Larnaca Ranks Second in New Research into European Cities with the Most Castles

European Cities with the Most Castles

24 September 2023
Travel Channels

Larnaca Ranks Second in New Research into European Cities with the Most Castles

A castle visit can be the perfect way to enjoy a day on vacation, regardless of age.

Europe is home to hundreds of castles, attracting tourists from all over the world. But, which European city is the hot spot for castles? To find out, Ubuy has conducted research into the number of castles in major European cities – alongside calculating how many castles there are per 100,000 m2.

The research found that Larnaca, Cyprus ranked in joint position with Zagreb, Croatia – being home to an impressive five castles! This is the equivalent of 15.38 castles per 100,000 m2, which makes this city the perfect destination for travellers looking to take in the local castle sights.

Europe is often regarded for its long and varied history, with medieval castles making up a significant part of what makes the continent iconic to the rest of the world. In recent years, period dramas and fantasy TV series’ have further boosted the popularity of European castles – with many across the globe travelling to look at Europe’s historic landscape with dream-filled eyes.

What is it about castles in Europe that interest us so much? For many, visiting a castle offers the opportunity to put ourselves in the shoes of those who walked there before us – maybe even envisioning ourselves as a temporary queen or king! There is always something so mystical about taking a walk through ancient castle grounds and imagining what life might’ve been like there centuries ago.

Ubuy collected data for a number of ranking factors to discover the European hotspots for castles and palaces. To do this, they examined each European capital city – as well as two additional cities in each country (based on respective population sizes).

They sourced the cities and size of each city (in sq metres) from World Population Review with data correct as of 2023.

They retrieved the number of castles from TripAdvisor by examining the number of attractions under the 'castles' category type. We then compared the results against the size of each location to analyse how many castles per square metre each location has. After finding the data, they then calculated the number of castles per 100,000 m2 and totalled the number of castles across all three cities.

Their research on castles in Europe has unveiled fascinating insights into the rich heritage of these destinations. Istanbul emerged as the unrivalled leader, boasting a plethora of castles that take visitors on a captivating journey through time. On the other hand, Łódź in Poland – while a vibrant city in its own right – saw fewer castles in comparison, though still boasting a significant number of beautiful castles for tourists to enjoy.