built in the 19^th century in the Neo-Gothic style and positioned overlooking the ramparts and its watch towers. From here, you can stroll the narrow streets within the town, or go beyond to the Carthar castles. Year-round, the city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, entertains visitors with events such as jousting and plays on stage.

An 18^th-century palace home to noble families before becoming a luxury hotel, Tivoli Palácio de Seteais wraps you in period architecture and a romantic atmosphere set by ornate furnishings and frescoed ballrooms adorned with rare tapestries. It sits on a mountainside, surrounded by elegant gardens and mazes, offering privileged views of the Moorish Castle, Pena Palace and city of Sintra—once a summer resort for royalty, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The ancestral home of the O’Briens of Dromoland, whose lineage dates back 1,000 years to Brian Boru, one of the last High Kings of Ireland, Dromoland Castle Hotel is as royal as it gets. Indeed, the castle treats every guest like royalty. Within its baronial façade are interiors that have preserved much of the castle’s original grandeur. Outside are 450 acres of land and gardens (which shared the same designer as the Gardens of Versailles) for enjoying a leisurely life of horse riding, archery and falconry.

In Florence’s historic walled center, Brunelleschi Hotel resides within one of the oldest buildings in the city, the Byzantine Torre della Pagliazza dating back to the 6^th century. Guests today can enter the medieval building by booking the Pagliazza Tower Suite or dining in the two Michelin star Restaurant Santa Elisabetta. When an opportunity arises to escape, follow the pedestrian streets to explore the old city, home to the Medici and birthplace of the Renaissance.

Built onto the remains of a medieval fortress, De L’Europe, which has been welcoming guests since 1896, captures Amsterdam’s rich history with its architecture and location. Guests can live like aristocrats at the hotel, where walls are decorated in 17^th-century art and windows look out to the historic city center. Enjoy Michelin dining on the canal at the hotel’s restaurant Bord’Eau, then wander the oldest shops, distilleries and breweries in the neighborhood for a glimpse of life from over a century ago.

The only Ottoman imperial palace and hotel on the Bosphorus, Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul recalls the days of Sultans and Sultanas. It retains the opulence of its former life as a royal palace, resplendent with landscaped gardens, a luxurious marble hammam and suites up to nearly 5,000 square feet in size—some of the largest in all of Europe. Beyond the palace walls is culturally rich Istanbul, which occupies both Asia and Europe and whose history spans over two millennia.

As if Vienna’s baroque architecture, opera houses and horse-drawn carriages aren’t enough of a fairytale experience, you can also stay in a neoclassical palace. Within the city’s old fortified walls, Prince Ferdinand Von Sachsen-Coburg built a palace whose freestanding pillars gave it the nickname, the “Asparagus Castle.” It was lived in by his son and daughter-in-law, Princess Clementine de Orleans. Restored to its former glory, it’s now a luxury hotel featuring two Michelin stars and a secret garden.

If enchanted forests existed, Chantilly Forest would be one of them. It is here, on its highest hillock, that composer Fernand Halphern decided to build a princely chateau. He commissioned one of the best architects of his time, Guillaume Tronchet, to design a house dedicated to music on the inside and hunting on the outside. Just a few miles away is the handsome town of Chantilly, whose lavish history can regale you with stories of the Bourbon-Condé princes.

Rising out of the landscape like a Disney castle, Gstaad Palace is where one can experience an authentic Swiss alpine lifestyle amongst spectacular scenery. Inside its castle façade is a mix of modern and traditional style, characterized by wooden beams, crackling fireplaces and even a fromagerie. It’s set within a pedestrian town lined with rustic raclette inns and chalet-style houses. Surrounding the town are mountain pastures dotted with cows, along with forests, meadows and streams for frolicking in.