This is because it embodies the ideal medieval castle. Perhaps you’re familiar with the popular board game named after the Cite de Carcassonne, but even if you’re not, odds are the Cite de Carcassonne, a massive walled citadel in the south of France, is a familiar sight. Alcazar of Segovia in Segovia, Spain Cite de Carcassonne, France Even if you have no interest in the museum, you should make time to visit on a Spain vacation. Since the Middle Ages, it’s been used as a state prison and the home to the Royal Artillery School, and today houses an armoury museum. It wasn’t until the 12th century that the wooden fort was replaced with the stone building as it exists today. The Romans were the first to build a fort here, and then the Moors set up their own when they took Spain, and then the Christians took over the site when they drove the Moors out. This Spanish castle dates back to at least 1120 AD according to historical texts, but the actual site has been home to a fortification for at least a millennium before that. It’s easily visited from Madrid, as it’s around an hour and a half northwest of the city. It has tall spires and rises atop the green forest to make a striking image against the blue sky. Like most castles, Alcazar of Segovia is located on a hilltop, affording it a strategic advantage against any possible invaders (remember that at their heart, castles are military structures meant to withstand attack). Without further ado, here are six of the world’s greatest castles, presented in alphabetical order: Alcazar of Segovia, Spain The following is our excuse to rave about some of the coolest buildings you can see on trips across Europe and, in one case, Japan. Krak des Chevaliers is unquestionably one of the most significant castles in the world, but it’s also located in Syria, which is a country no one should visit for the foreseeable future. As well, we’ve left off any castles in dangerous parts of the world. It’s a beautiful building and embodies the platonic ideal of a castle, but it’s so obvious, we formulated the guidelines so we could leave it off the list and focus on some other deserving landmarks. Apologies to fairy tale fans, but you won’t find Neuschwanstein Castle listed here, as it was constructed in the late 19th century and was always meant more as a palace than a fortification. ![]() That means no revivalist castles or palaces or anything that pre or post-dates the Middle Ages. For the sake of managing the length of this list, we’ve limited ourselves to medieval castles and we’ve tried not to choose only the most popular buildings. You’ll find them in parts of the Middle East and Japan, but they’re mostly a European construction, so it’s wise to stick to European borders if you want to see them.īecause we find castles endlessly interesting, we’ve put together a list of six of the world’s greatest castles. ![]() Whatever it is, castles remain some of the coolest buildings you can see when travelling. ![]() Or maybe it’s as simple as us all watching too much Game of Thrones. Perhaps it’s that there’s a romantic allure to the fortresses that were home to knights and kings throughout the centuries. Maybe it’s that there’s a child living in all of us that is perpetually enamoured of massive stone and wood buildings made to withstand armies in ages past. No matter your age, castles never lose their appeal.
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