One of the biggest tourist attractions of any trip are the local
castles. Most of us, especially the girls, have once dreamt of
being kings or princesses at some royal court. Thus, we flock
in droves to the most famous of them. But there are more
castles out there than The Tower of London or Windsor. Here
are the stories of 10 new amazing castles you probably never
thought of visiting
1. Alnwick Castle, England
The second biggest inhabited castle in England, after Windsor,
this castle stands tall in curiosities. It features expositions on
the Dukes of Northumberland passion of archeology, the
museum inside housing frescoes from
Pompeii, relics from
Ancient Egypt, Romano-British objects and so many more.
There’s a tie for the Most interesting fact: You can either
choose the fact that it is very photogenic, featuring in many
films, the most popular of which was Harry Potter itself! Or
you could go visit the poison garden – 26 acres of plants so
poisonous and hallucinogenic that most of them have to be
grown inside cages. Wizards and poison, somebody minds his
Halloween very attentively.
2. Mont Saint-Michel, France
O.K., maybe this castle is well-enough-known, but it is
important to make sure of that. Initially a wonderful gothic
abbey, Mont Saint-Michel is one of the first monuments to
become a UNESCO world heritage site, and it has preserved
itself wonderfully. So much so, in fact, that the surrounding
medieval city has inhabitants to this day! Most interesting
fact: most castles make do with a moat. Mont Saint-Michel
thought of surrounding itself with a whole river! It is built on a
small granite outcrop that is virtually unreachable until low
tide.
3. The Alhambra, Spain
Being of great importance to the history of Spain, Alhambra
was a key element in conflicts between Muladis (Muslims) and
Arabs, and often appears in history books. Another place it
holds however is one of honor in architecture books.
Alhambra is considered an architectonic wonder and has
originally been built as a palace of heaven, or one to resemble
it closely. In fact, the walls are covered in geometric patterns
of mosaic from the sacred books. Most interesting fact: The
name of the place means ‘the red one’. This seems to refer to
the color of the stone, but it comes in fact from the red clay in
the vicinity. The walls were originally brilliantly white!
4. Castello di Sant’ Angelo, Italy
Legend has it that the very Archangel Saint Michael has come
to Rome and sheathed his sword to signify the end of the
plague in 590. This is why a gigantic angel statue sits on top
of the unusually round construction near the Vatican that is
Castle Sant’ Angelo. It has served as papal residence and
prison, sometimes even both at the same time. The castle
was made famous by its extensive use in Dan Brown’s
bestseller ‘Angels&Demons’, that also reveals its most
interesting fact: the castle contains what used to be a secret
passage to the Vatican that the Pope used when in danger.
Now, the passage is probably much more popular than the
castle itself. You’d say having a giant angel on the roof keeps
you popular.
5. Holyrood Palace, Scotland
A Scottish Buckingham of sorts, Holyrood is the official
residence of the British monarch, and has housed Scottish
Kings and Queens ever since the 16th century. However,
unless there is some royalty in residence, the castle is open to
visiting. Originally an abbey, the name translates roughly into
‘Holy Cross’, ‘rood’ being an old form of ‘rod’, or ‘pole’.
Seeing the English appreciation of the church, Holyrood
Palace, or by its official name, The Palace of Holyroodhouse,
is bound to be breathtaking. Most interesting fact: Holyrood
Palace has a quite famous resident ghost. Agnes Sampson
was accused of witchcraft in 1591, probably tortured, as the
practice used to go, stripped naked and executed. It is said
that you might encounter the still-naked ghost if you dare
roam the halls of Holyrood.
6. Prague Castle, Czech Republic
Founded in the year 880, Prague Castle is of enormous
historical importance to the Czech Republic, and brings the
region the honor of having the largest castle complex in the
world, according to Guinness! Most interesting fact: A fairly
horrifying history provides the most interesting aspect of
Prague Castle. There is a window on the third floor from
which people, deemed enemies of the state, were thrown out
of. It is true that they all somehow survived the 70 feet fall,
but having the castle because of which the term
‘defenestration’ was penned is not very quieting. Hopefully,
the fact that this started a whole war made people realize it
was not a very good practice and have given it up since.
7. Neuschwanstein, Germany
Its very name meaning ‘New Swan Stone’, after one of
Wagner’s opera characters, the whole castle built by King
Ludwig II was originally dedicated to the great composer.
