VirtualGlobetrotting: Buildings - Castles

VirtualGlobetrotting Live View

Enya's Manderley Castle
tallturtle82 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: tallturtle82.
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The Irish musician bought the castle in 1997 for €3.8 million. The castle dates back to 1840 when Judge Robert Warren built the structure to commemorate Queen Victoria's ascension to the throne.

Hogwarts
tallturtle82 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: tallturtle82.
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Hogwarts as seen at Universal's Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Disneyland Paris - Main Street
deananders (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: deananders.
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Marie-Antoinette's Bedchamber, Versailles
Xeba73 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Xeba73.
Queen of France from 1774 to 1792 as wife of Louis XVI. Executed by guillotine in 1793 during the French Revolution.

Jeremy Irons' Kilcoe Castle
hhgygy (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: hhgygy.

Saint-Elme Citadel
adrbr (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: adrbr.

Balmoral Castle
tallturtle82 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: tallturtle82.
Balmoral Castle is a large Royal Family estate in the Aberdeenshire area. The estate is best known for its association with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who purchased the estate in 1848 and made drastic changes. The structure you see today was completed in 1857 by William Smith. After the death of Prince Albert, Victoria stayed in the castle for much longer periods of time. During this time the Queen began a strong friendship with her ghillie servent, John Brown until his death in 1883.

Captain Haddock's home, Marlinspike Hall
Dania (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Dania.
Château de Cheverny in France is used as model for Captain Haddock of the Tintin stories as home.
Tintin's creator, Hergé, simply removed some parts of the origin castle and created Haddock's manor.

Castelvecchio
kkeps (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kkeps.

Castle Otttis
kuressaare (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kuressaare.
The project began May 1,1984 and was completed in 1991. It is over 50 feet in height and is estimated to weigh more than 7 million pounds. It was created as an expression of art. There is an altar, a pulpit, a Bishop's chair, a choir loft, benches or pews: and incorporates spiritual and historic related symbolism throughout. There is no glass in any of the window openings. The castle is located on the s ame latitude as the Great Pyramids in Eqypt. The Castle hosts an interdenominational Christian worship service each Sunday from 11:00a.m. - 12:00 noon (weather permitting). Sorry, no children under age 9 due to insurance regulations. Appointments
for private tours may be arranged by calling the phone listed below.
For further information:
P.O.Box 1754
St. Augustine, Florida 32085
Visit the official Castle Otttis webpage: Castle Ottis
http://www.castleotttis.com/

Conwy Castle
kuressaare (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kuressaare.
As part of a ring of new castles, King Edward I commissioned the Conwy Castle in order to control the Welsh population under English rule. Construction continued between 1283 and 1289.
Most of the castle is available to explore, but caution should be taken at all times since the stairs are narrow and railings are short. And since everything is made of stone, extra caution needs to be taken on rainy days (such as the one we encountered on our visit) because everything becomes extra slippery.
Conwy Castle is open daily between April and October from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Between November and March, the castle is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11:00 to 4:00 on Sunday (closed December 24 -26).
Entrance fee is £4.70 for adults with discounts available for children and seniors.
http://www.conwy.com/

Château de Chantilly
kuressaare (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kuressaare.
http://www.chateaudechantilly.com/en/
The Château de Chantilly is a historic château located in the town of Chantilly, France. It comprises two attached buildings; the Grand Château, destroyed during the French Revolution and rebuilt in the 1870s, and the Petit Château which was built around 1560 for Anne de Montmorency. Owned by the Institut de France, the château houses the Musée Condé, which is one of the finest art galleries in France and is open to the public.

Château de Villandry
Its famous Renaissance gardens include a water garden, ornamental flower gardens, and vegetable gardens. The gardens are laid out in formal patterns created with low box hedges. In 1934, Château de Villandry was designated a Monument historique. Like all the other castles of the Loire Valley, it is a World Heritage Site.
Acquired in the early 1500’s by Jean Le Breton, France’s Controller-General for War under King Francois I, a new château was constructed around the original 14th-century keep where King Philip II of France once met Richard I of England (“the Lionhearted”) to discuss peace.
The castle remained in the Le Breton family for more than two centuries until it was acquired by the Marquis de Castellane. During the French Revolution the property was confiscated and in the early 1800’s Emperor Napoleon acquired it for his brother Joseph Bonaparte.
In 1906, Dr. Joachim Carvallo purchased the property and poured an enormous amount of time, money and devotion into repairing the castle and creating what many consider to be the most beautiful gardens anywhere.
Still owned by the Carvallo family, the Château de Villandry is open to the public and is one of the most visited castles in France.
If you have Windows Media Player and high speed internet you can watch my movie of Villandry ( http://www.overthebrink.com/aquitaine/Villandry.wmv )
http://www.chateauvillandry.fr/en/

