Famous Castles

Περίφηµα κάστρα

Hampton Court Palace, Richmond upon Thames, Μείζον Λονδίνο, Αγγλία

Dover Castle, Kent, Αγγλία

Dover Castle was founded in the 12th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance. It is the largest castle in England. During the reign of Henry II t the castle began to take recognisable shape. The inner and outer baileys and the great keep belong to this time. Maurice the Engineer was responsible for building the keep, one of the last rectangular keeps ever built. The castle, its secret tunnels, and surrounding land are owned by English Heritage and the site is a major tourist attraction. From the Cinque Ports foundation in 1050, Dover has always been a chief member. The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is officially head of the castle, in his conjoint position of Constable of Dover Castle, and the Deputy Constable has his residence in Constable's Gate.

Leeds Castle, Kent, Aγγλία

Βρίσκεται 8 km νοτιοανατολικά του Maidstone. A castle has been on the site since 1119. In the 13th century it came into the hands of King Edward I, for whom it became a favourite residence; in the 16th century, Henry VIII used it as a residence for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The castle today dates mostly from the 19th century and is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds. It has been open to the public since 1976

Leeds Castle, Kent, Aγγλία

Bodiam Castle, East Sussex, Αγγλία

Bodiam Castle is a 14th-century moated castle. It was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III, with the permission of Richard II, to defend the area against French invasion during the Hundred Years' War. Bodiam Castle has a quadrangular plan. It has no keep, having its various chambers built around the outer defensive walls and inner courts. The corners and entrance are marked by towers, topped by crenellations. It was the home of the Dalyngrigge family and the centre of the manor of Bodiam. The castle is protected as a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Monument. It has been owned by The National Trust since 1925, when it was donated by Lord Curzon on his death. It is open to the public.

Bodiam Castle, East Sussex, Αγγλία

Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, Αγγλία

Blenheim Palace is a monumental country house and the principal residence of the dukes of Marlborough. The palace, one of ENGLAND's largest houses, was built between 1705 and circa 1722 as a reward to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, from a grateful nation for the duke's military triumphs against the French and Bavarians during the War of the Spanish Succession, culminating in the 1704 Battle of Blenheim. Following the palace's completion, it became the home of the Churchill, later Spencer-Churchill, family for the next 300 years. The palace is s the birthplace and ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill. It is the only non-royal non-episcopal building in ENGLAND to hold the title of palace. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

Tamworth Castle, Staffordshire, Αγγλία Overlooking the River Tame, the site has been fortified since Anglo-Saxon times, when Ethelfleda, the Mercian Queen, built a burh to defend against Danes in 913. It served as a residence of the Mercian kings. Rebuilt and enlarged by the Normans, it is today one of the best preserved Norman motte-and-bailey castles in England. The present castle was constructed by the Norman invaders in the 1080s, occupying the south western part of the earlier burh. Following the Norman Invasion of 1066, Tamworth was granted to Robert Despenser, steward to William the Conqueror. Robert died childless and so the castle passed to a daughter of his brother Urse d'Abetot's, Matilida, who married Robert de Marmion. The Marmion family, from Fontenayle-Marmion, Normandy, held the castle for 6 generations from c.11001294. The Marmion family were hereditary champions to the Dukes of Normandy and then of the new Kings of England. This role required them to offer a ceremonial challenge to those who would oppose the King.

Bruce Castle (Lordship House), Lordship Lane, Tottenham, London

Bruce Castle (formerly the Lordship House) is a 16th-century manor house. It is named after the House of Bruce who formerly owned the land on which it is built. The current house is one of the oldest surviving English brick houses. It was remodelled in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The building also houses the archives of the London Borough of Haringey. Since 1892 the grounds have been a public park.

Garsington Manor, Oxford, Αγγλία

Garsington Manor is a Tudor building, built on land once owned by the son of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer. At one time it was called “Chaucers”. Lady Ottoline and her husband, Philip Morrell, bought the manor house in 1914. They restored the house and Garsington became a haven for the Morrells’ friends, including D. H. Lawrence, Siegfried Sassoon, Lytton Strachey, Aldous Huxley, Mark Gertler, and Bertrand Russell.

Harlaxton Manor, Lincolnshire, Αγγλία

Harlaxton Manor, built in 1837, is a manor house which combines elements of Jacobean and Elizabethan styles with symmetrical Baroque massing. The manor is a popular location for filming. It is now part of the University of Evansville's British campus.

