Fairy-tale castles are the creation of the beautiful human mind. It’s an attempt to link up the real world to a fantasy world. The most intriguing fairy-tale castles are probably the ones that come from legends myths and fantasies.
King Arthur’s Camelot and the Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty castles that can be found in several theme parks around the world are some best examples. These list article of real fairy-tale castles are just as magical as they are in stories. Some are associated with stories and fairy tales with their own or other generates new tales. Don’t miss to pay a visit at least for once in your lifetime.
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Magnificent Fairy-tale Castles:
10. Bran Castle, Romania
Situated in Romania, Bran Castle is often referred to as “Dracula’s Castle”. This castle is very well known to the European people. It was the inspiration of the great horror novel “Dracula” although Vlad ||| never called this castle his residence.
The castle is situated on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia. First used in 1378 in defense against the Ottoman Empire and later became a customs post. This castle is now a museum open to tourists, showing art and furniture collected by Queen Marie.
Major attractions:
- Visit the Bran Village Museum
- Libearty Bear Sanctuary Zarnesti
- Discover the medieval Bran
- Piatra Craiului National Park
9. Heidelberg Castle, Germany
Heidelberg castle in the city of Heidelberg is one of the fascinating ruin in Germany. The castle is located 80 meters (260 ft) up the northern part of a hillside. It is the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps. Since the earliest castle structure was built in the 13th century, it has had a long and tumultuous history.
It had been totally destroyed during the Thirty Years War and later by the French in the 17th century and even its stones were taken to build new houses in Heidelberg. It had to be rebuilt many times and it got the variety of styles and arts.
Major attractions:
- Hauptstrasse and the Altstadt, old town
- Heidelberg University
- Karl Theodor Bridge
- The Philosophers’ Walk
- Heidelberg Zoo and Germany’s Oldest Botanic Garden
8. Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg, France
Attracting over 5,00,000 tourists per year, the château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg is situated at a strategic location on a high hill overlooking the Alsatian plain in the Vosges Mountains, France. The castle was used by consecutive powers from the Middle Ages until the Thirty Years’ War. In the war, the castle was burned and plundered by Swedish troops after a 52-day long blockade.
Later on, the Château was left abandoned for a few hundred years. In 1899 the castle was given to the German emperor Wilhelm II and rebuilt as it was before. When the French seized the castle after the 1st world war, it was considered fashionable to smirk at the castle because of its links to the German emperor.
Major attractions:
- Visit the pretty villages and ancient castles
- Don’t miss the famous vineyards
- Domaine Albert Seltz
- Eglise Saint-Georges
7. Château de Chillon, Switzerland
Situated, between the shores of Lake Geneva and the Alps, Château de Chillon is Switzerland’s most visited historic spot. It’s located really in a beautiful setting. It consists of 100 individual buildings that were gradually connected and forming a single shape.
The castle was home to the Counts of Savoy from the mid 12th century and greatly expanded in the 13th century. Luckily the castle was never under attack. Chillon castle is amongst the most visited castles in Switzerland and Europe.
Major attractions:
- Freddie Mercury Memorial
- Rochers-de-Naye
- Lakeside Promenade Fleuri
- Railway Museum Blonay-Chamby
6. Matsumoto Castle, Japan
Considering one of Japan’s most famous castle, Matsumoto is a splendid beauty you must visit while in your east Asian tours. It was built in the 16th century, known as a flatland castle because it is on a plain land, not built on a hilltop or amid rivers. The castle’s complete defenses included an extensive system of inter-connecting walls, moats, and gatehouses.
The castle was ruled by the 23 lords of Matsumoto representing 6 different daimyo families during the Edo period. It is also known as Crow Castle because its black walls and roofs looked like spreading wings.
Major attractions:
- Matsumoto City Museum of Art
- Agata no Mori Park and the Old High School Memorial Museum
- Utsukushigahara & Asama Hot Springs
5. Burg Eltz, Germany
Surrounded on three sides by the Elzbach River, Burg Eltz is a medieval castle nestled in the hills above the Moselle River between Koblenz and Trier, Germany. Surprisingly it is still owned by a branch of the Eltz family that has been living there since in the 12th century, 33 generations ago. The castle was also used as a set in a movie.
Major attractions:
- The Inner Courtyard
- The Armoury and Treasury
- Explore The Knights Hall
- The Rodendorf Kitchen
04. Warwick Castle, England
Built by William the Conqueror in 1068, Warwick Castle is a fascinating medieval castle. It is situated in the town of Warwick, on a sandstone bluff at a bend of the River Avon. Since its construction in the 11th century, the castle had undergone different structural changes.
Originally it had a wooden structure, then it was rebuilt in stone in the 12th century. In 2001, It was referred one of Britain’s “Top 10 historic houses and monuments” by the British Tourist Authority.
Major attractions:
- Visit the nearby old town
- Collegiate Church of St Mary
- Warwickshire Museum & St. John’s House
- Explore The Mill Garden
3. Krak des Chevaliers, Syria
Krak des Chevaliers is regarded as one of the most important preserved medieval castles in the world. It is a Crusader castle in Syria. The word Krak means fortress. This isolated site is located splendidly atop a 650 meter (2130 ft) high hill and indeed superbly well-preserved.
The original fortress at the location had been built in 1031 for the emir of Aleppo and captured during the First Crusade. The castle was expanded between 1150 and 1250 and eventually housed a garrison of 2,000. It is one of the premier tourist attractions in Syria.
2. Alcázar of Segovia
The Alcázar is one of Spain’s most famous castles rising out on a rocky crag above the convergence of the rivers Eresma and Clamores in Segovia. Alcázar derives from an Arabic word. It means fort. The Alcázar was originally built as an Arab fort but has served as a royal palace, a Royal Artillery College, a state prison and a military academy. During the Middle Ages, it was one of the favorite residences of the monarchs of the Kingdom of Castile and a key fortress in the defense of the kingdom.
Major attractions:
- Ancient Roman Aqueduct
- Palacio Real la Granja
- Beautiful medieval Catedral, de Segovia
1. Neuschwanstein, Germany
Served as a film set and an inspiration for Disneyland’s sleeping beauty castle, Neuschwanstein truly restored its name as fairytale castle, it is situated on a rugged hill near Füssen in southwest Bavaria. The palace was constructed as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886. Since then over 50 million people have visited Neuschwanstein. Undoubtedly it is the most photographed building in Germany and is one of the country’s major tourist site.
Major attractions:
- Queen Mary’s Bridge
- FLY ROYAL Paragliding
- Visit the Museum of the Bavarian Kings