Amazing Castles from Around The World

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Amazing Castle from Around The World.

1. Hohenzollern Castle, Germany.

Built in the 11th century, then completely destroyed in 1423 and reconstructed in 1461. This 855 m castle stands on top of Mount Hohenzollern and located about 50 kilometers (30 mil) south of Stuttgart, the capital of the Baden-Württemberg state.

3. Castle Howard, England.

It’s a private residence of the Howard family that has resided in the complex for more than 300 years. Located in North Yorkshire, England, and is one of the largest residences in Britain. Its construction commenced at the end of the 17th century and lasted around 15 years.

3. Alcázar of Segovia, Spain.

Located in an ancient town of Segovia in central Spain, started off as an Arab fort in the 12th century. In the Middle Ages Alcazar was a key fortress in the defense of the country. Apparently, it was a source of inspiration for many of the castles produced by Walt Disney.

4. Himeji Castle, Japan.

It’s a stunning complex comprised of 83 wooden buildings, also known as White Heron Castle due to its amazing white exterior. The gates and baileys are designed so as to force approaching intruders to travel into spiral pattern, facing many dead ends. It was originally built in the 14th century and is located in the Kansai region of Japan.

5. Prague Castle, The Czech Republic.

It’s one of the largest and oldest castles in the world. It is about 570 meter long and 130 meter wide, and its design represents literally every architectural style of the last millennium, from Gothic to Romanesque and Baroque features. The first buildings of the complex emerged as early as in the 9th century.

6. Peles Castle, Romania.

Started in 1873, the construction of the complex was quite international an undertaking. Located in an idyllic setting in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, the Peles Castle is truly a fairytale construction.

7. Chambord Castle, France.

Built to serve only as a hunting lodge. The location of the castle was chosen by King François I as he desired to be near his mistress, Claude Rohan, whose palace was located adjacently. The massive castle has 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces, and 84 staircases, and it is the largest chateaux in the Loire Valley in France.

8. Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany.

Situated on a rugged hill, in southwest Bavaria, today the castle is one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions. The construction began in 1896, was designed by Christian Jank, a theatrical set designer rather than an architect, for Ludwig II of Bavaria who was declared insane before the castle’s completion. This explains a lot. The architecture, the location and the size of the Neuschwanstein are spectacular and somewhat crazy.

9. Corfe Castle, England.

Located in the county of Dorset on the Isle of Purbeck, the castle dates back to the 9th century. It is believed, however, that Corfe might have emerged much earlier and was a Roman defensive site. The parts whose remnants you can see today were constructed in the 11th century, and two centuries later the fortress was used as a royal treasure storehouse and prison.

10. Matsumoto Castle, Japan.

Matsumoto Castle is an absolutely stunning Japanese castle located in the city of Matsumoto, within easy reach of Tokyo. The castle was built in 1504 and today it is listed as a National Treasure of Japan. It was in use until mid-19th century. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the new Japanese government was so broke that it decided to demolish the castle and sell the timber and the iron fittings (this was the fate of many castles in Japan at the time). Matsumoto was rescued by local citizens who purchased it in 1878.

11. Burg Eltz Castle, Germany.

This amazing medieval construction in southwest Germany is still owned by a branch of the same family that resided there over 800 years ago. The present owner of the castle is Dr. Karl Graf von und zu Eltz who represents the 33rd generation of the House of Eltz.

12. Eilean Donan Castle. Scotland.

Built in the 13th century to hold back the Vikings, today Eilean Donan Castle is one of the most famous sites in Scotland. Most probably it was named after Bishop Donan who came to Scotland in the 6th century. It is situated on an island, surrounded by the amazing scenery of the Scottish highlands. The fortress has been rebuilt at least four times and for around 200 years (from 18th to 20th century) it actually laid in ruins. It was re-opened in 1932 and since then it has been visited by thousands of travelers from around the world.

13. Neuchâtel Castle. Switzerland.

The castle, built at the end of the 10th century, was a gift of Rudolph III King of Burgundy to his wife. This very generous present gave its name to the town, the lake and then the Swiss canton where the castle is situated. Rebuilt in the 15th and 17th century, today the castle is the seat of cantonal government and the law courts.

14. Guaita Fortress, San Marino.

Guaita fortress, located on Guaita peak and overlooking the city of San Marino, is an iconic image of this micro country embraced by Italy. The fortress was constructed in the 11th century and served as a prison for some time. Guaita is one of the Three Towers of San Marino, located on the three peaks of Monte Titano. The towers are depicted on the San Marino’s national flag and its coat of arms.

