One of the most sought after experiences for an American in Europe is to explore a castle. Whether it is ruins or a fully restored castle, we Americans don’t seem to have a preference, we are simply drawn to them and always request them on our “must do” list for our travels!
Here are the 3 top destinations to see castles in the world.
Wales
Did you know that Wales is known as the “land of castles”? With 427 castles, you could literally spend a YEAR exploring the beauty and history and still not fit them all in. With some serious deliberation and arguing, with myself, I narrowed it down to 3 of what I consider the BEST.
Caernarfon Castle
With it’s impressive King’s Gate, Caernarfon is a fortress made to withstand invasions. The castle is a medieval stronghold!
Located in Gwynedd in North Wales, this castle has withstood much in it’s 700+ years. Wars between princes, Norman conquest and William the Conquerer, Caernarfon is sure to delight and educate all who pass through it’s gates.
Tours are offered at this majestic site, year round.
Harlech Castle
Built by Edward I during his invasion of Wales, this castle located in North West Wales, is within driving distance to Caernarfon Castle. One of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, Harlech is a sprawling castle built in just 7 years. Harlech is also open year round for tours.
The castle has been preserved beautifully and guests are now able to walk across the foot bridge, as intended by the original architect, Master James of St George.
Caerphilly Castle
Located in South Wales, near Cardiff lies a beautiful medieval fortress, Caerphilly Castle. Built in the 13th century, this castle is surrounded by beautiful lakes and is the largest castle in Wales.
With such a vibrant history, this castle is a “must see” and will not disappoint! It is open year round, but is currently being “restored”.
Ireland
There are many (more than 30,000) castles to choose to visit in Ireland. Here are my favorites.
Ross Castle
Ross Castle is located in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. The views surrounding this castle are some of the most beautiful in all of Ireland.
A medieval castle, located in Killarney National Park, has been fully restored to its original glory.
Built in the late 15th century, it was the stronghold of an Irish Chieftain. The history of Ross Castle is RICH and the stories surrounding the history are intriguing.
There is parking available on the grounds, however, I recommend renting a bike from your B&B or from a cycle shop in Killarney town and riding out. Killarney National Park is breathtaking. You can also visit Muckross House and Muckross Abbey which are also located in the National park.
The castle is open for tours mid-March through end of October.
Rock of Cashel
One of the most recognizable castles and also considered one of the most “photographed” castles, in Ireland, is the Rock of Cashel.
Located in the county of Tipperary in the town of Cashel, this castle is also one of the oldest castles in Ireland.
There are many legends that surround this castle but one of my favorites is that the rock that the castle sits upon was the result of a battle between the devil and St Patrick.
Legend has it that the devil was hiding in a cave on Devil’s Bit Mountain and St Patrick decided to evict the devil from the cave. The eviction was so forceful that a piece of the mountain was propelled all the way to Cashel!
There are many buildings surrounding the castle including an abbey and a Gothic cathedral.
The castle is open for tours mid-March through mid-October.
Blarney Castle
Blarney Castle in County Cork is a large tourist draw. While we typically try to avoid “touristy” destinations when exploring other countries, the grounds surrounding Blarney Castle are the beautiful and definitely worth adding to your list. Although, to be honest, I DID love kissing the stone! I do believe I came away a bit more “gabby”, but who knows, you’d have to ask my husband.
The Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle is said to be the stone that Jacob laid his head, in the Holy Bible, and that anyone who kisses the stone will be gifted the gift of eloquence. The line can be long for the stone, but is definitely a one of a kind experience. By laying on your back, you hold on to two iron handles while a worker holds you by the waist as you kiss the stone from upside down. If you have a fear of heights, this may be a true test for you, however, my husband handled it just fine.
The beautiful grounds include gorgeous gardens, a witches kitchen and magical steps, just to name a few.
The lore behind the magical steps: you walk up them and then back down backwards while closing your eyes any wish you make will be granted within the year. Does it work? No clue. But I can honestly tell you that YEP, my wish came true. We had a baby within a year of me traversing those “magical” steps.
The castle is open year round, but closed Christmas day.
Germany
Germany has over 25,000 castles, estates and fortresses throughout the land which can make deciding which ones to visit a challenge. These three castles, or BURG’s in German are rich in history and display beautiful architecture and design and will satisfy your need to see a beautiful castle.
Castle Wernigerode
Located in the Harz mountains, above the town of Wernigerode, Germany is the beautiful romanesque inspired castle of Wernigerode.
A bit of WWII history includes the 1945 seizing of the castle by the Soviet military administration. A small fact: The Soviet Military Administration directly ruled the Soviet occupation zone of Germany from the German surrender in May 1945 until after the establishment of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in October 1949.
The castle is now open to the public from April through November.
Heidelberg Castle
Considered one of the most romantic ruins in Germany, Heidelberg Castle draws millions of visitors every year. Located north of the Alps, construction on Heidelberg began before 1214.
The first mention of the castle is when the counts Palatine of the Rhine established residence at the castle and it became one of the most decadent castles of the Renaissance.
The castle is open for guided tours only but is open all year round.
Neuschwanstein Castle
One of the most widely recognized castles in Germany is the Neuschwanstein Castle. On UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, Neuschwanstein is located in south Germany, close to Austria.
Many recognize this castle as the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle in Disneyland in Southern California.
In addition to a rich 19th century history, the castle also served as the depot for works of art the Nazi party stole from museums and other houses. At the end of World War II, the Nazi party considered blowing up the castle so the allied forces would not know what art they had plundered. In the end, thankfully, the castle and all art was surrendered without incident.
Neuschwanstein is a work of art and a wonderful display of romanticism in architecture.
It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realize the world to be. The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know of it, how many places I have still to go, how much more there is to learn.”
Anthony Bourdain
While there are a million castles to visit throughout the world, these are just a few of the ones that I feel display the local history of the destination the best. As well as allow us to experience a little fairy tale dream in the process.
Magical Memory Planners has agents who specialize in each destination we featured here. Feel free to reach out and start planning your castle tours today.
Want to learn more about Irish castles? Check out this video from Ireland’s tourism bureau.
