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24 of the Best Doors of Europe That Will Ignite Your Wanderlust

I’ve lived in Ireland and Portugal for over 15 years and have had the pleasure of photographing thousands of doors in Europe. I’ve visited and taken doortraits in every single country in the European Union and then some.

I run the Door of the Week competition to get feedback from the Doors, Glorious Doors community about door photos that I’ve taken.

I pick a different theme every time and I’ve been holding this weekly challenge for the last two years–that’s a lot of doors!

The competition featured doors from across Europe 23 times. We can use the results of those competitions to say definitively: these are the best doors in Europe.

Make sure to scroll to the end where you’ll find my bonus editor’s pick of the most Instagrammable door in Europe.

Best Fanlight in Europe

Fanlights are a staple of door anatomy, especially in the UK and Ireland. This door in Manchester, England took the title of best fanlight in Europe, beating out beautiful doors in London and Dublin.

A monumental arched wooden entrance with multi-paneled glass doors and a massive semicircular stained-glass window set in red brick.
Best Fanlight: Manchester, UK
A large, ornate wooden double door with carved details and an arched top with a fanlight window. The door is flanked by two large stone columns with Corinthian capitals.
Best European Castle Door: Prague, Czechia

Best European Castle Door

Europe is the land of amazing castles. While the castles themselves are spectacular, I’m partial to elegant castle doors. Prague Castle won top honors in the Best European Castle Door category among Doors, Glorious Doors by Sidewalk Safari readers.

These rankings come from my weekly Door of the Week vote. Make sure your voice is heard!

Every week I share three standout doors from my travels and readers vote for their favorite. Join in and help pick the next winner.

Best Ornate Door Frame in Europe

Sometimes a door panel catches my eye and other times it’s the frame. Sweden takes the crown for best ornate door frame in Europe with this beautiful door in Gothenburg.

A heavy wooden double door with decorative metal grates and a detailed door knocker. The door is set within a gray stone wall with a highly decorative archway featuring carved figures of cherubs and an oval window.
Best Ornate Door Frame: Gothenburg, Sweden
A charming rustic scene with a dark wooden arched door surrounded by lush greenery and climbing roses. The door has a small window and a hanging basket with flowers to its left. A window with warm light spilling out is visible to the left of the door, all set in a stone and brick wall. A curved golden metal fence post is in the foreground.
Best Garden Door: Dublin, Ireland

Coolest Garden Door in Europe

I love beautiful garden doors, especially those that I’ve found on my travels in Europe. Ireland was the runaway favorite for best garden door in Europe.

Best Floral Door in Europe

Traveling in spring is fantastic all around. However, the chance to see doors in bloom is the icing on the cake. The best floral door in Europe can also be found in Ireland.

A dark wooden door with decorative stained glass panels is framed by white trim and set into a red brick wall. Abundant bright red climbing roses and some purple flowers intricately weave around the arched transom window above the door and along the brickwork. A small light fixture is on the left.
Best Floral Door: Dublin, Ireland
A close-up of an antique brass door knocker shaped like a hand holding a ruffled cuff, set against a vibrant blue wooden door. The brass has a slight green patina.
Best Door Knocker: Lisbon, Portugal

Favorite European Door Knocker

Let’s zoom in on the details. Europe has some of the more beautiful door knockers that I’ve seen anywhere in the world. The title of “Best European Door Knocker” goes to Portugal.

Bonus! Take a deep dive into my favorite door knockers in Bologna, Italy.

Best Wicket Gate in Europe

Wicket gates are found all across Europe. What is a wicket gate, you ask? It’s a little human-sized door set in a larger door. The best wicket gate in Europe lives in Prague.

An elaborate dark wooden double door with a small wicket gate inset into its lower right side. The door features studded details and carved patterns, set within a grand, light orange arched stone entrance adorned with a golden grate and a star motif. Blackboards with menus are on either side of the door. The building facade is light green with decorative elements, and a red street number "171" is visible to the right.
Best Wicket Gate: Prague, Czechia
A grand, ornate wooden door with intricate carvings of figures and patterns, set within a tall arched stone doorway. Above it, a decorative iron grate is set into a round window, and another carved window is to the left, all part of a light-colored stone building. A blue parking sign is on the left.
Best Carved Door: Tallinn, Estonia

Coolest Carved Door in Europe

Some of my favorite doors in Europe have carved door panels. The best carved door in Europe can be found in Tallinn, Estonia.

Top European Church Door

Historic churches are a fixture in every city, town, and village in Europe. The top European church door is in Inverness, Scotland.

A bright blue double door with decorative black ironwork is set within a large, multi-layered arched stone entrance of a brick building. Flower arrangements are on the ground on either side of the entrance. A "Ness Bank" sign is on the left wall.
Best Church Door: Inverness, Scotland (UK)
Bright yellow door set on a brick wall. There are blue pots filled with colorful flowers on either side of the door
Best Yellow Door: Dublin, Ireland

Best Yellow Door in Europe

I love a bold color choice! The best yellow door in Europe as voted on by the Doors, Glorious Doors community can be found in Ireland.

