Fabulous and scary castles of the world. Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, India. Edinburgh Castle - an ancient fortress on Castle Rock in the center of the Scottish capital

This fairy-tale castle is the historical possession of the Prussian kings and German emperors. It was built during the Middle Ages, in the 11th century, then was completely destroyed in 1423 and rebuilt in 1461. The castle is located on the top of the Hohenzollern mountain, about 50 kilometers south of Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg.

Castle Howard, England

Although this building looks like a castle, Howard is actually just a luxurious house - the private residence of the Howard family, who have lived there for over 300 years. This house is located in North Yorkshire and is one of the largest residences in the UK. Its construction began at the end of the 17th century and lasted about 15 years. Castle surround fairy gardens, as well as endless spacious meadows.

Alcazar in Segovia, Spain

Segovia Castle, located in central Spain, was originally (in the 12th century) used as a fortress. Outwardly, the Alcazar resembles the bow of a ship - unique feature which distinguishes it from other castles. It served as the inspiration for many castles in Walt Disney films.

Himeji Castle, Japan

Himeji Castle, also known as White Heron Castle, is a magnificent white complex of 83 wooden buildings. One of the castle's most extraordinary defenses is the spiral labyrinth with many dead ends leading to the main watchtower. The gates and courtyard of the castle are built in such a way that people entering there get lost. The castle was built in the 14th century and is located in the city of Kansai, Japan.

Prague Castle, Czech

Prague Castle is one of the largest and oldest castles in the world, and is also a symbol of the capital of the Czech Republic. The castle is 570 meters long and 130 meters wide. Every architectural style of the last millennium is represented in this building, from Gothic and Romanesque to Baroque. The construction of the very first buildings of the complex dates back to the beginning of the 9th century.

Peles Castle, Romania

located in picturesque place on Carpathian mountains in Romania, Peles Castle is a truly fabulous building. Construction began in 1873. Workers from different countries. Queen Elizabeth of Romania said: “The Italians were masons, the Romanians built terraces, the gypsies worked as laborers. Albanians and Greeks laid stones, Germans and Hungarians were carpenters. The Turks burned bricks. Designed by Poles, stone carvers were Czechs. The French drew, and the British measured…” Presumably, workers speaking 14 languages ​​took part in the construction.

Chambord Castle, France

It is known that Chambord was used only as a hunting lodge. The view of this castle is quite impressive. Interestingly, the location of this castle was chosen by King Francis I, as he wanted to be closer to his beloved lady, Claude Roen, whose palace was next door. The huge castle has 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces and 84 staircases. This is the most big castle in the Loire Valley in France.

Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

The castle, whose reconstruction began in 1896, was designed by Christian Janck, commissioned by the Bavarian king Ludwig II, who was declared insane before the castle was completed. This explains a lot. The architecture, location and size of Neuschwanstein are impressive. Situated on a jagged hill in the southwest of Bavaria, today the castle is one of the most visited places by tourists.

Corfe Castle, England

Despite the fact that the ruins are all that remains of Corfe Castle, its fortifications still make a deep impression. The castle, located in the county of Dorset on the Isle of Purbeck, was built in the 9th century. However, there is a possibility that Korfe could have been built much earlier, and could also have served defensive structure in the fight against the Romans. The part of the building that can be seen today was reconstructed in the 11th century. Two centuries later, the fortress began to be used as a repository of royal jewels, as well as a prison.

Matsumoto Castle. Japan

The wonderful Matsumoto Castle is located in the city of Matsumoto near Tokyo. The castle was built in 1504 and is the National Treasure of Japan. The castle was inhabited until the middle of the 19th century. In 1868, during the reign of Emperor Meiji, the building was restored. However, due to the failure of the new government of Japan, it was decided to demolish the castle and sell the wood and iron from which it was built. In those days, this fate befell many castles. Matsumoto was saved by the locals by ransoming him.