Ross Castle
Ross Castle (Irish: Caisleán an Rois) is the ancestral home of the O'Donoghue clan though it is better known for its association with the Brownes of Killarney who owned it until recently. It is located on the edge of Lough Leane, in Killarney National Park, County Kerry, Ireland.
Ross Castle was built in the late 1400s by local ruling clan the O'Donoghues Mor (Ross), though ownership changed hands during the Desmond Rebellion of the 1580's to the Mac Carty Mor. He then leased the castle and the lands to Sir Valentine Browne ancestor of the Earls of Kenmare. The castle was amongst the last to surrender to Oliver Cromwell's Roundheads during the Irish Confederate Wars, and was only taken when artillery was brought by boat via the River Laune.[1] Lord Muskerry (MacCarty) held the castle aginst General Ludlow who marched to Ross with 4000 foot soldiers and 200 horse, however, it was by water that he attacked the stronghold. The Irish had a prophesy that Ross could never be taken until a warship could swim on the lake, an unbelievable prospect. The sight of the 'ships' unerved the onlookers and the castle soon submitted.
At the end of the wars, the Brownes were able to show that their heir was too young to have taken part in the rebellion and they retained the lands. By about 1688, they had erected a mansion house near the castle, but their adherence to James II of England caused them to be exiled. The castle became a military barracks, which remained so until early in the nineteenth century. The Brownes did not return to live at Ross but built Kenmare House near Killarney.
The castle is typical of strongholds of Irish chieftains built during the middle ages. The tower house had square bartizans on diagonally opposite corners and a thick end wall. The tower was originally surrounded by a square bawn defended by round corner towers on each end.[2]
There is a legend that O’Donoghue leaped or was sucked out of the window of the grand chamber at the top of the castle and disappeared into the waters of the lake along with his horse, his table and his library. It is said that O’Donoghue now lives in a great palace at the bottom of the lake where he keeps a close eye on everything that he sees.
It is possible to go on boat trips on the lake leaving from Ross Castle during the summer. Some of the smaller boats will allow you to visit Innisfallen Island on the lake during the summer. Ross Castle is located along the Ring of Kerry, a scenic driving route, and the Kerry Way, a similar hiking path.

Carcassonne
Carcassonne is the largest fortified city in Europe and one of the most well preserved. Even if carcassonne itself can be considered a Castle, Carcassonne´s Castle is inside the city walls and is called "Le Château Comtal"

Castello Tafuri
Effi (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Effi.

Castle
milwhcky (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: milwhcky.
At Coombs Village Center

Chinchón Castle
From 1460 the Catholic Kings granted an extensive dominion to Don Andrés de Cabrera in the south zone of the current province of Madrid, who fixed as head of jurisdiction to Chinchón's Villa. It is very probable that the new gentlemen were constructed a castle, as residence and ostentation of his power. The conflict that freed itself with the commoners affected Chinchón, since not about a lot of time that had separated of the province of Segovia, it was supporting still good relations. On January 21, 1521 after length besiege the castle it falls down in hands commoners. The siege and later plunder stayed to the castle in lamentable conditions. Once recovered the castle and suffocated the movement commoner is repaired though two later generations were raising a new building on the remains of the previous one.
At the beginning of the century XVIII he had to be left, maybe coinciding with the destructions done by the Marquess of the Mine during the War of Succession (1706). One century later (XIX) one new military occupation the Polish Brigade of the marshall Víctor I transport new damages. According to documents, the Counts of Chinchón stopped living the castle from the century XVIII. It seems to be that the current castle is the second building that occupies this emplacement, since the primitive one was destroyed for with posteriority to be reconstructed by the same owners more as a palace, that as a fortification.