However, the artist never once stepped foot inside, and the
king himself, who has commissioned the castle only for
personal use, only slept 11 nights there. By the way, you think
personal use means small dimensions for a king? Think
again. The castle can host up to 6000 visitors a day. Most
interesting fact: Neuschwanstein’s design inspired the
Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland. If you want to see the
original, this is the castle for you.
8. Bran Castle, Romania
You can stay in awe from the very beginning in what regards
this superb castle. The beginning as in, its very construction,
because it has only taken 5 years to rise off the ground. 5
years! I know houses that took longer to be built. And also
like a house, it has an interesting history of being used as
mortgage. In 1500, King Wladyshaw of the Maygar swore he
would give the castle to Brasov, the neighboring city, if he
couldn’t pay his debts… And so it happened, the castle
becoming city property for about 4 centuries. Most interesting
fact: Bran is considered the ‘Dracula Castle’, as Vlad the
Impaler, the one history character that is most frequently
likened to Dracula lived there.
9. Orava Castle, Slovakia
Built originally in the Romanesque and Gothic style, burnt
down and rebuilt as a Renaissance and Neo-Gothic castle, the
structure nowadays pieces together parts of all its ages in a
beautiful architectural mosaic. So beautiful, in fact, that it was
used as part of the movie Nosferatu, playing on the queerness
of the region as seen by foreigners. This is also enhanced by
the many night shows or theatre representations that take
place there, enhancing the castle’s popularity. Most
interesting fact: The wonderful landscape that Orava Castle
provides is made even more spectacular by the fact that it is
perched on a rocky outcrop, so as to be better defended in
case of invasion.
10. Buda Castle, Hungary
Revealing the undeniable beauty of the castle stands its
enormous role to the arts. It includes, but is not limited to the
Hungarian National Gallery, the Museum of Contemporary Art,
and the Budapest History Museum, the latter having remains
and reconstructions of the old castle. Most interesting fact:
This castle really wants to stay in place! The first
construction, ruined by the Ottoman domination, gave way to
a Baroque-style palace. This was in turn destroyed by siege,
and once again had to be rebuilt. Today’s castle is at least
the third attempt, and let’s hope this one will stand.
castles. Most of us, especially the girls, have once dreamt of
being kings or princesses at some royal court. Thus, we flock
in droves to the most famous of them. But there are more
castles out there than The Tower of London or Windsor. Here
are the stories of 10 new amazing castles you probably never
thought of visiting
1. Alnwick Castle, England
The second biggest inhabited castle in England, after Windsor,
this castle stands tall in curiosities. It features expositions on
the Dukes of Northumberland passion of archeology, the
museum inside housing frescoes from
Pompeii, relics from
Ancient Egypt, Romano-British objects and so many more.
There’s a tie for the Most interesting fact: You can either
choose the fact that it is very photogenic, featuring in many
films, the most popular of which was Harry Potter itself! Or
you could go visit the poison garden – 26 acres of plants so
poisonous and hallucinogenic that most of them have to be
grown inside cages. Wizards and poison, somebody minds his
Halloween very attentively.
2. Mont Saint-Michel, France
O.K., maybe this castle is well-enough-known, but it is
important to make sure of that. Initially a wonderful gothic
abbey, Mont Saint-Michel is one of the first monuments to
become a UNESCO world heritage site, and it has preserved
itself wonderfully. So much so, in fact, that the surrounding
medieval city has inhabitants to this day! Most interesting
fact: most castles make do with a moat. Mont Saint-Michel
thought of surrounding itself with a whole river! It is built on a
small granite outcrop that is virtually unreachable until low
tide.
3. The Alhambra, Spain
Being of great importance to the history of Spain, Alhambra
was a key element in conflicts between Muladis (Muslims) and
Arabs, and often appears in history books. Another place it
holds however is one of honor in architecture books.
Alhambra is considered an architectonic wonder and has
originally been built as a palace of heaven, or one to resemble
it closely. In fact, the walls are covered in geometric patterns
of mosaic from the sacred books. Most interesting fact: The
name of the place means ‘the red one’. This seems to refer to
the color of the stone, but it comes in fact from the red clay in
the vicinity. The walls were originally brilliantly white!
