10 most beautiful at night buildings in the world

Sightseeing goes to a new different level when you discover how beautiful the palaces built over centuries are. Maybe you are a photography enthusiast or maybe you just love beautiful things, you must admit... some buildings become amazing after dawn!

 

Whichever is the case, you have to check our list of the 10 most beautiful night buildings in the world!

 

 

1. The Royal Palace of Madrid

 

Madrid Royal Palace at night

 

The Royal Alcázar of Madrid was built in the 16th Century but it burned down in 1734.

On the request of King Fellipe V, in 1738, the construction of a new palace started on the site of the old Alcázar. The palace was finished in 1755, but the first to occupy the palace was King Carlos III in 1764.

Nowadays The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family but it’s only used for state ceremonies. The palace has 135,000 square meters (1,450,000 sq ft) and 3,418 rooms.

 

2. The Peterhof Palace

 

Peterhof Palace at night

 

The Peterhof Palace complex is a monument of Russian expansion and modernization occupying an area of 3,934.1 ha as a whole.

As Peter the Great had a great impact in the modernization and development of Russia, he left behind a Russian landmark so great it got the nickname of “Russian Versailles”.

Peter captured the Swedish provinces on the Eastern coast in 1703 and started building his capital at St Petersburg. After he visited the French Royal Court in 1717, Peter the Great felt inspired by the grandeur of the Palace of Versailles. As a direct response, he sought the expansion of the Peterhof Palace, employing several architects over the century, giving birth to the Petrine Baroque style.

 

3. The Palace of Culture Iasi

 

Palace of Culture Iasi at night

 

A palace with a legend that says it has the same number of rooms as the year has, the nowadays Palace of Culture is located over the medieval Princely Court of Moldavia from 1434.

Prince Alexandru Moruzi ordered the first rebuilding and expansion project of the Palace of Moldavia in 1803. By 1841, Prince Mihail Surdza had rebuilt the palace once again.

In 1906, the Palace underwent a Neo-Gothic-style rebuilding process, which was halted by World War I but finished in 1925. One year later, King Ferdinand of Romania inaugurated it.

Nowadays, after the 2008 - 2016 Restoration, the Palace of Culture is one of the most impressive constructions in Romania, with a size of 34,236 square meters (368,510 sq ft), and is designed with Neo-Gothic, Neo-Baroque and even Art Nouveau elements.

 

4. The Palace of Versailles

 

Palace of Versailles at night

 

Over a small village and a church, in 1631, Louis XIII ordered the construction of a château of brick and stone with gardens that reached almost the size Versailles gardens have today.

Starting with Louis XIV, the Palace of Versailles became the main royal residence of France until the French Revolution in 1789.

The Palace of Versailles has a floor area of 67,000 square metres (721,182 sq ft) and 1070 ha as a whole, with a 9,467 ha buffer zone.

 

5. The Hofburg Palace

 

Hofburg Palace at night

 

The Hofburg Palace has been the main imperial palace and seat of government for the Habsburg dynasty since 1279, and it was expanded until 1913. It also served as the imperial winter residence. Today, the palace continues to be the official residence and workplace of the President of Austria.

The Hofburg Palace has 18 wings, 2550 rooms, and 19 courtyards, covering a total area of 240,000 square meters (2,583,338 sq ft).

 

 

6. The Winter Palace of St Peterburg

 

The Winter Palace of St Peterburg at night

 

The construction of the first Winter Palace started in 1711, and it continued to be built and altered from 1730 until 1837. It served as an official residence for the Russian Emperor, and through the monumental scale, it reflected the might and power of Imperial Russia.

Nowadays, the Winter Palace has 1,500 rooms and a size of 60,000 square meters (645,835 sq ft).

 

7. The National Palace of Queluz

 

National Palace of Queluz at night

Photo source: nit.pt

 

The National Palace of Queluz was conceived in the 18th century as a summer residence for Dom Pedro of Braganza. It is one of the last great Rococo buildings designed in Europe, and despite being far smaller, it’s also known as the Portuguese Versailles.

Nowadays, the National Palace of Queluz has 511 square meters (5500 sq. ft.), and since 1957, the "Dona Maria Pavilion" in the palace's east wing has been transformed into a guest house for visiting heads of state.

 

8. The Umaid Bhawan Palace

 

Umaid Bhawan Palace at night

Photo source: India Today

 

In 1920s the city of Jodhpur, the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, faced a period of 3 consecutive years of severe drought and famine. In order the help the farmers in the area, King Umaid Singh ordered the construction of a palace which would provide employment for the local population. The construction started in 1928 and it was finished in 1943.

Nowadays Umaid Bhawan Palace is one of the world's largest private residences and it’s owned by Gaj Singh. It has 347 rooms and is set in an 11 ha area, including 6.1 ha of gardens.

 

9. The Schönbrunn Palace

 

Schönbrunn Palace at night

Initially a mansion built in 1548 called Katterburg, The Schönbrunn Palace was rebuilt and remodeled to its current form by Empress Maria Theresa in 1740-50s. It served as the main summer residence for the Habsburg monarchs and the history of the palace and its vast gardens reflect their changes in taste, interests, and aspirations.

Schönbrunn has 1441 rooms and a whole size of 186.28 ha with a 260.64 ha buffer zone.

 

10. Pena National Palace

 

Pena National Palace at night

Photo source: Dinheiro Vivo

 

In 1838, King Consort Ferdinand II acquired the ruins of an old monastery and the surrounding area and decided to transform the place into a summer residence for the Portuguese royal family. The Pena Palace building process started in 1842. It was mostly finished in 1847, but due to Queen Maria II and King Ferdinand’s intervention in the matter of decoration, the construction was finished in 1854.

 

 

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