1. Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
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| 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. Blenheim Palace, which is unique in its combined usage as a family home, mausoleum and national monument is also notable as the birthplace and ancestral home of Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.
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2. Buckingham Palace, London
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| Buckingham Palace, London |
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| 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. Boasting the largest private garden in London, Buckingham is made up of mostly early 19th-century interior designs, many of which still survive, including the widespread use of brightly coloured scagliola and blue and pink lapis, on the advice of Sir Charles Long.
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3. Chateau de Versailles, Versailles, France
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| Chateau de Versailles, Versailles, France |
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| Chateau de Versailles, Versailles, France |
Originally a hunting lodge, the Chateau de Versailles (Palace of Versailles) was the official residence of the Kings of France 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.
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4. Dolmabahce Palace, Istanbul, Turkey
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| Dolmabahce Palace, Istanbul, Turkey |
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| 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 Humayun (the quarters reserved for the men), Muayede Salonu (the ceremonial halls) and the Harem-i Humayun (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.
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5. Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan
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| Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan |
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| 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.
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6. Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet
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| Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet |
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| 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. Tradition has it that the three main hills of Lhasa represent the 'Three Protectors of Tibet.' Chokpori, just to the south of the Potala, is the soul-mountain (bla-ri) of Vajrapani, Pongwari that of Manjushri, and Marpori, the hill on which the Potala stands, represents Chenresig or Avalokiteshvara.
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7. Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria
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| Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria |
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| 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
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8. Summer Palace, Beijing, China
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| Summer Palace, Beijing, China |
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| 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. In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List. It declared the Summer Palace 'a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design.
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9. Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur, India
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| Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur, India |
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| Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur, India |
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| 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.
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10. Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia
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| Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia |
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| 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.
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