Little Moreton Hall, Congleton, Cheshire, Αγγλία

Little Moreton Hall is a moated half-timbered manor house. The earliest parts of the house were built for the prosperous Cheshire landowner William Moreton in about 1504-08, and the remainder was constructed in stages by successive generations of the family until about 1610. The building is highly irregular, with three asymmetrical ranges forming a small, rectangular cobbled courtyard. The weight of the third-storey glazed gallery, possibly added at a late stage of construction, has caused the lower floors to bow and warp. The house remained in the possession of the Moreton family for almost 450 years, until ownership was transferred to the National Trust in 1938. The gardens lay abandoned until their 20th-century re-creation.

Cardiff Castle, Ουαλία

Ceiling

Chepstow Castle, Monmouthshire, Ουαλία

Chepstow Castle, located on top of cliffs overlooking the River Wye, is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain. It was the southernmost of a chain of castles built along the English–Welsh border in the Welsh Marches. Its construction was begun under the Norman Lord William fitzOsbern, soon afterwards made Earl of Hereford, The castle ruins are a Grade I lhistorical monument

Caerlaverock Castle, Νότια Σκωτία

Is located 11 km south of Dumfries on the edge of the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve.

Eilean Donan (Eilean Donnain), Kyle of Lochalsh, Σκωτία

Eilean Donan is a castle and small tidal island where three lochs meet, Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh, in the western Highlands of Scotland. The castle was founded in the thirteenth century, and became a stronghold of the Clan Mackenzie and their allies the Clan Macrae. Between 1919 and 1932 the castle was rebuilt by Lt. Col. John MacRae-Gilstrap. The restoration included the construction of an arched bridge to give easier access to the island.

Castle Stalker, Loch Laich, Σκωτία

King John's Castle (Ιρλανδικά: Caisleán Luimnigh), Limerick, Ιρλανδία

King John's Castle is a 13th-century castle located next to the River Shannon. Although the site dates back to 922 when the Vikings lived on the Island, the castle itself was built on the orders of King John in 1200. One of the best preserved Norman castles in Europe, the walls, towers and fortifications remain today and are visitor attractions.

Château de Brissac, Maine-et-Loire, Γαλλία

Donjon de Ve, Oise, Picardy, Γαλλία

The Donjon (keep) is part of the Château de Vez.

Château de Suscinio, Morbihan, Βρετάνη, Γαλλία

The Château de Suscinio dates from the beginning of the 13th century. It was enlarged at the end of 14th century, when the heirs of the duchy were fighting to keep their possessions (Brittany was not annexed by France until 1514). From 1471 to 1483, the castle was home to Jasper Tudor, Henry Tudor (later King Henry VII of England), and the core of their group of exiled Lancastrians, numbering about 500 by 1483. Duke Francis II supported this group of exiles against Plantagenet demands for their surrender.

Château d'Ussé, Rigny-Ussé, Indre-et-Loire, Γαλλία

Château du Fayel, Oise, Γαλλία

Château de La Motte-Tilly, Aube, Γαλλία

Château d'Apremont, Cher, Centre, Γαλλία

Château d'Apremont overlooks the River Allier. It lies on the limits of Berry. Not much remains of the great Anglo-Burgundian fortress with its 14 towers dating from the fifteenth century. The Château was classified as as a monument historique in 1989.

An eleventh century fortress stood here. A later castle was constructed by Robert VII d'Ô (who was killed at Agincourt in 1415), and refurbished over the subsequent centuries. The château is built on an island in the centre of a lake. The site, rectangular in shape with two towers, contains a courtyard with an upper gallery. It was classified as a monument historique in stages between 1964 and 1973

Le Château d'Ô Mortrée, Orne, Νορµανδία, Γαλλία

Fort de Bellegarde, Le Perthus, Pyrénées-Orientales, Γαλλία

Château de Sully-sur-Loire, Loiret, Γαλλία

Château de Blandy-les-Tors, Seine-et-Marne, Γαλλία

The Château de Blandy-les-Tours was mentioned in a text in 1216. It belonged to Adam II de Chailly, Viscount of Melun. It consisted of a simple manor and chapel, the only construction made of stone. The site was previously a Merovingian necropolis. In the 14th century, the castle was strongly modified with new fortifications and structures of defence. A moat was dug and a new gate-tower with a drawbridge was included in the enclosing wall.