Caldwall Castle
adrbr (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: adrbr.

Imperial Bedroom, Schönbrunn Palace
Xeba73 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Xeba73.
Marital bedroom of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary from 1848 until his death in 1916, and his wife Empress Elisabeth of Austria, the famous "Sisi".

Rocca di Dozza
Effi (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Effi.
The fortress was built in 1250 by the City of Bologna and enlarged in 1310 by Romeo Pepoli.
The current appearance is due to the architect Giorgio Marchesi who worked at the end of '400, rebuilding part of the curtains and fortifying with larger tower, the Torresino, a splendid example of military architecture in the late fifteenth century.

Melancholia shooting location
hhgygy (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: hhgygy.
Just Melancholia (i.e. the planet) is missing from the horizon...

Dover Castle
daggerwell (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: daggerwell.

View of the Alcazaba of Almería
daggerwell (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: daggerwell.
The Alcazaba of Almería is a fortified complex in Almería, southern Spain.
http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/la-alcazaba/

Castello di Castelnuovo Magra
adrbr (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: adrbr.

Skate Castle Roller Rink
Parabellum (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Parabellum.

Cabra Castle
Mike1989 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Mike1989.
Cabra Castle is the name given to two castles, one now ruined, the other now used as an impressive luxury hotel. They are near the hamlet of Cabra, which is very near Kingscourt (Irish: Dún a' Rí) in south-east County Cavan, Ireland.

Castello di Trezzo sull'Adda

Flint Castle
Building work began in 1277 under Richard L'Engenour, who would later became Mayor of Chester in 1304. The castle and its earthworks were built by 1,800 laborers and masons using local Millstone Grit ashlar and sandstone. In November 1280, the Savoyard master mason James of Saint George began overseeing construction at Flint for Edward I. He remained at the castle for 17 months. James of Saint George then moved onto Rhuddlan to oversee its completion.

Disney World's Cinderella Castle at night
kjfitz (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kjfitz.
Cinderella Castle is the fairy tale castle at the center of two Disney theme parks: the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort, and Tokyo Disneyland at the Tokyo Disney Resort. Both serve as worldwide recognized icons and the flagship attraction for their respective theme parks.

Castel Toblino

Corvin Castle
LancelotLink (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: LancelotLink.

Kilkenny Castle
daggerwell (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: daggerwell.

The impaled
The dummies are found on the grounds of the Poenari Castle. Vlad the III used the castle as a stronghold during his brief rule. He also impaled his enemies giving him the nickname "Vlad the Impaler".
Direct link below.

Himeji Castle
kkeps (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kkeps.

Neuschwanstein Castle
mlc1us (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: mlc1us.
Neuschwanstein is a Romanesque Revival palace built by architect Eduard Riedel as a retreat for Ludwig II. Ludwig II was King of Bavaria from 1864 until his death in 1886. Today, it is a major tourist attraction with more than 1.3 million visitors each year.

Pembroke Castle
http://www.pembroke-castle.co.uk/
Quick Description: Pembroke Castle, birth place of Henry Tudor

Piggott's Castle
jbottero (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: jbottero.
Piggott’s Castle was built in 1892 by Charles Henry Piggott, who came to Portland, Oregon about 1877 from San Francisco. Piggott lived there about a year but was forced to sell it during the financial panic of 1893. The castle was condemned by the city until a couple purchased it in the early 1980's and restored it to its original condition. The castle is listed on National Register of Historic Places.

The Devil of Houska Castle
Dania (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Dania.

Malbork Castle
Fab (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Fab.

Olsene Castle
LancelotLink (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: LancelotLink.

Bran Castle secret passage
The secret passage connects the first and third floors.
This castle has long been associated with Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia aka Vlad the Impaler.

