Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, in a crystal castle, guarded by a bloodthirsty dragon, there lay a princess…
How many times have you heard this story before? There’s something magical about castles and the tales of bravery, beauties and richness they tell. Something from another time, almost forgotten but still strong enough to catch our imagination.
Here’s a list of such magical castles to visit whether you still believe in fairy tales or have a passion for history.
Lindisfarne Castle, England
Lindisfarne Castle is a 16th century fortification located on Holy Island, England, place which once stood as a border between England and Scotland. In 1901 it was bought by the Country Life magazine magnate and made into a family home by the British architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens.
Cardiff Castle, Wales
Cardiff Castle was built around the year 55 AD when the Roman Army conquered the Silures, a tribe of warriors of ancient Britain and then rebuilt in 1901 by the Normans. In the 18th century the castle became the property of John Stuart, the 3rd Earl of Bute, a Scottish nobleman who served as Prime Minister for Great Britain, who re-built and refashioned the castle in an early Gothic Revival style.
Bran Castle, Romania
Hidden by the Carpathians, the Bran Castle was built in 1212 in wood by the Teutonic Knights, a crusading medieval military order. It was later rebuilt in stone and stood as a defense against the Ottoman Empire during the 15th century held by Mircea the Elder and Vlad “the Impaler”Ţepeş, the Romanian ruler who is thought to have inspired Bram Stoker to write Dracula. In 1920 the castle became a royal residence.
Castle Johannisburg, Germany
Schloss Johannisburg is a castle built in the early 17th century and it served as the second residence of the prince bishop of Mainz until 1803.
Segovia Castle, Spain
The Alcázar of Segovia is a stone fortification shaped as the bow of a ship. It was originally a fortress, but it was used as royal palace, prison, college and military academy.
Bodiam Castle Sussex, England
This 14th century castle is one of Britain’s most romantic and picturesque buildings and it was built by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a knight of Edward III to defend the area against the French invasion.
Aldourie Castle, Scotland
Aldourie castle is located on the southern shore of the famous Loch Ness and it has been fully renovated. If you have a party or wedding to plan, it’s good to know this can be rented.
Peles Castle, Romania
The Peleș Castle is a 19th century castle, built in neo-renaissance style and located in the heart of the Carpathian Mountains.
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
The Bavarian castle was built in the 19th century by Ludwiw II of Bavaria and was intended as the personal refuge for the king. After his death in 1886 it was open for the public and it is believed more than 60 million people have visited it since.
Chateau de Menthon, France
The Château de Menthon castle was first built in wood in the 10th century. The building as we see it today was constructed between the 13th and the 14th century. The castle has 105 rooms and a library that contains more than 12000 works from before the 19th century, as well as many ancient manuscripts written on sheepskin and goatskin.
