Seven Of The Most Beautiful Castles In The World

Originating in the 9th and 10th centuries, castles are a European innovation built for nobles to control the areas immediately surrounding them. Castles serve as symbols of power and as centers of administration with structures built for both offensive and defensive. Even after so many years, you’ll still see a lot of these castles all over the world originating from centuries ago. However, there are also castles that were recently built for TV and media purposes which are nonetheless stunning. All these castles share a few things in common: they are marvels of engineering, design, and culture. Here are seven of the most beautiful castles in the world.

  1. Mont Saint Michel—France

In a rocky tidal island, 92 meters (301 feet) above sea level at its highest, lies the beautiful castle Mont Saint Michel of Normandy. The island is approximately 1 km off the coast with strong, quickly changing tides regularly connecting and disconnecting it from the mainland. The castle is considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and although the area only has a population of a few dozens, more than 3 million people visit it each year.

  1. Castle Howard—Britain

One of the most stunning and largest private residences in Britain is the Castle Howard in Yorkshire. It is one of the oldest as well, considering that it has been the home of the Howard family for more than 300 years. The castle was built in the late 17th century but was only opened to the public in 1951.

  1. Matsumoto Castle—Japan

Matsumoto Castle of Japan looks like any other typical Japanese castle. However, what makes this castle stand out from the rest is the fact that it has been built on flat land, as opposed to the usual mountain-top Japanese castles. The castles were built on mountains since the location serves as a natural protection. But for the Matsumoto Castle, walls and moats around it were built instead for defense.

  1. Krak des Chevaliers—Syria

The Krak des Chevaliers is not your typical castle. It is a Crusader fortress and is among the most significant military castles in the world. The castle is administratively part of Homs Governorate and is located about 40 km west of Homs, a city that is close to the border of Lebanon.

  1. Alcazar of Segovia—Spain

Found in the old city of Segovia, the Alcazar of Segovia, Spanish for “Segovia Castle,” is one of the inspirations for the castle in Walt Disney’s famous folk tale, Cinderella. The characteristic shape of the castle takes a form similar to the bow of a ship, making it one of the most distinctive castle-palaces in Spain. The Alcazar was originally built on a rocky hill in the 12th century as a fortress but since then it has served as a royal palace, a state prison, and a military academy.

  1. Schloss Hohenschwangau—Germany

The Castle Hohenschwangau in Germany dates back to the 19th century and was the beautiful summer home of Maximilian, King of Prussia. It sits atop a mountain on a remote location and because of that, the castle suffered no damage during both world wars. Currently, the castle is maintained by Franz, the Duke of Bavaria, grandson of Maximilian, and receives more than 300,000 visitors per year.

  1. Hatley Castle—Canada

You might recognize the Hatley Castle from the famous movie series X-men which serves as the location for Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. It also served as the mansion for the TV movie Generation X and it appeared in the TV series Smallville. The castle is located in the Hatley Park National Historic Site in Colwood, British Columbia in Greater Victoria.

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