The most beautiful and interesting castles in the world (22 photos)

Why are ancient castles so fascinating? It's also about the amazing architecture, and that their very walls breathe history and awaken our imagination - you just see some important knights in shining armor and powerful warrior queens. The castle as an architectural the form is found not only in Europe, and now we will see this.





Castles are places where conspiracies were woven, marriages were made, murders were committed, royal children were born, and so on. with locks there is always something to talk about.

1. Himeji Castle, Japan



The castle is about 30 minutes away by express train. train west of Osaka and Kobe. This is the embodiment of Japanese feudal castle. It is called the Castle of the White Heron because of its resemblance to a huge flying bird. Himeji was built in the early 17th century. It's national heritage of Japan and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2. Rhodes fortress, Greece





This classic medieval castle towers over the island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea. Originally built as Byzantine citadel, it was transformed into its current Gothic uniform by the Crusader Knights of St. John when Rhodes served the residence of their Grand Master. It is currently a monument. UNESCO World Heritage Site and major tourist attraction islands.

3. Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany



Despite what many consider this Bavarian masterpiece the epitome of a classic German castle, it is relatively new creation - the castle was built in the late 1800s by order of King Ludwig II. The monarch instructed his architects to design something that reflects both the operas of Richard Wagner and romantic ideals of the Middle Ages - the same fantasy as the Sleeper's castle beauties in Disneyland, but against the backdrop of the snow-capped Alps and the Bavarian plains below.

4. Alcazar in Segovia, Spain



The Alcazar is one of the most amazing castles in the whole Europe. It is located on a narrow rocky promontory overlooking plains of Old Castile in central Spain. Although it was originally Roman fort, the building has turned into a prototype for hundreds of years medieval castle with a deep moat, drawbridge, round watchtowers and a solid fortress, as well as richly decorated royal quarters. Segovia Castle is best known as a residence Queen Isabella and the mighty Philip II before the royal the court was moved to Madrid.

5. Pena Palace, Portugal



Another brainchild of the romantic movement that swept Europe in 19th century, Pena crowns a hilltop near Sintra, Portugal. Built by order of King Ferdinand II on the site of the destroyed monastery dedicated to the Virgin of Pena, the castle is a vibrant mixture various historical styles (Gothic, Renaissance, Moorish style). The bright red and yellow color of the castle and its bright clock tower give Pene a much more playful look than the gloomy castles that rise in other places in Europe.

6. Amber Fortress (Amber Fort), India



Erected in the early 17th century by the Mughal ruler Rajasthan, Amber Fort crowns a hilltop near Jaipur and its strong walls are reflected in the waters of Lake Maota. Palace complex inside the walls revolves around courtyards surrounded by exquisite examples Rajput architecture such as Maharaja's Apartments, Sukh Niwas (Pleasure Hall) and Diwan-i-Am (Royal Audience Hall). Although once it was fashionable for tourists to ride an elephant on a steep road to fortresses, visitors are now encouraged to walk or take Taxi.

7. Ksar (fortified city) Ait Ben Haddou, Morocco



This is a massive mud-brick building on the edge of the Sahara. filmed in more than a dozen films and series, including The Game Thrones", "Gladiator" and "The Man Who Wanted to Be King". The complex includes a fortified lower city along the river Asif Unila, where so farthere are people, and a partially destroyed citadel on the top of the hill. The Berber-style guest houses accommodate visitors to the ksar, built in the 17th century as an overnight stay for caravans traveling between Marrakesh and Sudan. Ait Ben Haddou - UNESCO World Heritage Site.

8. Kalmar Castle, Sweden



Kalmar Castle, founded in the last years of the Viking Age, began with a defensive tower of the XII century, towering over the Kalmar strait on the Baltic Sea. Four centuries later, King Gustav and his sons turned Kalmar into a magnificent royal residence, which (thanks to the reconstruction) today looks almost the same as in 1592.

9. Fort San Felipe del Morro, Puerto Rico



This 16th-century Spanish citadel guards the entrance to the bay San Juan is one of the most impressive structures in the Caribbean. Protected moat (with a drawbridge), stone battlements and steep sea cliffs, the castle repelled many attacks, including several attacks by French pirates and an attack by Sir Francis Drake in 1595. However, he surrendered to American forces after a fierce naval bombardment during the Spanish-American War.

Since 1962 El Morro and nearby Castillo San Cristobal (the largest fort built by the Spaniards in the Western Hemisphere) are part of the San Juan National Historic Site. grassy field fire" in front of the castle is now very popular for picnics and running kites.

