Unless you were of royal blood or if you have truckloads of money at your disposal, it is very unlikely that you could get to build a castle of your own, let alone reside at one for a while. Suppose you could be given the chance to have an excursion in any of the following medieval abodes, which among them would you choose?
1. Alnwick Castle
Having been remodeled for many times already, it was once the residence of the Duke of Northumberland during the 11th century. It is a Grade I listed building in England which means it is of high historical and cultural value. It has an estimated 80,000 visitors per year.
Location: Northumberland, England
Built: 1100
2. Balmoral Castle
This one is an example of Scots Baronial architecture, and is classified as in a listing similar to that of Alnwick. This fortress has been one of the residences for members of the British Royal Family since 1852, and has been featured in pop culture every now and then.
Location: Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Built: 1856
3. Bodiam Castle
Built by a knight as a structure for defense, this castle its various chambers built around the outer defensive walls and inner courts. Its corners and entrance are marked by towers, and topped by crenellations. It has been owned by The National Trust since 1925, and is open to the public which makes it very ideal for sight-seeing and excursions.
Location: East Sussex, England
Built: 1385
4. Conwy Castle
Some castles are built for defense, while some are for conquest. Conwy belongs to the latter, most notably after the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642. It has a special recognition from UNESCO, for it considers the castle to be one of "the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe."
Location: Conwy, Wales
Built: 1283
5. Kornbrog Castle
Situated on the extreme northeastern tip of the island of Zealand, it was a stronghold which greatly served its purpose during its time. Known to us as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's writeup Hamlet, Kronborg is one of the most important Renaissance structures in Northern Europe which made it worthy enough to be added to UNESCO's World Heritage Sites list
Location: Helsingor, Denmark
Built: 1420
6. Leeds Castle
Just as Hollywood begin to establish itself globally, Leeds castle gained its popularity win 1949, when it was featured in the movie Kind Hearts and Coronets, where it served as an ancestral home of the aristocratic d'Ascoyne family. The castle today 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.
Location: Kent, England
Built: 1119
7. Malbork Castle
Having underwent several expansions and renovations already, this castle was meant to house the growing number of Knights that it needed to accomodate. Soon, it became the largest fortified Gothic building in Europe. After being restored and then destroyed in battle, it was in a state of disrepair until a new restoration was completed in April 2016. It is still known these days as the largest brick building in all European lands.
Location: Malbork, Poland
Built: 1300
8. Matsumuto Castle
Before you conclude that all great castles are situated in Europe, allow this Japanese structure to change that notion. Behold the castle of Matsumoto – a fortress of shogunate origin. Also known as “The Crow Castle” due to its black exterior, it is listed as a National Treasure of Japan, and is one of the most recognized symbols of the oriental world.
Location: Nagano Perfecture, Japan
Built: 1504
9. Neuschwanstein Castle
It is built as an embodiment of 2 aspects: the contemporaneous architectural fashion known as castle romanticism and as an enthusiasm of opera presentations that were prominent in the 18th century. This means that the castle was made for artistic expression, in contrast to most castles which were built for dominion or fortification. It was intended as a personal refuge for a reclusive king, but it was opened to the public 1886
Location: Hohenschwangau Germany
Built: 1869
10. Warwick Castle
People had been visiting the castle only since the end of the 17th century. What they may never truly grasp is the fact that 700 years earlier, the castle had already been built, which makes it the oldest structure in this list. To further preserve its value, the castle is protected against unauthorized change as a “Scheduled Ancient Monument” in recognition of its status as a "nationally Important" archaeological site or historic building
Location: Warwickshire, England
Built: 1068
Take your pick and have some fun doing it!
Nice article and places.