Château du Plessis-Bourré, Écuillé, Maine-et-Loire, Γαλλία

The Château du Plessis-Bourré is a château in the Loire Valley, built in less than 5 years from 1468 to 1472 by Finance Minister Jean Bourré, principal advisor to King Louis XI. The château has not been modified externally since its construction and still has a fully working drawbridge It was classified as a Monument historique in 1931. The Château du Plessis-Bourré has been the location setting for numerous films.

La cour d’honneur, l’hôtel des Invalides, Παρίσι, 7ο ∆ιαµέρισµα

Les Invalides, officially L'Hôtel national des Invalides (The National Town-House of the Invalids), is a complex of buildings containing museums and monuments, relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans (the building's original purpose). The complex houses the Musée de l'Armée, the military museum of the Army of France, the Musée des Plans-Reliefs, and the Musée d'Histoire Contemporaine, as well as the burial site for some of France's war heroes.

Château de Vigny, Val-d'Oise, Île-de-France, Γαλλία

Château de Beynac, Dordogne, Γαλλία

The castle is one of the best-preserved and best known in the Dordogne, perched on top of a limestone cliff, dominating the town and the north bank of the Dordogne River The castle was built in the 12th century by the barons of Beynac (one of the four baronies of Périgord) to control the valley of the Dordogne River. The sheer cliff face was sufficient to discourage any assault from that side, so the defences were concentrated on the plateau on the other side. They included double crenellated walls, double moats,and a double barbican.

Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux, Quercy, Γαλλία

Construction began about 1100, under Hugues, baron of Castelnau, who built a wall around his manor. He was the ancestor of the powerful dynasty of Castelnau, who owned a rich and prosperous region and were vassals of the Counts of Toulouse.

Château de Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, Γαλλία

The building, which was never completed, was constructed by King Francis I of France. The royal Château de Chambord is one of the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its distinctive French Renaissance architecture which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures. Chambord was built to serve as a hunting lodge for Francis I, who maintained royal residences at the châteaux of Blois and Amboise.

Château de Chenonceau, Indre-et-Loire, Γαλλία

The estate of Chenonceau is first mentioned in writing in the 11th century. The current château was built in 1514-1522 on the foundations of an old mill and was later extended to span the river. The bridge over the river was built (1556-1559) to designs by the French Renaissance architect Philibert de l'Orme, and the gallery on the bridge (1570-1576) to designs by Jean Bullant The château has been classified as a Monument historique since 1840 by the French Ministry of Culture. It is one of the most famous Loire Valley châteaux.

Château de Chenonceau, Indre-et-Loire, Γαλλία

Château de Chenonceau, Indre-et-Loire, Γαλλία

Château de Mauvezin, Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées, Γαλλία

The site, occupied since prehistory, was transformed into a castrum in the Middle Ages and later into a castle with a square plan. The present castle was built around 1380, by the great Gaston Phoebus, Count of Foix and Viscount of Béarn,. Foix along with Bigorre were absorbed into the Kingdom of France in 1607, after which the Count's castle fell into disuse. It was dismantled its stones being used for other buildings. Today, the castle is being restored. It is listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

Château de Sully-sur-Loire, Loiret, Γαλλία

The Château de Sully-surLoire is a a château-fort, a true castle, built to control one of the few sites where the Loire can be forded. It has been converted to a palatial seigneurial residence. The Château was the seat of the ducs de Sully. In 1716 and again in 1719 the château offered refuge to Voltaire after he had been exiled from Paris for affronting the Régent, Philippe, duc d'Orléans. The Château remained in the possession of the Sully family until 1962 when it became the property of the Département du Loiret. The Château de Sully-surLoire is listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais, Γαλλία

The castle was built in the 13th century by Philippe Hurepel (1180-1234), count of Boulogne and son of Philip II of France. It houses the Boulogne museum.

Château de la Madeleine, Chevreuse, Yvelines, Île de France, Γαλλία The construction began between 1020 and 1090, under Guy I, Lord of Chevreuse. From this period, only the keep remains. Originally, the keep was surrounded by a wooden palisade, replaced by stone curtain walls during the 12th century. A century later, probably under Anseau de Hevreuse, the castle was modified, notably with the construction of the machicolations. The gatehouse was protected by a moat. The castle changed hands in 1356. Ingerger le Grand, Lord of Chevreuse and Amboise, was taken prisoner by England during the Hundred Years' War. He was obliged to sell his domain to pay his ransom; the castle was bought by the future Pierre de Chevreuse. The existing fortifications were improved under the reigns of Charles V and Charles VI, who financed the outworks with royal taxes. Modifications were completed under Louis XI (1461-1483). The village was also fortified: a crenelated rampart, 3.5 m high with turrets, was built. The defence was completed by a 15 m large ditch.