Frederiksborg Castle
Frederiksborg Castle is situated in the centre of Hillerød on three islets in the Castle Lake surrounded by Frederiksborg Castle Gardens. The castle was built in the Dutch Renaissance style at the beginning of the 17th century by Christian IV, then rebuilt about 250 years later by another great Dane, the brewer J.C. Jacobsen, following its destruction by fire.
The National History Museum at Frederiksborg Castle presents the history of Denmark and its important figures in a significant collection of portraits, historical paintings and modern art. The Castle Chapel survived when the rest of the castle burnt down in 1859 and today it stands as in Christian IV's time.
Frederiksborg Castle Gardens consist of a romantic landscaped garden where one can enjoy the view of Frederik II's small Bath House (Badstueslottet), which is occasionally used by the Royal Family for hunt lunches, and a baroque garden, recreated in 1996 according to studies of J.C. Krieger's gardens from 1725. The garden is especially noteworthy for its four royal monograms executed in boxwood, the historical flowers and the festive cascades.

Piazza San Marco & Palazzo Ducale
Xeba73 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Xeba73.
Boat ride on the Venetian Canals. Pretty great SV feature.

Blois
The first castle in Blois was built in the 10th century, but the oldest remains date back to the 13th century. The Salle des Etats was constructed by the Chatillon family. Most of what you see now is from the 16th century, when Louis XII and Francois I built the north-east and north-west wings. The south-west wing was built in 1635.
In 1498, Louis XII, who was born in Blois, became king of France. He immediately started working this castle which he called home, with the help of the architect Colin Biart. The east wing he built shows influences from both late gothic and early renaissance.
When Francois I became king, he hired Dominique de Cortone to enlarge the castle further and during his life, two new wings were constructed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_I_of_France

Čachtice Castle
LancelotLink (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: LancelotLink.
The castle was the residence and later prison of the Countess Elizabeth Báthory, who is alleged to have been the world's most prolific female serial killer.

Castle Castelmore, birthplace of d'Artagnan
Dania (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Dania.
d'Artagnan, the famous figure in Alexandre Dumas' "The Three Musqueteers". The novel is based on his real life.

Rockfleet Castle
This is an interesting example of square defensive tower castle from the medieval/renaissance era . It is one of five along the shores of Clew Bay that are associated with Grace O'Malley, known as Ireland's Pirate Queen. Grace inherited a fleet of boats from her father, Irish sea-faring merchant Dubdara O'Malley. In the late 1500's, when the English began attacks against the Irish and attempted a takeover of Connemara and Clew Bay, Grace expanded her clan's efforts from trade to piracy . Grace would spend summers at the family castle on Clare Island, but in her later years spent her winters at Rockfleet Castle. Located on a narrow but fairly deep inlet of Clew Bay, just north of Newport and Westport, Grace was able to keep an eye on her favorite ship by mooring it just outside the castle and lashing its main rope through her castle bedroom window and onto her bedpost.

Château des Milandes
Hinkkanen (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Hinkkanen.
The Château des Milandes was built in the 15th century. In 1940, the entertainer Josephine Baker rented the château and then bought it in 1947 and lived there until her death in 1975. It is open to the public and displays her stage outfits including her banana skirt (of which there are apparently several). It also displays many family photographs and documents as well as her Legion of Honour medal. Most rooms are open for the public to walk through including bedrooms with little cots in where her children slept, a huge kitchen and a dining room where she often entertained large groups. The bathrooms are made in art deco style but most rooms retained the French chateau style.

Stirling Castle

Belogradchik Fortress
mlc1us (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: mlc1us.
The Belogradchik Fortress, also known as Kaleto (Калето, "the fortress" from Turkish kale), is an ancient fortress close to the northwestern Bulgarian town of Belogradchik and the town's primary cultural and historical tourist attraction, drawing, together with the Belogradchik Rocks, the main flow of tourists into the region. It is one of the best-preserved strongholds in Bulgaria and a cultural monument of national importance.

Craigdarroch Castle
Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, British Columbia, is a historic, Victorian-era mansion with 39 rooms and over 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2). It was constructed in the 1890s as a family residence for the wealthy coal baron Robert Dunsmuir and his wife Joan.

Amboise Castle
kkeps (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kkeps.

Château de Montfort

Castello di Lerici
Effi (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Effi.

Rocca Possente
The Rocca Possente was built around the year 1000 and was extended and reinforced by the Este family in 1362. Its important position on the River Po with that of the Rocca di Ficarolo on the opposite bank to which it was connected by a chain, meant control over navigation. It was almost completely destroyed in 1521 but was quickly rebuilt. The walls have a peculiar slant to give them better protection from enemy artillery. Dating from the 16th Century, it has a star shaped layout and it is this characteristic that gave the name to the village of Stellata.