Best Purple Door in Europe

Purple is my favorite color and one of the rarer colors for European doors. The best purple door in Europe lives in Bergen, Norway.

A bright purple double door with a mail slot is set into an orange wooden house with white trim. A white window with multiple panes is to the left of the door. Below the window, a purple bench and numerous potted plants with colorful flowers are arranged on the sidewalk. The number "11" is visible above the door to the right.
Best Purple Door: Bergen, Norway
Top half of a bright pink door. The door has an ornate stained glass fanlight. There is a lion-shaped knocker on the door. There is green foliage to the left of the door and bright red Fall foliage on the right.
Best Pink Door: Dublin, Ireland

Best Pink Door in Europe

The colorful doors of Ireland are hard to beat. That’s why I wasn’t surprised to learn that a Dublin door won the most votes for best pink door in Europe.

Best Green Door in Europe

Green doors are always eye-catching. Which country is home to the best green door in Europe? Greece!

Bright green door with two panels and arched windows decorated with metal grilles. The door is set on a yellow wall. There are two large pots containing thorny plants on either side of the door.
Best Green Door: Athens, Greece
Orange Georgian door with a classic fanlight. There are two potted plants on either side of the door
Best Orange Door: Dublin, Ireland

Best Orange Door in Europe

Once again, the vibrant doors of Dublin are a force to be reckoned with. The best orange door in Europe lives in Ireland.

Best Red Door in Europe

Where can you find the best red door in Europe? The Doors, Glorious Doors community has spoken. You’ll find the most stunning European red door in Ghent, Belgium.

Red door with a door handle that resembles an inverted common. The square transom window is made of shards of stained glass in a variety of colors.
Best Red Door: Ghent, Belgium
Pair of bright green doors with ornate fanlights. The doors are set on a brick wall.
Best Twin Doors: Dublin, Ireland

Top Twin Doors in Europe

I love stumbling upon pairs of identical doors. I call these twins. The best twin doors in Europe live in Ireland.

Coolest Neighbor Doors in Europe

Doors standing side-by-side are a common sight in Europe. I like to think of them as neighbors. The best neighbor doors in Europe live in The Hague in the Netherlands.

Two wooden doors set close to each other in a single arched frame. There is a trellis of wisteria dangling above the doors.
Best Neighbor Doors: The Hague, Netherlands
A charming storefront with a bright blue door and large windows filled with colorful treats. The building is adorned with intricate stone carvings and framed by a traditional lamppost and potted flowers. The shop sign reads "Temmerman" in gold lettering.
Best European Shopfront: Ghent, Belgium

Best European Shopfront Door

Historic European shopfront doors are one of my favorite categories to photograph. The best European shopfront door lives in Belgium.

Coolest Stained Glass Door in Europe

I love doors that feature beautiful stained glass. The coolest stained glass door in Europe as voted on by Doors, Glorious Doors readers lives in Ireland!

Black door with decorative stained glass lites in the door panels and above and to the sides of the door. The door is set back in an alcove that is framed by 2 pilasters. There are lamps on the facade and flowers in front of the door
Best Stained Glass: Dublin, Ireland
A bright orange double door with metal handles and a small window on each panel opens into a whitewashed building with a stone-tiled floor. The building has a decorative stone mosaic on the wall to the left of the door and a small window with metal bars to the right. A blue and white church dome can be seen in the background. There is a small anchor above the door with the house number on it.
Best Door with Stones: Santorini, Greece

Best Door with Stones in Europe

Let’s tee up a more obscure category of European door–doors with stones. The best door with stones in Europe lives in Greece and garnered 48% of the vote.

Top Wooden Door in Europe

I’ve photographed a ton of wooden doors in Europe. The top door in Europe made of wood lives in Ireland.

Wooden Georgian door with ornate trim in Dublin, Ireland
Best Wooden Door: Dublin, Ireland

Top Door in Europe with Sculptures

“Doors with Sculptures” is the only theme I’ve run twice for door of the week honors. Denmark won Round 1 while Czechia claimed the title the second time this theme was featured.

Simple wooden door on a brick wall. There is a small stained glass panel high above the door that depicts a sailing ship. There are two copper dragons framing the stained glass above the door.
Best Sculptures (Round 1): Aarhus, Denmark
A large, metal double door with a geometric pattern and a small crest in the center. The door is framed by two large, sculpted winged griffins. There are two smaller, arched doors on either side of the main door.
Best Door With Sculptures (Round 2): Prague, Czechia

The Most Instagrammable Door in Europe

This last category is my editor’s pick based on my experience photographing thousands of doors in cities across Europe–from Portugal to Poland, and beyond.

I think the world-famous Owl Door in Copenhagen, Denmark deserves the title of most Instagrammable door in Europe.

A whimsical wooden door is carved to resemble the face and feathers of an owl, complete with two dark, round eyes. The door is set within a dark gray arched frame on a white stucco building. The house number "4" is visible to the right, and a small olive tree in a wicker basket stands next to the door.

There you have it, a photo-tour of Europe’s best doors covering 23 different themes and styles with 11 countries laying claim to the title of best door in Europe in at least one category. Which country had the highest number of winners? Ireland!

Which Door Will You Open Next?

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