Eltz Castle, Germany

Eltz is another of Germany's outstanding castles. This stunning medieval building in southwestern Germany is still owned by the same family, who have been living here for over 800 years. Currently, the castle is owned by Count Karl von Eltz, a representative of the 33rd generation of the family.

Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland

Built in the 13th century during the Viking Age, today Eilean Donan Castle is one of Scotland's most famous landmarks. The castle was probably named after Bishop Donan, who came to Scotland in the 6th century. The castle is located on an island surrounded by the stunning scenery of the Scottish Highlands. The fortress was rebuilt at least 4 times. For about 200 years, the castle lay in ruins (from the 18th to the 20th century). In 1932 it was restored and since then it has been open to visitors from all over the world.

Old furniture and portraits former owners, dark narrow corridors with ghosts and halls in which outstanding historical events– what else can be hidden behind the fabulous appearance of popular castles? There are many in the world ancient castles and palaces, but only a few of them can be called truly "fabulous". Some of them have an amazing appearance, others have become famous unusual story appearances, and still others are so harmonious and attractive that they inspired the work of eminent fairy tale writers. For hundreds of years the world has changed a lot, but people's love for fairy tales and mysterious stories remained the same. If you are also passionate about beautiful legends and love to walk unusual places be sure to visit at least one of the most fairytale castles planets and unravel all its mysteries.

In a vast area park area Wilhelmscholl in one of the most picturesque districts of Kassel is the beautiful castle of Levenburg, whose name can literally be translated from German as "Lion's Castle". Its construction began in 1793 by order of Landgrave Wilhelm IX and lasted eight years. The work on the castle project was entrusted to the personal royal architect Heinrich Christoph Jussow. For several years he traveled around England and studied the most beautiful medieval castles country, it was decided to build a beautiful castle Levenburg in a rare and new for Germany architectural style "romantic ruin".

For more than two hundred years, Levenburg Castle has been considered by experts to be one of the best examples of the "romantic" architectural style on the planet. Those who are not strong in subtleties architectural styles, Levenburg may resemble the world-famous fairy tale castle located in Disneyland. A tour of the castle promises to be incredibly interesting. On its territory there is a large armory, as well as a miniature chapel, which houses the tomb of William IX.

It is located on the top of the mountain of Bavaria, the height of which is 92 meters, therefore, from the terraces surrounding it and viewing platforms offers a great view of Kassel and its surroundings. The castle is surrounded by incredibly beautiful landscaped garden with many original compositions and decorations. It is noteworthy that upon completion of the construction of the castle in 1801, the very first garden was laid out around it, and it was also made in the English style.

We at TravelAsk decided that our lives are sorely lacking in fairy tales, magic and majestic beauty. And what could be more fabulous than magnificent old castle like stepping out of the pages of a book? Therefore, today we introduce you to another portion of the most beautiful and impressive castles on the planet. Well, a few words about them, of course, do not forget to tell!

Chenonceau castle, France

It has a "folk" name - " ladies castle". One of the most beloved, famous and visited castles in France. It is privately owned but open to the public.

Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome, Italy

Cochem Castle, Germany

It was first documented in 1051.

Dunnottar Castle - medieval castle on the east coast of Scotland

Edinburgh Castle - an ancient fortress on Castle Rock in the center of the Scottish capital

Hearst Castle ("Hearst Castle"), California, USA

National Historic Landmark on the Pacific Coast of California. The house has 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 living rooms, on the estate there are several swimming pools and tennis courts, a cinema, an airfield and the world's largest private zoo (currently without animals).

Herstmonceau Castle, built in the 15th century, is located 10 km northeast of Eastbourne. It is the oldest and largest brick building in England.

Hohenwerfen Castle is located in Austria, at a level of 155 m above the Salzach river valley, 40 km from Salzburg

Castle Hohenzollern - an ancient castle-fortress in Baden-Württemberg, Germany

The medieval castle fortress was first mentioned in 1267, but it is assumed that it was built earlier, in the 11th century.