10. Topkapi Palace, Türkiye



Officially it is called a palace, but at the same time a vast Topkapi complex in Istanbul has all the features of a classic castle: a place for defense, fortified walls and powerful gates. Here since the end of 15 century (time of construction) and until the 1850s was the residence of the Ottoman sultans. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I Topkapi has been turned into a museum. There is something to see here: magnificent gardens, walks along the walls overlooking the Bosphorus, Ottoman the imperial harem, where the concubines of the ruler lived, and the Imperial treasury with the famous golden dagger inlaid emeralds.

11. Edinburgh Castle, Scotland



Edinburgh Castle is considered the "most besieged place" in Britain: in its 1,100 years of existence, there have been at least 26 major attacks. Many famous Britons are associated with this ancient structure - from Mary, Queen of Scots to Oliver Cromwell and Sir Walter Raleigh. The Royal Jewels of Scotland (The Honors of Scotland) and The Royal Edinburgh Military Parade is held here every year. orchestras.

12. Vianden Castle, Luxembourg



Despite its diminutive size, the Grand Duchy Luxembourg is replete with castles (there are more than fifty of them). Vianden is the most impressive ones. It rises above the river Ur in the north of Luxembourg. The castle was built on the site of an ancient Roman fortress between the 11th and 14th centuries. It remained the property of the royal family until 1977, and then the Grand Duke bequeathed it to the state. The biggest annual holiday Viandena is an August medieval festival with duels of knights, troubadours, jugglers and artisans.

13. Chambord Castle, France



There is no better example of a transition from fortified castles middle ages to luxurious renaissance houses than this huge castle in the Loire Valley. Construction of a huge structure (440 rooms) was started by order of King Francis I at the beginning of the 16th century (he wanted imagine such a “hunting lodge”) and lasted 28 years. However, moat, corner the towers and the fortress are purely decorative.

14. Shuri Castle, Japan



One of the finest examples of Chinese castle architecture is Shuri, a hilltop fortress and palace complex on an island Okinawa in Japan. As a royal court independent kingdom of the Ryukyu for over 450 years - when the islands were under the strong influence of neighboring China - Shuri built a number of imperial living quarters, audience halls, religious shrines and extravagant throne room, reminiscent of the Forbidden City in Beijing.

15. Bodiam Castle, England


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There are much larger castles in England (Windsor) and others castles with a richer history (the Tower of London). But none of them boasts the textbook shape of Bodiam Castle, located in East Sussex. Bodiam, the bastion of a former royal knight, was built in 1385 and is the epitome of medieval castle - thick battlements supported by nine short towers located around a square central courtyard, to which leads a wooden passage (in the old days, a drawbridge) through a wide moat.

16. Chapultepec Palace, Mexico



The only royal castle in the western hemisphere is floating high above Mexico City. Built in the late 1700s as a summer home viceroy of New Spain, the castle has since played many roles - and as the residence of Emperor Maximilian, and as the site of the battle of 1847 between Mexican troops and the invading Americans. Today in The palace houses the National Museum of Mexican History.

17. Predjama Castle, Slovenia



What makes this Slovenian castle special is its amazing location - Predyama seems to be built into the mouth of the cave under a natural rock arch on the slope of a steep cliff. He was built in the 13th century and was considered almost impregnable, because located at high altitude. Many wanted to conquer the castle and besieged him, but a secret passage (which still exists today) allowed the defenders of the fortress come and go at will. Lock is located 62 kilometers from Ljubljana. Every year in July is held here Tournament of the knights of Erasmus, a medieval festival and competition of knights.

18. Aragonese Castle, Italy



This island bastion overlooking the Gulf of Naples is the oldest castle on our list. It dates back to the 5th century BC, when the Greeks colonized the region. Many armies, from the Roman legionnaires to the troops of Napoleon, occupied Aragon for many years. Currently, the castle belongs to the family of an Italian lawyer, who bought the island-fortress in 1912 and began its restoration battlements, churches, monasteries, crypts and gardens. In addition to views that stretch across the bay to Mount Vesuvius, in The Aragonese castle has open cafes, a bookstore, there are art exhibitions and open-air film screenings.

19. Prague Castle, Czech Republic



The imposing Prague citadel is one of the few castles in world that still boasts a real political authority, since it is the official residence of the President of the Czech Republic. On the territory of Prague Castle there are many attractions - St. Vitus Cathedral, Old Royal a palace, 10 gardens and a row of 16th-century cottages called Golden Lane, which once housed the guards of the castle.

20. Fortress of the Hospitallers Krak des Chevaliers, Syria



Krak des Chevaliers was and remains one of the greatest castles world — and the only one on our list who survived (and, fortunately, survived) war into the 21st century. Created in the 12th century by the Knights of Saint John, the famous Krak is considered the embodiment of the Crusader castle in the Middle East and one of the greatest examples of medieval military architecture. The structure consists of two mighty walls, separated by a moat on a steep hillside between Homs and the Mediterranean by sea.