Château Fort de Guédelon, Treigny, Burgundy, Γαλλία

Château Fort de Guédelon is a medieval construction project. The object of which is to build a castle using only the techniques and materials used in the Middle Ages. Building materials, including wood and stone, are obtained locally. Jacques Moulin, the chief architect for the project, designed the castle according to the architectural model developed during the 12th and 13th centuries by Philip II of France. Construction started in 1997 under Michel Guyot, owner of Saint-Fargeau castle. The site was chosen in the light of the availability of a stone quarry, in a large forest, with a pond close by. The project is now a tourist destination, with more than 300 000 visits each year. When completed in the 2020s, it should be an authentic recreation of a 13th-century medieval castle.

Château de Najac, Aveyron, Γαλλία

The the royal fortress of Najac was built in 1253 at the summit of a hill formed by a loop of the river on the orders of Alphonse de Poitiers, brother of Saint Louis, on the site of a square tower built in 1100 by Bertrand of St Gilles, son of Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse before the area was annexed by France. The castle holds a world record for its 6,80 m high archères (arrow loops), designed to allow use by three archers at the same time. A secret corridor, hidden within the walls, links the Romanesque tower to the chapel of the keep. Najac has been near major events including, the Albigensian Crusade, the Hundred Years' War, the imprisonment of the Knights Templar, the peasants' revolts, and the French Revolution. The castle has been listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture since 1925.

Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil, Cher, Γαλλία

Built in the 14th century, the castle has been listed as a Monument historique since 1968 by the French Ministry of Culture.

The Château de Fougères, Ille-et-Vilaine, Βρετάνη, Γαλλία

Château de Fougères is Fougères' most famous monument and attraction. It is a medieval stronghold built on a granite ledge. It played an imporant part in the Duchy of Brittany's ultimately unsuccessful defence against French annexation in 1532.

The Château de Fougères-sur-Bièvre, Loir-et-Cher, Γαλλία

Originally an 11th-century structure, the castle was rebuilt at the end of the 15th century, only the large square keep being preserved. The first changes retained military features(ditches, cannonholes, wall walk) but more Renaissance refinements were added later, such as a gallery, mullioned windows and steep-sloped roofs. The castle was purchased and restored by the state in the 1930s. It has been listed since 1912 as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

Château de Fougères-sur-Bièvre, Loir-et-Cher, Γαλλία

The Château de Fougères is a castle was built on a naturally protected site, a rock emerging from a swamp surrounded by a loop of the Nançon river acting as a natural moat. It had three rings of defense. In all it has 13 towers. The first wooden fort was built by the House of Amboise in the eleventh century. It was destroyed in 1166 after it was besieged and taken by King Henry II of England. It was immediately rebuilt by Raoul II Baron de Fougères. Today the castle belongs to the municipality of Fougères and is one of Europe's largest medieval fortresses.

Château d'Ussé, Rigny-Ussé, Indre-et-Loire, Γαλλία

This stronghold at the edge of the Chinon forest overlooking the Indre Valley was first fortified in the eleventh century by the Norman seigneur of Ussé, Gueldin de Saumur, who surrounded the fort with a palisade on a high terrace. The site passed to the Comte de Blois, who rebuilt in stone. It was completed in 1612. The flamboyant Gothic style is mixed with new Renaissance motifs, and began the process of rebuilding the fifteenth-century château that resulted in the sixteenthseventeenth century aspect of the structure to be seen today. It is classified as a monument historique since 1931 by the French Ministry of Culture.

Château de Villandry, Indre-et-Loire, Γαλλία

Mont Saint-Michel, Νορµανδία, Γαλλία

Is located one kilometre off the northwestern coast at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches

Κάστρο Gravensteen, Sint-Veerleplein, Gent, Βέλγιο

Kasteel van Laarne, Ανατολική Φλάνδρα, Βέλγιο

Laarne Castle is a moated castle, established in the 11th or 12th century to guard the approaches to Ghent from the sea, it was comprehensively renovated in the 17th century. Since 1953 the castle has belonged to the Koninklijke Vereniging der Historische Woonsteden en Tuinen van België ("The Royal Association of Historical Houses and Gardens in Belgium"), to whom it was given by the last private owner, the Comte de Ribaucourt. It is a protected national monument and is now used as a museum.