The castle is located at an altitude of 855 m above sea level on a detached mountain called Hohenzollern. Among the local population, this mountain is better known as Zollenberg or simply Zoller.

Today the castle is a popular tourist attraction.

Lichtenstein Castle - "fairytale castle" of the XIX century in the town of Honau, in the commune of Liechtenstein in Baden-Württemberg

Located at an altitude of 817 m. Today the castle is open to visitors. It houses a large collection of historical weapons and armor.

Matsumoto Castle is an ancient Japanese castle in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture

Monastery of Pantanassa, Mystras, Greece

Pena Palace - a palace in Portugal, located on a high cliff above Sintra and featuring a fantastic pseudo-medieval style

The whole composition of the mountain, the castle and the adjacent park with an area of ​​270 hectares is one of the earliest examples of romantic landscape architecture of the 19th century. The castle and park appeared in 1840 as a summer royal residence on the site of a small abandoned monastery.

Quinta da Regaleira, Portugal

The palace and park complex, on the territory of which there is a romantic neo-Gothic palace, a chapel and a park with lakes, grottoes, fountains and various architectural whims

It bears the name of the Baroness Regaleira, who acquired the estate in 1840, is also known as the palace of the millionaire Monteiro.

Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, India

Mont Saint Michel, France

Cité or fortress of Carcassonne is a medieval architectural ensemble located in the French city of Carcassonne in the department of Aude

Moritzburg Castle, Germany

Alhambra (“Red Castle”) is an architectural and park ensemble located on a hilly terrace in the eastern part of the city of Granada in southern Spain

Trakai Island Castle - the largest of the ancient castles preserved in Lithuania

Vischering Castle, Lüdinghausen, Germany

Furnihurst fortress in Scotland

Ninomaru Castle, Japan

It blew with sadness, and I wanted a fairy tale!

Beautiful and magical, with horror and ghosts,

with giants and monsters,

with sorcery and miracles,

with sorcerers and wizards,

with huts and palaces, with kings and queens

And of course, with princes and princesses...

In fairy tales, the housing issue is not as acute as sometimes in life. And each prince has a place to bring his princess (palace, castle, etc.). The main thing for him is to defeat the evil Wizard, to kill the Dragon ... in general, to accomplish a feat.

But in real life it's often the other way around. To achieve the location of the princess, you just need to approach her. And the feats will have to be done later. And more than once.

But still ... in more detail about the locks.

All these structures were built at a time when there were no technologies similar to modern ones. Nevertheless, these castles amaze us with their beauty, grandeur and original architectural projects. Let's take a look at all these structures together

Aragonese castle in Italy. It rises above the sea at a height of 113 meters and covers an area of ​​56,000 square meters. m. This is one of the most popular castles in Italy, located in a picturesque area, on an island in the middle of the sea. Even if you have reached the island itself, you still have to get to the castle - a mule trail leads here, winding through the rocks to the fortress. For lazy tourists there is an elevator built in the 70s. The elevator shaft is carved directly into the rock, its height is 60 meters

The citadel of the Aragonese castle participated in many military events and sieges, and from the beginning of the 19th century long time was in a state of disrepair. Only at the beginning of the 20th century, restoration work was carried out, which continues to this day. Step by step, this beautiful castle is being restored, attracting tourists from all over the world.

Now let's move on to Portugal - there is an equally beautiful castle, De la Pena, or simply Pena, as it is called here. National Palace Foam clearly demonstrates the old European style of romanticism. Built on a hill in the city of Sintra, on a sunny day the castle is visible even from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Pena Castle - national monument and is one of the main examples of 19th century romanticism. This building is listed cultural heritage UNESCO and is one of the seven wonders of Portugal. The palace is often used for state ceremonies of the President of Portugal and others. official events. Many architectural styles are mixed here - this is neo-gothic, Islamic style and neo-renaissance.

