The Royal Palace of Caserta is the largest palace in the world. The gigantic structure lies 30km north of Naples and has 1200 rooms on five floors, spread across 762,000 square metres. The palace combines stunning architecture with mind-boggling engineering to create a truly unique building.

Caserta was the main hub of the Bourbon-ruled Kingdom of Naples. Architect, Luigi Vanvitelli created Caserta for King Charles VII in 1752. To bring water to the palace from the Taburno Mountains over 40km away, Vanvitelli created the Caroline Aqueduct. At a gradient of just half a millimetre per metre, the water system it is a mathematical marvel.And, within the palace grounds is a silk factory that dates back to the 18th century and still functions to this day.

A breath-taking fairytale palace in the snowcapped mountains of Bavaria in Southern Germany. Created for the eccentric King, Ludwig the second, the fantastical castle is both a visual and engineering marvel that was even an influence on Walt Disney.

Sitting in the Alps, the 19th century structure was inspired by the operas of German composer, Richard Wagner. King Ludwig created Neuschwanstein to look medieval, but it was kitted out with all the latest innovations.

The palatial home contains a huge throne room and a man-made cave. It took 17 years to build but was never fully completed after Ludwig was deposed, incarcerated and mysteriously died in 1868.