Château de Beloeil, Hainaut, Βέλγιο

Κάστρο Carondelet, Dinant, Namur, Βέλγιο

Château Oe Reinhardstein, Robertville-Waimes, Βαλλονία, Βέλγιο

Kasteel Ammersoyen (Kasteellaan Ammerzoden), Ολλανδία

Kasteel de Haar, Haarzuilens, Utrecht, Ολλανδία

Κάστρο Vianden, Λουξεµβούργο

Located in Vianden, in the north of Luxembourg, is one of the largest fortified castles west of the Rhine. Its origins date to the 10th century. The castle was built in the Romanesque style between the 11th and 14th centuries. Gothic aspects were added at the end of this period. A Renaissance mansion was added in the 17th century. After the seventeenth century the castle was allowed to fall into ruin, and has recently been restored. It is now open to visitors.

Κάστρο Vianden (Buerg Veianen), Λουξεµβούργο

Schloss Drachenburg Königswinter am Rhein, Bonn, Γερµανία

Burg Eltz, Γερµανία

Is located above the Moselle River between Koblenz and Trier

Κάστρο Schwerin, Γερµανία

Sited on an island in the city's main lake, the Schweriner See

Κάστρο Schwerin, Γερµανία

Sited on an island in the city's main lake, the Schweriner See

Schloss Braunfels, Gießen, Hesse, Γερµανία

Schloss Moritzburg, Σαξονία, Γερµανία

Moritzburg Castle is a Baroque palace in Moritzburg, in the German state of Saxony, about 13 km Northwest of Dresden. The castle is named after Duke Moritz of Saxony, who had a hunting lodge built here between 1542 and 1546.

Κάστρο Altena, Γερµανία

Schloss Celle, Κάτω Σαξονία, Γερµανία

Celler Schloss was one of the residences of the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg. The castle has rooms and halls datig back to different periods. The court chapel was converted after the Reformation and has been preserved almost unchanged with its Renaissance architecture. The baroque-style state rooms have also been preserved. In the Gothic Hall there are constantly changing exhibitions and in the East Wing is a section of Celle's Bomann Museum, dedicated to the history of the Kingdom of Hanover. The historic castle rooms and the castle chapel, restored between 1978 and 1981, may be visited as part of a guided tour.

Schloss Glücksburg (Lyksborg Slot), Γερµανία

Glücksburg Castle is one of the most important Renaissance castles in northern Europe. It is the seat of the House of Schleswig-HolsteinSonderburg-Glücksburg and was also used by the Danish kings. Situated on the Flensburg Fjord the castle is now a museum owned by a foundation.

Schloss Hohenzollern, Γερµανία

Hohenzollern Castle is the ancestral seat of the Hohenzollern family, who became German Emperors. A castle was first constructed here in the early 11th century. The present castle was constructed for King Frederick William IV of Prussia between 1846 and 1867. The design was based on English Gothic Revival architecture and the Châteaux of the Loire Valley. In 1945 it became home to the former Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany, son of the last Hohenzollern monarch, Kaiser Wilhelm II, who is buried there with his wife, Crown Princess Cecilie

Burg Kriebstein, Waldheim, Σαξονία, Γερµανία

Burg Vischering, Lüdinghausen, North Rhine-Westfalia, Γερµανία

Schloss Moritzburg , Σαξονία, Γερµανία

Moritzburg Castle is a Baroque palace in Moritzburg, in the German state of Saxony, about 13 km northwest of Dresden. The castle is named after Duke Moritz of Saxony, who had a hunting lodge built here between 1542 and 1546.

Château de Chillon, Veytaux, Montreux, Ελβετία

The Château de Chillon is an island castle located on the shore of Lake Geneva in the commune of Veytaux, at the eastern end of the lake, 3 km from Montreux The first written record of the castle date to 1160. From the mid 12th century, the castle was home to the Counts of Savoy. The Château de Chillon was made popular by Lord Byron, who wrote the poem The Prisoner Of Chillon; Byron also carved his name on a pillar of the dungeon.

Château de Vufflens, Vaud, Ελβετία

A castle was built here in 1425 by Henri de Colombier on the site of a previous medieval castle. Of Henri Colombier's structure, the donjon, several towers, outbuildings, curtain wall and the gate-house survive. In 1641 it was acquired by the de Senarclens family. Today the castle is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. It is currently privately owned and cannot be visited by the general public.