It is well known that many beautiful castles in the world are located just in Germany. One of them is Hohenschwawangau. It appeared on the site of an ancient fortress built by the knights of the 11th century. During the period of its existence, the castle was extremely damaged during many battles, and during the Napoleonic wars it was completely destroyed. Being still the crown prince, the future king Maximilian II took possession of these ruins and undertook to restore the historical building. Restoration work stretched for as much as 4 years - from 1832 to 1836

The future famous King Ludwig II was also born here. In Hohenschwangau flew his childhood and early years of life. Here always reigned Savor in its most luxurious manifestations - daily receptions, royal balls and large-scale knightly tournaments were held

Then we go to the other end of the world - to Japan. Classical Japanese architecture is very attractive to tourists, and the castles of Japan are a vivid embodiment of it. Matsumoto is one of the best historical castles in Japan. It is located in the city of Matsumoto in the Nagano region, which can be easily reached from Tokyo. The castle was completed at the end of the 16th century and is characterized by its original wooden interior and stone exterior. Matsumoto Castle is built on a plain, which makes it stand out from other castles in the world.

Matsumoto was built as a fortress during the war. In the year 1550, this area was in the possession of the Takeda and Tokugawa clans. Under their leadership, the main towers of the structure were built. Matsumoto is also called the Crow's Castle because the black walls and roof resemble the wings of a raven.

Located in France famous castle Mont Saint Michel. Its Gothic-style monastic buildings were built in the 13th century in the heart of a rocky island in Normandy. This island is named after Saint Michel, and is located at a distance of one kilometer from the northern French coast at the mouth of the Couesnon River. Since prehistoric times, the island has been surrounded by a sea that has continued to recede, exposing the coastline, for many millions of years.

The island was originally connected to the mainland through an isthmus, which eventually went under water. Therefore, Mont Saint Michel became an island, and in 1879 the isthmus was rebuilt into a bridge.

Our next destination is the top of the world, Tibet. Here, in the picturesque area of ​​Lhasa, is the legendary Potala Palace, named after the mountain of the same name. This castle was the home and residence of the Dalai Lama, and now it houses a museum. The building itself is very grandiose - 400 meters long, 350 meters wide, and the walls are 3 to 5 meters thick. The foundation is made of copper to prevent damage from earthquakes. The Potala includes approximately 1,000 rooms, more than 10,000 temples and 200,000 statues. The height of the palace is approximately 117 meters. The summit is called Marpo Ri, which means red hill.

So we got to the top three most beautiful castles in the world. In third place is Löwenburg Castle, located in the Wilhelmscholl park. It is also called the Lion's Castle. Built by William IX, the castle was designed by a royal architect named Heinrich Christoph, an experienced builder who specialized in similar structures in France, Italy, and England.

This castle is also one of the first neo-Gothic buildings in Germany. There are many rooms and bridges at the back of the buildings, and a tower at the front. There is a chic park around, also designed by Heinrich. The park is called the Disneyland of its century - it looks very fabulous

In neighboring Poland, there is an equally beautiful castle - Marienburg. Built in 1274 during the reign of Prussia, this brick castle is located on the river Nogat. The castle, also called Malbork, was expanded several times by the owner and became largest building Gothic style in Europe

The castle consists of three separate sections, the top, middle, and base, separated by a dry moat and towers. The building could accommodate up to 3,000 troops, occupying 210,000 square meters in area, which is 4 times larger than Windsor Castle. Second World War destroyed almost half of the building, but the worst damage was caused by a fire in 1959. In 1962 Marienburg was restored.

So, we come to the first place. It is generally accepted that the most beautiful and famous castle in the world is Neuschwanstein. The castle was built in the 19th century southern Bavaria, Ludwig II of Bavaria. Although tourists are not allowed inside here, the castle remains the main attraction of Bavaria, and the most popular place among foreign tourists. Approximately 1.3 million visitors come here every year, especially in summer, up to 6,000 per day. The image of this castle was often used in Disney cartoons - it is very beautiful