4. Castello di Sant’ Angelo, Italy
Legend has it that the very Archangel Saint Michael has come
to Rome and sheathed his sword to signify the end of the
plague in 590. This is why a gigantic angel statue sits on top
of the unusually round construction near the Vatican that is
Castle Sant’ Angelo. It has served as papal residence and
prison, sometimes even both at the same time. The castle
was made famous by its extensive use in Dan Brown’s
bestseller ‘Angels&Demons’, that also reveals its most
interesting fact: the castle contains what used to be a secret
passage to the Vatican that the Pope used when in danger.
Now, the passage is probably much more popular than the
castle itself. You’d say having a giant angel on the roof keeps
you popular.
5. Holyrood Palace, Scotland
A Scottish Buckingham of sorts, Holyrood is the official
residence of the British monarch, and has housed Scottish
Kings and Queens ever since the 16th century. However,
unless there is some royalty in residence, the castle is open to
visiting. Originally an abbey, the name translates roughly into
‘Holy Cross’, ‘rood’ being an old form of ‘rod’, or ‘pole’.
Seeing the English appreciation of the church, Holyrood
Palace, or by its official name, The Palace of Holyroodhouse,
is bound to be breathtaking. Most interesting fact: Holyrood
Palace has a quite famous resident ghost. Agnes Sampson
was accused of witchcraft in 1591, probably tortured, as the
practice used to go, stripped naked and executed. It is said
that you might encounter the still-naked ghost if you dare
roam the halls of Holyrood.
6. Prague Castle, Czech Republic
Founded in the year 880, Prague Castle is of enormous
historical importance to the Czech Republic, and brings the
region the honor of having the largest castle complex in the
world, according to Guinness! Most interesting fact: A fairly
horrifying history provides the most interesting aspect of
Prague Castle. There is a window on the third floor from
which people, deemed enemies of the state, were thrown out
of. It is true that they all somehow survived the 70 feet fall,
but having the castle because of which the term
‘defenestration’ was penned is not very quieting. Hopefully,
the fact that this started a whole war made people realize it
was not a very good practice and have given it up since.
7. Neuschwanstein, Germany
Its very name meaning ‘New Swan Stone’, after one of
Wagner’s opera characters, the whole castle built by King
Ludwig II was originally dedicated to the great composer.
However, the artist never once stepped foot inside, and the
king himself, who has commissioned the castle only for
personal use, only slept 11 nights there. By the way, you think
personal use means small dimensions for a king? Think
again. The castle can host up to 6000 visitors a day. Most
interesting fact: Neuschwanstein’s design inspired the
Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland. If you want to see the
original, this is the castle for you.
8. Bran Castle, Romania
You can stay in awe from the very beginning in what regards
this superb castle. The beginning as in, its very construction,
because it has only taken 5 years to rise off the ground. 5
years! I know houses that took longer to be built. And also
like a house, it has an interesting history of being used as
mortgage. In 1500, King Wladyshaw of the Maygar swore he
would give the castle to Brasov, the neighboring city, if he
couldn’t pay his debts… And so it happened, the castle
becoming city property for about 4 centuries. Most interesting
fact: Bran is considered the ‘Dracula Castle’, as Vlad the
Impaler, the one history character that is most frequently
likened to Dracula lived there.
9. Orava Castle, Slovakia
Built originally in the Romanesque and Gothic style, burnt
down and rebuilt as a Renaissance and Neo-Gothic castle, the
structure nowadays pieces together parts of all its ages in a
beautiful architectural mosaic. So beautiful, in fact, that it was
used as part of the movie Nosferatu, playing on the queerness
of the region as seen by foreigners. This is also enhanced by
the many night shows or theatre representations that take
place there, enhancing the castle’s popularity. Most
interesting fact: The wonderful landscape that Orava Castle
provides is made even more spectacular by the fact that it is
perched on a rocky outcrop, so as to be better defended in
case of invasion.
10. Buda Castle, Hungary
Revealing the undeniable beauty of the castle stands its
enormous role to the arts. It includes, but is not limited to the
Hungarian National Gallery, the Museum of Contemporary Art,
and the Budapest History Museum, the latter having remains
and reconstructions of the old castle. Most interesting fact:
This castle really wants to stay in place! The first
construction, ruined by the Ottoman domination, gave way to
a Baroque-style palace. This was in turn destroyed by siege,
and once again had to be rebuilt. Today’s castle is at least
the third attempt, and let’s hope this one will stand.
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