Burg Hohenwerfen, Werfen, Κοιλάδα Salzach, Αυστρία

The castle is surrounded by the Berchtesgaden Alps. The fortification is a "sister" of Hohensalzburg Castle, both dating from the 11th century. A fortification was built here between 1075 and 1078 (during the Imperial Investiture Controversy) by Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg as a strategic bulwark. He had three major castles extended to secure his archbishopric against the forces of King Henry IV. Gebhard was expelled in 1077 and could not return to Salzburg until 1086, only to die at Hohenwerfen two years later. In the following centuries Hohenwerfen served Salzburg's rulers, the princearchbishops, as a military base, residence and hunting retreat. The fortress was extended in the 12th century and again in the 16th century during the German Peasants' War. Later it was used as a state prison and like many ecclesiastical prisons developed a particularly sinister reputation. Among the attractions offered by the fortress today are guided tours showing its weapons collection, a falconry museum and a fortress tavern.

Burg Hochosterwitz, Sankt Georgen am Längsee, Καρινθία, Αυστρία

Hochosterwitz Castle is considered to be one of Austria's most impressive medieval castles. There are 14 defensive gates, each equipped with different methods of guarding the path. Local legend maintains that the castle has never been conquered and that none of the attacks managed to get beyond the fourth gate.

Schloß Naudersberg, Tirol, Αυστρία

Gammel Estrup, Randers, ∆ανία

Gammel Estrup Manor was built in 1490, but excavations have revealed evidence of earlier constructions also mentioned in texts under the name Essendrup dating back to 1340. From 1930 the manor has served as a museum, showing the development of Danish nobility.

Spøttrup Borg, ∆ανία

Κάστρο των Τευτόνων (Μarienburg), Malbork, Πολωνία

This is the largest castle in the world by surface area, and the largest brick building in Europe.

Olavinlinna (Κάστρο του St. Olaf), Savonlinna, Φινλανδία

This is said to be the northernmost medieval stone fortress in Europe still standing

ΚάστροTrakai, Λίµνη Galve, Λιθουανία

Traku salos pilis (Trakai Island Castle), Λιθουανία

Κάστρο Bouzov, Moravia, Τσεχία

Bouzov Castle (Czech: Hrad Bouzov) built on a hill is an early 14th-century fortress first mentioned in 1317. In 1558 the castle burned down. In 1696 the barony was bought by the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order. The Grand Master from 1799 to 1839, Archduke Eugen Habsburg, decided to rebuild it in a Romantic, Neo-Gothic style. Today an eight-storey watchtower dominates the complex. The buildings are grouped around it in the form of a horseshoe. Two bridges, ending with a short drawbridge, span the deep dry moat around the castle. Since 1999 the castle has been a national monument.

Κάστρο Bouzov, Μοραβία, Τσεχία

Located between the village of Hvozdek and the town of Bouzov, west of Litovel, Moravia.

Το κάστρο της Bratislava (Bratislavsky hrad), Σλοβακία

Bojnický Zámok (Κάστρο Bojnice), Σλοβακία

Κάστρο Trakošcan, Varaždin, Βόρεια Κροατία

Κάστρο Fagaras, Brazov, Ρουµανία

In 1696, following penetration of the Austrian army in Transylvania, Fagaras Castle (or Fagaras Fortress) became Crown property of the Habsburgs.

Η "Χελιδονοφωλιά", Κριµαία

The Swallow's Nest is a decorative castle located between Yalta and Alupka. It was built between 1911 and 1912 in Gaspra, on top of the Aurora Cliff, to a Neo-Gothic design by the Russian architect Leonid Sherwood. The castle overlooks the Cape of Ai-Todor on the Black Sea coast and is located near the remains of the Roman castrum of Charax. The Swallow's Nest is one of the most popular visitor attractions in the Crimea, and has become a well known symbol of the Crimea's southern coastline.

Torre de Belém (ή Πύργος του St Vincent), Santa Maria de Belém, Λισαβώνα, Πορτογαλία

Παλάτι Pena, Sintra, Πορτογαλία

Alcazar, Segovia, Ισπανία

The Alcázar of Segovia (literally, Segovia Castle) is a stone fortification, rising out on a rocky crag above the confluence of the rivers Eresma and Clamores near the Guadarrama mountains. It is one of the most distinctive castle-palaces in Spain, shaped like the bow of a ship. The Alcázar of Segovia, like many fortifications in Spain , started off as an Arab fort, which itself was built on a Roman fort but little of that structure remains. It has served as a royal palace, a state prison, a Royal Artillery College and a military academy since Moorish times.