15. Conwy Castle, Wales.

Conwy is one of the most prominent fortresses built by Edward I in the 13th century. It is one of the key castles of the king’s “iron ring” of fortresses constructed in Wales. The stronghold was quite an expensive undertaking – it is estimated that Edward spent £15,000 (£162 million in 2009) on the construction, which makes it the most costly castle in the Welsh history. Today Conwy is declared a World Heritage Site and its eight towers, overlooking the Conwy estuary, are the iconic image of North Wales.

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31 thoughts on “Amazing Castles from Around The World”

    • They are beautiful aren’t they? I just love them and want to see every single one of the castles. I agree, something about them that transcends time….beautiful.

    • I have only driven near one of them. :( I wish I could see all of them. The pictures are beautiful, I wish I had taken them, someone did a superb job. I am glad you like them and thank you so much for visiting the blog.

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  6. I really loved this post and the brief descriptions to the castles! Some were built in the 9th century? WOW. I really loved the Eilean Donan in Scotland and of course, the Conwy castle.

    Thanks for posting my castle blog’s link here, got to see and learn about such amazing castles around the world. Am curious lady which ones have you been to?

    • Amazing, aren’t they! Such history behind them! Truly remarkable to have them around, I’d love to see them. I have only been “near” one, the Burg Eltz Castle, in Germany. Wasn’t able to visit, just see it from afar. :(

      I was very happy to post it, thought it very beautiful and just seeing all those fabulous, historical buildings is wondrous!

      Have you seen all of them?!?!?!?!

      If you have, I am very, very, very jealous! :)

        • You should, you live so cloooossseee to them. Well, closer than myself. Don’t be like me, lived by the Grand Canyon for years, didn’t see it until after I moved away. Lived near Yellowstone as a kid, didn’t see it until I moved back up here! Take advantage! Would give you LOTS AND LOTS of ideas for your art. I KNOW IT! My ESP is in full tilt right now, I’m tellin’ ya! :)

          • I guess there were a couple in England. Maybe one day, who knows? :) There’s all sorts of places I’d love to go where there aren’t castles, too.

            • OMG, Yes, there are LOADS of places to go, without castles too! Sometimes I wish I could move to Europe, ANYWHERE in Europe, just so I could travel around when I was able. I’d be in heaven. Heck, a base in every country would suit me, all over the world! Heheheh

              • Hehe. That would be good. I’d love to see all sorts of places in Europe. But I’ve always wanted to see America, too! The more I’ve learned about some places in the Far East the more they have appealed to me, too! I need a magic carpet to have a quick fly around on!! :D

              • Oh, the same here, see all over the U.S., Europe, Africa, Eastern Countries, every where I possibly could. I need a magic carpet too. If you come across any, please, please, think of me too when handing them out. If there are enough to hand out, if not, can I hitch a ride?

  8. Burg Eltz is my favourite castle in Germany. And for England, I’d like to add Warwick Castle. And, even if it isn’t in a spectacular location, what about the Tower of London?

    • I have seen Burg Eltz from afar. I wish I had been able to visit, it looked beautiful from what I could see. The Tower of London would be a great addition to the list too, I would think, having never been but only seen in pictures, but I didn’t write the article, only re-posted it. :) How are you? Enjoying your weekend?

      • Re Warwick Castle: there will be pictures coming up in my “Bilderbuch” blog at some time or other. Thanks, btw, for following that.
        Re Burg Eltz: it’s a pity you missed it. It’s really worth while.
        Re weekend: I’m doing fine. Will very likely go on a bicycle ride tomorrow. Maybe with my club in San Antonio – if I can get my lazy butt out of the bed early enough. ;) Otherwise I’ll ride around here.

        • I can’t wait to see the pictures!!! I would love to see all these pictures. A few times, my niece and I, who at the time was about 11, would sit and look at pictures on the internet of castles. We’d “assign” bedrooms, cuz there were SO MANY, to friends and family! Heheheh we had great fun fantasizing. :)

          I wish I had seen Burg Eltz, it is beautiful just from what I did see.

          Did you go on your bike ride? If so, how was it?

    • I have seen the Burg Eltz Castle, but from afar. I wasn’t able to visit. :( I wish I had been able to visit, we were just driving by. Which three have you seen?

  10. WOW! I love the castles and that you have descriptions for each one. Finding amazing castles that spark my imagination is something that I really enjoy. Thank you so much for sharing these pictures and information with us.

    • I can’t take credit for them, as much as I would like to! I found it on the net and reposted. I just LOVE the pictures of the castles, they are so beautiful! I am glad you enjoyed them too!

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