The Imperial Hall, Würzburg, Germany
The Imperial Hall in Würzburg is an extravagant example of what an enormous space and an even bigger budget can offer when taken on by an exceptional artist. This space was painted by none other than Giovanna Tiepolo, with the sculptures and stucco crafted by the careful hands of Antonio Bossi in 1749. This stunning venue is both open to the public and available for private hire – but only those willing to pay a jaw-dropping, celebrity-standard price will get the pleasure of hosting a function here. Still…we can dream…
Grand Ballroom of the Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria
This incredible baroque palace is home to one of Austria’s most lavish and well-preserved historical ballrooms. Whatever your tastes, style or preference, it’s impossible not to fall in love with this lush and opulent space, and the venue is constantly graced by brides & grooms looking for inspiration for their luxury wedding day. Prince Eugen of Savoy stayed here during his summer months, and now this incredible building plays host to the Austrian Gallery – which is well worth a look for both art and history lovers alike.
Chateau de Versailles, Paris, France
Chateau de Versailles is one of Europe’s most famous and visited ballrooms, and is widely considered to be Louis XIV’s great masterpiece. As you can imagine, he spared no expense in building this magnificent palace (in historical fact, he nearly emptied the state treasury to construct it), and as such, this is one of the best examples of fine architecture in Paris. It became home to aristocracy and nobility during the 17th century, but in the 21st century its role was totally reversed, and it now serves as a successful tourist attraction that puts its profit back into helping the people. Quite a welcome and overdue far cry from its original purpose!
The Ballroom Under The Lake, Surrey, UK
While this may not be the prettiest, most well-kept or even functional of ballrooms, it’s well worth mentioning purely for the fascinating stories and mysteries that surround this secret, hidden venue. Sitting at the bottom of a lake in the completely unassuming, sleepy, and sparsely populated town of Witely (near Godalming in Surrey), a Victorian masterpiece of engineering can be found. It’s also the home of a scandal, as the owner who spent hundreds of thousands of pounds building this incredible structure took his own life here in the early 1900s, due to being discovered as a con artist and financial fraud. The great house he lived, Witley Palace, in was burned to the ground in 1952, but the underwater ballroom still remains – now merely as a hotspot for budding photographers and those curious about abandoned buildings. Spooky but enchantingly beautiful, we think this is a truly exceptional ballroom, and would love to see it fulfilling its original purpose once more.
Best Venues London can source large spaces and ballrooms both in the UK and abroad for your function – give us a call today to see if we can source the ideal venue for your event. Remember, our service is 100% free of charge from beginning to end!
