The most famous fairytale castles are probably derived from legends and myths. Well-known examples include King Arthur's Castle of Camelot, as well as the castles of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, which can be found in some theme parks around the world. This list contains their real-world counterparts and inspirations**. These real-life fairytale castles are equally magical and mostly associated with their own stories and fairy tales.
Fort Rana Karanaca is one of the most famous of the desert castles located in present-day eastern Jordan. Built sometime before the beginning of the 8th century, it is one of the earliest examples of Islamic architecture in the region. Due to the limited water source, the Fort of Rana Karanaca may have been used only temporarily, and there are different theories about the function of this castle, which may have been a fort or a meeting place for the Bedouins.
Conwy Castle was built between 1283 and 1289 during King Edward I's second conquest in North Wales. Six years later, the castle was besieged by the last Aboriginal prince of Wales. The siege lasted several months and was insufficient. However, the castle and town were not captured. An estimated £15,000 was spent on the construction of the castle and town fortifications. The total cost of Edward's five major castles in Wales was around £60,000, more than a third of his annual income.
Bran Castle in Romania is often referred to as "Dracula's Castle", although Vlad Tepes never made the castle his home. The castle was first used to defend against the Ottomans in 1378 and later became a customs post for the mountain pass between Transylvania and Warakai. Despite the fact that Bram Stoker's Vampire ** uses the historical figure Vlad Tepesh, he did not actually live in Bran Castle, but spent two days in a dungeon during the Ottoman Empire's control of Transylvania.
The castle is located on the northern slopes of the German city of Heidelberg, at an altitude of 80 meters, overlooking the old city center of Heidelberg. The ruins of this castle are one of the most important Renaissance buildings north of the Alps. Since the castle was built in the early 13th century, it has had a long and turbulent history. During the Thirty Years' War, the castle was completely destroyed, later by the French in the 17th century, struck by lightning in 1764, and even its stone blocks were used to build new houses in Heidelberg. All these reconstructions have given the castle a variety of architectural styles that add to the charm of the castle.
Nestled high in the Alsace plain in the Vaujean Mountains in France, the Château del Kings is a strategic location. It was used by different powers in the Middle Ages until it was besieged by the Swedish army during the Thirty Years' War and burned and sacked after a 52-day siege. For hundreds of years since, the castle has been abandoned and covered with forests. In 1899, it was given to Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and rebuilt after World War I in its original appearance before the Thirty Years' War. When France confiscated the castle after World War I, many considered it nothing more than a fairytale castle due to its association with the emperor.
Nestled in a beautiful area between Lake Geneva and the Alps, Chillon Castle is one of Switzerland's most popular historical monuments. The castle is made up of 100 individual buildings that are gradually connected and now form a single unit. From the middle of the 12th century, the castle was home to the Counts of Savoy and was greatly enlarged in the 13th century. The castle was never captured during the siege, but changed hands by treaty.
Matsumoto Castle, built in the 16th century, is considered one of the most famous castles in Japan. It is a flat castle because it is not built on the top of a hill or between a river, but on a plain. The castle's complete defense system consisted of a massive interconnected wall, moat, and gatehouse. During the Edo period, the castle was ruled by 23 Matsuben lords representing 6 different daimyo families. During this period, the castle was also known as Raven Town because of its black walls and roof that looked like outstretched wings.
Erzburg is a medieval castle in Germany located on a hill above the Moselle River, between Koblenz and Trier. The castle is still owned by a branch of the Eltz family, who lived in the 12th century, 33 generations ago. The other third of the castle is open to the public by the Rübenach and Rodendorf families, while the Kempenich branch of the family uses the rest of the castle.
Warwick Castle was built in 1068 by William the Conqueror. Since the 11th century, the castle has undergone structural changes, with the addition of towers and redesigned residential buildings. Originally a wooden building, it was rebuilt in stone in the 12th century. During the Hundred Years' War, the opposite side of the town was strengthened, resulting in one of the most representative examples of 14th-century military architecture. In 2001, Warwick Castle was named one of the UK's 'Top 10 Historic Monuments and Buildings' by Tourism England and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in England.
The Syrian Knights' Castle is widely regarded as a typical Crusader castle. "Clark"The word ** is derived from syriac karak in Clark, Syria, which means fortress. Lawrence Arabia once described it as "perhaps the best-preserved and most admired castle in the world". This somewhat remote site was originally built in 1031 for the emirs of Aleppo and was used by the Knights' Hospital as their headquarters during the First Crusade. The castle was expanded between 1150 and 1250 and eventually housed 2,000 defenders. Today it is one of the main tourist destinations in Syria.
Perched on a rocky cliff at the confluence of the Eresma and Clamores rivers in Segovia, the Castle of Segovia is one of the most famous castles in Spain. Originally an Arab fortress, it later became a royal palace, a national prison, a royal artillery school, and a military academy. In the Middle Ages, it was one of the favorite of the monarchs of the Kingdom of Castile and was a key fortress for the kingdom's defenses. During this period, most of the existing buildings were built.
The prettiest fairytale castle, Neuschwanstein Castle, sits on a rugged hill near Flensburg in southwestern Germany. It was the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland**. Commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the castle was both a holiday destination and a tribute to Richard Wagner. The castle was largely completed in 1886, when the king was declared insane by a state commission and was found dead a few days later. Since then, more than 50 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle. It is the most photographed building in Germany and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.