Dundurn Castle
Dundurn Castle is a historic neoclassical mansion on York Boulevard in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The 18,000-square-foot (1,700 m2) house took three years and $175,000.00 to build, and was completed in 1835. The seventy-two room castle featured the latest conveniences of gas lighting and running water. It is currently owned by the City of Hamilton, which purchased it in 1900 for $50,000.[1] The City has spent nearly $3 million renovating the site to make 42 of the original 72 rooms open to the public. The rooms have been restored to the year 1855 when its owner Sir Allan Napier MacNab, 1st Baronet, was at the height of his career. Costumed interpreters guide visitors through the home, illustrating daily life from the 1850s. The Duchess of Cornwall, a descendant of Sir Allan MacNab, is the Royal Patron of Dundurn Castle.

Château de Beynac
The elderly owner (who still lives in apartments there) has expressed a clear wish that it should not be turned into a tourist attraction and yet must be available for the nation to enjoy.
Visit of the interior of the castle is by guided tour only (in French).
This eagle's nest might seem rather austere if it were not for the sun lighting up its golden walls, mirrored by the Dordogne. With its changing colors and the luminosity of the stone, the sky and the water, Beynac is a paradise for painters and photographers in all seasons.
Following the Organization of the county of Périgord. it became the seat of one of the four baronies along with Biron. Bourdeilles and Mareuil. The first unquestionable trace of a seigneur of Beynac dates back to 1115. The castle was so powerful and its barons so cruel that local vassals and peasants named it "Satan's ark".
In 1214, on return from a crusade against the Albigensians. Simon de Montfort took possession of Beynac. whose seigneur was a friend of Raymond de Toulouse, and razed its defenses. The Hundred Years War found Beynac in the French camp. In 1360, the Bretigny treaty transferred it by right to English rule but eight years later it returned to the fore of the fighting on the side of Charles V. The English were never able to capture the citadel. In 1370, the sole heiress of the fief, a three year old girl is promised in marriage to her uncle, Pons de Commarque who drove the English out of the Sarlat region and became the most powerful seigneur in Périgord.
The castle was totally protected by the sheer drop on the side facing the river and its northern defenses were reinforced around 1598. A double surrounding wall, two rows of moats and two barbicans were built. From the top of the tower there is a breathtaking view over the whole of the valley and the surrounding Châteaux of Castelnaud, Fayrac, and Marqueyssac. On the edge of the cliff is the stone-roofed Romanesque castle chapel, the location of the famous scene from the 1978 version of "Les Miserable".
http://www.francedirect.net/beynac.php

Quinta da Regaleira
Fab (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Fab.

Château de Caen
WacoKidd110 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: WacoKidd110.
The castle was built circa 1060 by William the Conqueror, who successfully conquered England in 1066. His son Henry I then built the Saint Georges church, a keep (1123) and a large hall for the Duke Court
At Christmas 1182 a royal court celebration for Christmas in the aula of Caen Castle brought together Henry II and his sons, Richard the Lionheart and John Lackland, receiving more than a thousand knights.
Caen Castle, along with all of Normandy, was handed over to the French Crown in 1204. Philip II reinforced the fortifications.
The castle saw several engagements during the Hundred Years' War (1346, 1417, 1450). The keep was pulled down in 1793 during the French Revolution, by order of the National Convention.
The castle, which was used as a barracks during World War II, was bombed in 1944 and seriously damaged.
In 1946, Michel de Boüard, an archeologist from Caen decided to start excavations in the area of the castle to bring to the light medieval traces. The musée des Beaux-Arts, which was installed in 1967, opened in 1971.

Fort Concho
WacoKidd110 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: WacoKidd110.
Fort Concho is a National Historic Landmark owned and operated since 1935 by the city of San Angelo, the seat of Tom Green County in West Texas. Situated on the North Concho River, near its confluence with the South and Middle Concho rivers, the site selected for Fort Concho was strategic to the stabilization of the region, because of the location of no fewer than five major trails in the vicinity. Even though the fort was surrounded by miles of flat treeless prairie, it was considered to be “one of the most beautiful and best ordered posts in Texas.

