Although designed and built for the prominent purpose of defense, today the castles seem like somewhat unrealistic constructions straight from the fairytale world. From solid strongholds to oriental fortresses and highly decorative palaces, the castles are our connection to the past, where legends mix with history and reality blends with a fairyland.
1. Hohenzollern Castle. Germany.
This fairytale castle is the historical seat of the Prussian Kings and
German Emperors. Its origin dates back to the Middle Ages - it was built
in the 11th century, then completely destroyed in 1423 and
reconstructed in 1461. The view from the castle that stands on top of Mount Hohenzollern (855 m) is as stunning as the complex itself. The castle is located about 50 kilometers (30 mi) south of Stuttgart, the capital of the Baden-Württemberg state. (image credit)
2. Castle Howard. England.
Although it looks like a castle, Howard is actually a stately home - a
private residence of the Howard family that has resided in the complex
for more than 300 years. The house, located in North Yorkshire, England,
is one of the largest residences in Britain. Its construction commenced
at the end of the 17th century and lasted around 15 years. Among the
remarkable features of the castle are fabulous gardens and a vast
expanse of parkland surrounding the whole complex. (image credit)3. Alcázar of Segovia. Spain.
Segovia Castle, located in an ancient town of Segovia in central Spain,
started off as an Arab fort in the 12th century. Its unique shape of
the bow of a ship makes the fortress one of the most distinctive castles
in the country. 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. (image credit)4. Himeji Castle. Japan.
Himeji Castle, also known as White Heron Castle due to its amazing
white exterior, is a stunning complex comprised of 83 wooden buildings.
One of the most extraordinary defensive elements of the castle is the
maze of paths leading to the main keep. 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. (image credit)5. Prague Castle. The Czech Republic.
Prague Castle, an iconic site of the capital of the Czech Republic, is
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. (image credit)6. Peleş Castle. Romania.
Located in an idyllic setting in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania,
the Peleş Castle is truly a fairytale construction. Started in 1873, the
construction of the complex was quite international an undertaking.
This is how Queen Elisabeth of Romania described the construction phase:
"Italians were masons, Romanians were building terraces, the Gypsies
were coolies. Albanians and Greeks worked in stone, Germans and
Hungarians were carpenters. Turks were burning brick. Engineers were
Polish and the stone carvers were Czech. The Frenchmen were drawing, and
the Englishmen were measuring...". Apparently, there were 14 languages
heard among the workers. (image credit)7. Chambord Castle. France.
Given that Chambord was, officially, built to serve only as a hunting
lodge, it is quite an impressive construction. It is also worth a
mention that 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. (image credit)
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