Castles. They are awesome. Giant fortifications built of stone and surrounded by moats, castles are probably the ultimate dream home for princesses everywhere. Here are 9 of the coolest castles ever to be found on Earth.
Bran Castle (Dracula’s Castle) of Romania
Bran Castle, as its name would suggest, sits on a giant rock hill near Bran, a tiny village near the city of Braşov, Romania. Dating back to the 13th century, the castle gained fame after Bram Stoker wrote “Dracula” in 1897. And though there is no evidence that Stoker even knew about the castle, and though the castle is only loosely tied to Vlad III, the ruler of Walachia who may or may not have been the inspiration for Stoker’s titular character, the castle still bills itself as “Dracula’s Castle” and attracts tourists everywhere. It is now a museum and national landmark in Romania. Its imposing towers and turrets, connected by a maze of corridors, were once used to store gunpowder. Now it houses art and furniture collected by Queen Marie, as well as weapons and armor from the 14th to 19th centuries.
Edinburgh Castle of Scotland, UK
From its position on top of an extinct volcano (aptly named Castle Rock), Edinburgh Castle literally cannot by anyone in Edinburgh. The iconic sprawling fortress can be seen from anywhere in the city center. Its prominence means that it has been often been targeted throughout its history, including during the Wars of Scottish Independence and the Jacobite Rising. It was a royal residence since at least the 12th century, during the reign of David I, until 1603 with the Union of the Crowns. It then acted mostly as a military base in the 17th century and is still technically owned by the Ministry of Defense. The annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo is held here, and the castle now is Scotland’s most-visited paid attraction.
Pena National Palace (Palacio da Pena) of Portugal
If you’re thinking that this castle embodies all the emotional aesthetics of the Romanticism, with its chromatic variety and mix of architectural styles, it’s probably because the castle was intentionally designed that way. In fact, it now constitutes one of the major expressions of Romanticism in the world, according to Wikipedia. Striding the top of a hill in Sintra, the once-royal palace looks down majestically on its subjects as far away as Lisbon. Built at the behest of Ferdinand II, who wanted a summer retreat, the castle was completed in 1854 and passed on among the royal family until 1889, when it was purchased by the Portuguese state. It now is one of Portugal’s most visited monuments and is still used by Portuguese officials for state occasions.
Segovia Castle (Alcázar of Segovia) of Spain
Everyone knows that the only thing cooler than a castle is probably a really big boat. So what happens when you build a castle in the shape of a really big boat? You get Segovia Castle, in the old city of Segovia, ready to plow down anyone coming up the two rivers that run on either side of it before merging in front of its “bow.” With its excellent strategic position, it’s no surprise that the castle started out as a fort, first built by Arabs around 1120 and then used by monarchs of the Kingdom of Castile throughout the Middle Ages. Since then, it has also been used as a state prison, Royal Artillery College and military academy. Now it’s one of the most popular historical sites in Spain.
Chillon Castle (Château de Chillon) of Switzerland
With Lake Geneva on one side and the Swiss Alps on the other, the Château de Chillon probably looks closest to something out of a fairy tale. Built on a rocky island jutting out into the eastern shore of the lake, it was once 100 independent buildings that have since been gradually connected into what it is today: an imposing fortress standing in the water, or Switzerland’s “most visited historic monument.” The oldest parts of the castle may date back to 1005 or 1160, when the Counts of Savoy was said to have lived there. It then gained fame with Lord Byron’s famous poem “The Prisoner of Chillon,” published in 1816, and has also inspired other notable writers, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Victor Hugo, according to its website.
Hohenzollern Castle of Germany
High up on Mount Hohenzollern in the Swabian Alp, about 50 kilometers south of Stuttgart, is Hohenzollern Castle. This mighty fortress has been twice destroyed and twice rebuilt. The original castle was built in the 11th century for the Hohenzollern family, who eventually became German emperors. It was besieged in 1423 and rebuilt 40 years later so that the Catholic Hohenzollerns could have a refuge during wartime, such as during the Thirty Years’ War. After the fighting died down, though, no one saw any use for it anymore, and the neglect caused the castle to fall into ruins. It wasn’t rebuilt until 1850, when Crown-Prince (and later King) Frederick William IV of Prussia wanted a family memorial. As such, this gigantic piece of real estate never had any inhabitants, except for a brief period of tenancy when the last Prussian crown prince, William, stayed there with his wife from 1945 to 1951. Now the castle is a popular tourist attraction and houses many artifacts of Prussian history, as well as personal effects of the Hohenzollern family.
Château de Chambord of France
As a chateau, the Chateau de Chambord is really just a fake castle (i.e., lacking real defensive structures because it was not intended to provide defense), but it’s pretty and famous. It was built more than 500 years ago when King Francois I wanted a hunting lodge, which also not-so-incidentally ended up next to the less-superior chateau of his mistress. The distinctive French Renaissance architecture blends French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures, and includes a very elaborate roof line of towers and chimneys. Like a castle, the Chateau de Chambord has steep corner towers and a surrounding moat. And with 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces and 84 staircases, the chateau is the largest in the Loire Valley.
Mont Saint-Michel Castle of France
The castle on Mont Saint-Michel sits near the top this conical-shaped island made of granite in the bay of Normandy. It is crowned by the Mont Saint-Michel abbey, which rises 240 feet above sea level. The island has been fortified since ancient times, and improved fortifications in the 15th century prevented the English from seizing the island in repeated invasions during the Hundred Years’ War.
Neuschwanstein Castle of Germany
Perhaps the most famous of castles in Germany, if not the world, Neuschwanstein was commissioned by the reclusive Ludwig II of Bavaria in the 19th century. Built in Romanesque Revival style, its iconic elongated shape rises from the top of a cliff, embellished with slim towers, turrets, gables and balconies. The castle, seen as the epitome of Romanticism, inspired the Sleeping Beauty castle at Disneyland. But perhaps what sets it apart from these other castles is that it was planned and built in consecutive stages and without fortifications, instead of acquiring its design through centuries of improvements. In fact, Neuschwanstein has barely served as anything other than a tourist attraction. After living in his palatial castle for a mere total of 172 days, Ludwig died in 1886 before construction was completed, and the castle was opened to the public less than six weeks later. More than 60 million people have visited since then, with about 1.3 now visiting annually.
Source: http://www.china.org.cn/top10/2011-10/21/content_23689366_9.htm
Note: Feature Photo is Mount Fanjingshan with two Buddhist temples at its peak