Pena National Palace
Pena National Palace is a palace in the Sintra Mountains to the northwest of Lisbon. The palace's history dates back to the middle ages when a chapel was built. In the 16th century a monastery was built on the mountaintop. In the 18th century the monastery was damaged by lightning and in the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 the structure was reduced to ruins. The site remained in ruins until 1838 when then Prince Ferdinand (later Ferdinand II) acquired the site and commissioned German architect, Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege to build a castle.
The palace was classified a World Heritage Site in 1995 by UNESCO.

Aragonese Castle
The Castle, built in 1470, appears a bit squat, as it was typical in that era. It was erected by Bernardino de Bernardo, who founded the town. Bernardino, who was secretary of the Aragonese court, with the construction of the fortified Castle initiated the building of the town which bears his name. Some sources, however, claim that the Castle already existed during Norman times. The truncated cone base of one of the cylindrical towers leads us to believe that the construction was Angevin instead. In any case, there are many adaptations and stratifications in the castle architecture.

View of Lake Como from Castello di Vezio

Terrace of the Celestial Worlds and Reservoir
Fab (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Fab.

Cranston Street Armory

Macadamia Castle

Bečov nad Teplou Castle

Alnham Vicars Pele
Hinkkanen (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: Hinkkanen.
Peel towers (also spelt pele) are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, intended as watch towers where signal fires could be lit by the garrison to warn of approaching danger. By an Act of Parliament in 1455, each of these towers was required to have an iron basket on its summit and a smoke or fire signal, for day or night use, ready at hand.
This particular one was converted to private house sometime in the 19th century.

Wawel Castle

Dunnottar Castle
Dunnottar Castle is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-east coast of Scotland, about two miles (3 km) south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th–16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been an early fortress of the Dark Ages. Dunnottar played a strategic role in the history of Scotland from the Middle Ages through to the Enlightenment, because of the location: it overlooked the shipping lanes to northern Scotland; and is situated on a narrow coastal terrace that controlled land access to the coastal south via Portlethen Moss to Aberdeen during the medieval period. The site, owned by private interests is open to the public, visited annually by hundreds of thousands of tourists.
The ruins of the castle are spread over 3 acres (1.2 ha), surrounded with steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea 50 metres (160 ft) below. The L plan castle is accessed via a narrow strip of land, joining the mainland to a steep path leading up to the gatehouse. The cliff and headland formations, which extend to the north and south, is a notable bird sanctuary to pelagic birds.
Dunnottar has eleven buildings built between the 13th and 17th centuries. The dominant building, viewed from the land approach, is the 14th century keep or tower house, which shows damage from Cromwell's cannon bombardment. The other principal buildings are the 17th century chapel; a quadrangle structure on the east side; and the "Whigs Vault", shaped in a barrel vault design, and was the setting of an 18th century mass imprisonment.
There are two entrances for the castle. The first is through the well-defended main gate set in a cleft in the rock, where attackers would have been assaulted by defenders. The second access is through a rocky cove, the aperture to a marine cave on the north side of the Dunnottar cliffs. From here a steep path leads to the cliff top, which is the well fortified postern gate
http://www.dunnottarcastle.co.uk/

Le Manoir de Chauffault
Long Description:
Le manoir (ou château ou domaine ) de Chauffault ou Chauffaux ou Chauffot se compose d'un bâtiment principal, maison noble du XVIe siècle, et d'un pavillon d'entrée ouvert sur la route menant à Saint-Georges-de-Gréhaigne. Ce dernier se distingue par une tourelle d'angle, sommée d'un dôme en ardoise. Il est vraisemblablement construit dès le milieu du XVIIe siècle, lorsque la propriété appartient à la famille de La Noë, comme en témoigne l'écusson à ses armes, sculpté entre la porte cochère et la porte piétonne. Des bâtiments annexes entourent l'ensemble de la propriété. Au XIe siècle, le site aurait constitué un lieu de défense, encore en bois, à l'image d'une motte féodale face aux invasions des Normands établis dans la forêt de Trans. Selon la famille de Launay, qui possédait des droits sur cette terre, le lieu est alors défini comme ' La Maison du Chauffault '. Des représentants de nombreuses familles se sont succédé dans ce domaine : Guillaume Bouchard, Nicolas de La Noë, Jacques de La Forest et actuellement la famille du Breil de Pontbriand
Adresse actuelle : 10, Rue du Mont Saint Michel, PLEINE FOUGERESAccessibility:
No access- Private
Condition: Intact