The Alcázar of Segovia, Ισπανία

Aljaferia, Zaragoza, Ισπανία

The Aljafería Palace is a fortified medieval Islamic palace in the Moorish taifa of Zaragoza of Al-Andalus

Coca Castle, Segovia, Castile-Leon, Ισπανία

Κάστρο Santiago Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cádiz, Ισπανία

The Castle of Santiago was constructed by the Second Duke of Medina-Sidonia (Enrique Perez de Guzman y Meneses) between 1477 and 1478. The style is late Gothic. The castle is rectangular with towers around a central courtyard.

Κάστρο της Cardona, Catalonia, Ισπανία The Castle of Cardona (Catalan: Castell de Cardona) is a medieval fortress situated on a hill overlooking the valley of the Cardener river. A fortress was constructed here by Wilfred the Hairy in 886. The 11th century torre de la minyona is a tower measuring 15 m in height and 10 in diameter. A Romanesque Church dedicated to Sant Vicenç de Cardona stands adjacent to the castle. Today the castle is used as a parador, a state-run hotel. Because of its history, it has become significant to the Catalonian independence movement

Ανάκτορα Aljafería, Zaragoza, Ισπανία

Κάστρο Bellver, Palma di Majorca, Βαλεαρίδες Νήσοι, Ισπανία

Alhambra Palace, Granada, Ισπανία

The Alhambra (Calat Alhambra) is a palace and fortress complex, originally constructed as a small fortress in 889 and rebuilt in the mid 11th century by the Moorish king Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar of the Kingdom of Granada. It was converted into a royal palace in 1333 by Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada. The Alhambra's Islamic palaces were built for the last Muslim emirs in Spain and its court of the Nasrid dynasty. After the Reconquista by the Reyes Católicos ("Catholic Monarchs") in 1492, some portions were used by Christian rulers. The Palace of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1527, was inserted in the Alhambra within the Nasrid fortifications. It is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions, exhibiting the country's most significant and well known Islamic architecture, together with 16th-century and later Christian buildings and gardens. The Alhambra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ανάκτορα Alhambra, Granada, Andalusia, Ισπανία

Castel dell'Ovo, Νάπολι, Ιταλία

Castel dell'Ovo is located on the former island of Megaride, now a peninsula, in the gulf of Naples.

Castello di Sammezzano, Reggello, Τοσκάνη, Ιταλία

Ceiling

Rocca Sanvitale, Fontanellato, Parma, Ιταλία

Castello Piccolomini (Celano Castle), Celano, Aquila, Ιταλία

The square castle, with round towers at the corners, was erected in its present form on the top of the San Vittorino Hill. Its construction was commissioned by Count Pietro Berardi around the year 1392, and was finished around 1451. Today, the castle hosts the Museum of Sacred Art of the Marsica.

Castel del Monte, Andria, Apulia, Ιταλία

Castel del Monte is a 13th century citadel and castle standing on a promontory. It was constructed during the 1240s by the Emperor Frederick II, who had inherited the lands from his mother, Constance of Sicily. It has neither a moat nor a drawbridge leading some to conclude that it was never intended as a defensive fortress; On the other hand, archaeological work has suggested that it originally had a curtain wall, so what we see today might be just the keep of the original structure. The Castel del MonteIt is a World Heritage Site, and appears on the Italian version of the one-cent euro coin.

Castel del Monte, Andria, Apulia, Ιταλία

Κάστρο του Bardi, Κοιλάδα Ceno, Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Ιταλία

Palmanova, Friuli-Venezia, Giulia, Ιταλία

The town of Palmanova is an example of star fort of the Late Renaissance. It was built by the Venetians in 1593.

Palmanova, Friuli, Ιταλία

Palmanova, Friuli -Venezia, Ιταλία

Castello di Sammezzano Reggello, Τοσκάνη, Ιταλία

The Peacock Room

Castello Barletta, Andria, Trani, Ιταλία

Ribat του Monastir, Τυνησία

Ribat of Monastir on the Mediterranean coast is the oldest and largest Maghreb Ribat. Built in 796 by the Abbasid general and governor of Ifriqiya, Harthimâ Ibn A’yûn, the complex that can be seen today is the result of a long evolution of successive additions and changes. The original nucleus of the building presents a regular plan with massive façades with cylindrical towers at the corners and a watchtower located to the southeast. The courtyard is lined with galleries which open on several stories.