Castello di Torrechiara
Partial translation of More Info text:
It is undoubtedly the most spectacular castle, more structured and more popular in the province of Parma and this has often been used as film sets for movies such as Ladyhawke by Richard Donner, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Matthew Broderick and Rutger Hauer and is home summer of shows including, of course, the Festival of Torrechiara Renata Tebaldi .
The manor is located at 278 m. above sea level on a platform placed at the top side of a hill terraced and cultivated to the left of the Parma River en route to Langport.
Reliable information of the existence of a fortified structure at Torrechiara you have only since 1259 when the mayor of Parma ordered its demolition, prohibiting two years after the reconstruction. The present castle was built in every way in 1448-60 by Pier Maria Rossi happy with a formula of fusion between defensive and residential structures that make it still one of the most enjoyable experiences of aesthetic territory.

Sterckshof Castle

Het Steen

Hertford Castle

Arnside Tower (ruin)
Probably oldest building in area. Next to muddy public path. Parking at N 54 11.347 W 02 49.819
A quote from Matthew Emmott
Arnside Tower stands tall and majestic on the hill side overlooking the farm below it. Again, it's a huge structure, originally a five or six storey tower dating from around the 15th century. Arnside tower is interesting in one exceptional way and that is that it forms part of a defensive ring around the Morecambe Bay area. The other towers are at Hazelslack, another 14th century pele tower, Wraysholme tower in Allithwaite near Grange, a 15th century pele tower, and Beetham. All these towers are in pretty good condition considering their ages, although Arnside tower appears to have suffered some storm damage in the 1800s.
Originally on The Westmorland Gazette

Highgarden ("Game of Thrones")
The Lannister army takes over the Tyrell seat of power and Jaime heads up to the tower in episode 7x03. In real life this is the Castillo de Almodóvar del Río.

Kassiopi Castle

Château de Montbrun
WacoKidd110 (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: WacoKidd110.
The Château de Montbrun is a castle in the commune of Dournazac in the Haute-Vienne département of France. The castle was built in the 12th and 15th centuries, and was restored in the late 19th.
Montbrun is a fine example of a 15th century castle. In plan rectangular, it is flanked in the corners with round towers and protected by water. Its narrow romanesque keep, 40m (~130 ft) square, close up against one of the towers, gives it a strange appearance.

Castello di Milazzo
Like all of Sicily, coastal town Milazzo has thousands of years of history. Settled since the Neolithic Age, Milazzo has always had a strategic location along the Tyrrhenian Sea, used by the Romans and then the Arabs. The current Milazzo Castle was originally constructed under Norman rule in 13th century and later reinforced in the 15th century by Charles of Aragon. During the 18th century and the subsequent Bourbon period it suffered great damage and later became a prison, which it remained until 1960.
The castle structure was extensively renovated in the 1980s and 1990s. The Milazzo Castle is located on a rocky promontory with a view towards all directions and features imposing stone walls aimed at deterring any possible invaders. The main area of the castle is closed to the public at siesta time of day (12:00-15:00), but you can walk through some of the impressive stone gates and covered walkways that take you to the inner courtyards of the castle. The view from the castle’s south side towards the Nebrodi Mountains and Mount Etna is stunning. If the weather is good and sky clear, the snowfields at the top of Mount Etna are clearly visible...

Bran Castle Courtyard
Dracula's Castle interior is now navigable.

Acrocorinth

Carew Castle
Long Description:
A partially ruined castle in Carew, the structure looks solid but the roof is long gone.
The present castle, which replaced an earlier stone keep, is constructed almost entirely from the local Carboniferous limestone, except for some of the Tudor architectural features such as window frames, which are made from imported Cotswold stone. Although originally a Norman stronghold the castle maintains a mixture of architectural styles as modifications were made to the structure over successive centuries.
Entry to the inner ward is across a dry moat that had a barbican and gatehouse. The front of the castle had three D-shaped towers and crenelated walls. The rear of the castle has two large round towers. In the 16th century the northern defensive wall was converted into a Tudor range with ornate windows and long room.
The outer ward has earthworks that were built by Royalist defenders during the English Civil War in the 1640s.
The castle type is a Norman Rectangular castle with Elizabethan Ranges. It was built in 1270 by Nicholas de Carew and is made of Limestone. It currently stands at a height of up to 15 metres ans is partially restored. It is also open to the public and is controlled by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, although still owned by the Carew family.
With thanks to Wikipedia and Pembroke Council for the information.

Château de Castelnaud
The most visited castle of southern France.

Llandovery Castle
Construction of the Llandovery Castle began in 1116 by the Normans and ceased shortly thereafter. The castle was attacked and partially destroyed by Welsh forces under Gruffydd ap Rhys however the castle remained in Norman hands. In 1158 the castle was seized by Welsh forces under Rhys ap Gruffydd, youngest son of Gruffydd ap Rhys. The castle changed hands over the next several years falling to the English under Edward I in 1277. It was again taken by the Welsh briefly in 1282 by forces under Llywelyn the Last. It was again attacked by Welsh forces during the Owain Glyndwr rebellion in 1403 and left in partial rune. The castle continued its decline from that point forward and not repaired.
It is easily accessible with a car park located below it and is a short distance from Llandovery town center, and the site of the statue of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan placed in 2001
Accessibility: Full access
Condition: Completely ruined

Château de Montrottier
The medieval castle of Montrottier and its remarkable collections are located in the Savoy foreland, between the Rhone River and the limestone foothills of the Alps.
http://www.chateaudemontrottier.com/index-gb.html

Castello Scaligero
http://www.comune.villafranca.vr.it/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1180

Wissekerke Castle

Saint Michael's Castle
St. Michael's Castle (Russian: Миха́йловский за́мок, Mikhailovsky zamok), also called the Mikhailovsky Castle or the Engineers' Castle (Russian: Инженерный замок, Inzhenerny zamok), is a former royal residence in the historic centre of Saint Petersburg, Russia. St. Michael's Castle was built as a residence for Emperor Paul I by architects Vincenzo Brenna and Vasili Bazhenov in 1797-1801. The castle looks different from each side, as the architects used motifs of various architectural styles such as French Classicism, Italian Renaissance and Gothic.

Castel Tirolo

Saint Hilarion Castle

Dryslwyn Castle
Built probably in the 1220s by the princes of Deheubarth, Dryslwyn was, with its near neighbour at Dinefwr, for a long time central to the security of the kingdom. It was apparently assaulted in 1246, and underwent a lengthy period of expansion in the late thirteenth century. After the death of the last native prince of Wales, Dafydd ap Gruffudd, in 1283, the castle was one of the few remaining substantial stone castles in Wales to be held by a Welshman; the most prominent surviving Welsh lord, Rhys ap Maredudd, continued to augment the castle's defences. In 1287, however, he revolted against English rule, and the castle was besieged and captured by the forces of King Edward I later that year. Rhys's revolt petered out the following year, and Rhys himself was captured and executed in 1292.

Castello di Sarzanello

Isola di Loreto

Castillo de la Duquesa

Kerak Castle

Turku Castle
Turku Castle was founded on an island on the estuary of Aurajoki River in the 1280s as the administrative castle of the Swedish Crown. The castle was originally built in the form of a rectangular fortified camp. The fortified camp became a closed castle in the early 14th century, and the castle was divided into a main castle and bailey. Under the Swedish Duke Johan between 1556 and 1563, Turku Castle was renovated into a handsome renaissance castle; this is when its main features became the size they are today.
Turku Castle is a significant landmark at the mouth of Aurajoki River, and it is surrounded by the harbour and the small-scale industry and strorage areas that go with it. The Castle is part of the Finnish cultural and architectural heritage as an architectural monument, a museum and as premises for distinguished celebrations.
There is nice cafe in the Castle, and the Castle Museum can be visited every day except on Mondays. In addition to normal exhibition, there are varying exhibitions.
http://www.turunlinna.fi/en/index.html

Castello di Fénis
kaiken (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: kaiken.

St. Michael's fortress
hhgygy (VirtualGlobetrotting)
By: hhgygy.