Κάστρο Ribat, Sousse, Τυνησία

The University of Timbuktu, Mali, West Africa

The University of Timbuktu was established in the 12th century. Teaching included geography, mathematics, the sciences, and medicine. During the 12th century, the university had an enrollment of around 25,000 students from Africa as well as parts of the Mediterranean within a city of around 100,000 persons. The castle like construction is useful when, periodically, religious fanatics attempt to destroy University facilities, artefacts and manuscrits, most recently in 2013.

Κάστρο της Πάφου, Κύπρος

Paphos Castle is located on the edge of Paphos harbour. It was originally built as a Byzantine fort to protect the harbour. It was then rebuilt by the Lusignans in the thirteenth century after being destroyed in the earthquake of 1222. In 1570 it was dismantled by the Venetians. After capturing the island, the Ottomans restored and strengthened it. It was declared a listed building in 1935 and represents one of the most distinctive landmarks of the city of Paphos.

Κάστρο των Κολοσσών, Λεµεσός, Κύπρος

Κάστρο Bozcaada (Τένεδος), Çanakkale, Τουρκία

Bozcaada Castle is one of the best preserved castles of Turkey

Sazova Mahallesi, Eskisehir, Τουρκία

Ανάκτορα Amarah, Najran, Aba Al Saud, Σαουδική Αραβία

Amarah or Emara Palace is a daub castle located in the central ancient city in Najran. It is a good example of the traditional architecture of the region. The castle was built from daub (mud & straw) with its foundations built of stones. It is composed of 65 rooms and housed the local governor and his deputy and personal companions (khawis). The building takes the shape of a classic castle with high rectangular walls and round guard towers at the four corners. Inside (shown in the photo) is a well which dates back to pre-Islamic age.

Bahla Fort, υψίπεδο Djebel Akhdar, Οµάν

Arg-é Bam (Ακρόπολη Bam), Kerman, Ιράν The Arg-e Bam was the largest adobe building in the world. It was a lrge fortress/city in whose heart the citadel was located, but because of the impressive look of the citadel, which forms the highest point, the entire fortress is referred to as the Bam Citadel. It is listed by UNESCO as part of the World Heritage Site The origin of this massive citadel on the Silk Road can be traced beyond the Achaemenid period (6th to 4th centuries BC). The heyday of the citadel was from the 7th to 11th centuries, when it lay at the crossroads of important trade routes and known for the production of silk and cotton garments. On December 26, 2003, the Citadel was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake, along with much of the rest of Bam. It is currently being rebuilt.

Arg-e-Bam (Ακρόπολη Bam), Kerman, Ιράν

Κάστρο Falak-ol-Aflak, Khorramabad, Lorestan, Ιράν

Κάστρο Khiva, Xorazm, Ουζµπεκιστάν

Alila Fort, Bishangarh, Jaipur, Rajasthan, Ινδία

Amer Fort, Rajasthan, Ινδία

Hawa Mahal, Jaipur, Rajasthan, Ινδία

Πύργος Po Shanu Cham, Phan Thiet, Βιετνάµ

West of Mui Ne, the Po Shanu Cham towers, remnants of the once flourishing Cham empire, occupy a hill near Phan Thiet, with sweeping views of the town. Dating from the 9th century, this complex consists of the ruins of three towers, none of which is in very good shape, largely due to destructive restoration efforts.

Matsumoto Castle, ("Crow Castle"), Νοµός Nagano, Ιαπωνία

Matsumoto Castle is one of Japan's premier historic castles. The keep (tenshukaku), was completed in the late sixteenth century, It is listed as a National Treasure of Japan. Matsumoto Castle is a flatland castle (hirajiro) built on a plain. Its defences would have included an extensive system of interconnecting walls, moats, and gatehouses.

Matsumoto Castle, ("Crow Castle"), Νοµός Nagano, Ιαπωνία

Matsumoto Castle is one of Japan's premier historic castles. The keep (tenshukaku), was completed in the late sixteenth century, It is listed as a National Treasure of Japan. Matsumoto Castle is a flatland castle (hirajiro) built on a plain. Its defences would have included an extensive system of interconnecting walls, moats, and gatehouses.

Κάστρο Akashi, Νοµός Hyogo, Ιαπωνία

Azuchi Castle, Λίµνη Biwa, Omi, Ιαπωνία