Perhaps the most fabulous castle in the world: getting to know Neuschwanstein. Drawing “Fairytale Palace” in the preparatory group: interpretation of the theme and features of the lesson Trakai Island Castle is the largest ancient castle preserved in Lithuania
History has left us architectural relics of incredible beauty that we can admire for a long time, because they contain so much. These castles are located in beautiful and unusual places, for example on the top of the mountains or on the water, which add even more charm to them. If castles could talk, they could tell us a lot, a lot...
Castle Howard, Yorkshire
One of the grandest mansions in Britain, this beautiful castle has been home to the Howard family for over 300 years.
Hohenschwangau Castle, Germany
It was built in the 19th century in Germany and is visited by more than 300,000 tourists a year.
Corfe Castle, Dorset
Corfe Castle is a fortress that was built in the 11th century by William the Conqueror.
Malbork Castle, Poland
Malbork is the largest castle in the world (by area) and it is also the largest brick house in Europe.
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
Ludwig II of Bavaria built this castle as a personal retreat. After he died in 1886, Neuschwanstein Castle became open to visitors because tourists could raise money for its upkeep. Since then, there have been more than 60 million visitors a year visiting this castle.
Chateau de Chambord, France
This palace was built as a hunting lodge for Francis I, and is very clear. French Renaissance architecture. It has been open to visitors since 2007 and attracts more than 700,000 visitors a year.
Castle in Osaka, Japan
One of the most famous castles in Japan, Osaka. It was built on top of a high hill in the 16th century to protect its inhabitants from enemies.
Hohenwerfen Castle, Austria
The castle was built in the 11th century and is located in the Berchtesgaden part of Bavaria and is built on the Tennengebirg mountain. The exterior of this castle was used as a French hotel in the film Honeymooners.
Kilkenny Castle, Ireland
Kilkenny was built in 1195 by William Marshal. Now serves as diplomatic negotiation conferences.
Peles Castle, Romania
This castle was built in the Neo-Renaissance architectural style. The castle is located in the Carpathians, built between 1873 and 1914.
Moritzburg Castle, Germany
Named after Duke Moritz of Saxony, this palace sits on artificial land and is surrounded by forests that were used for hunting.
Castillo de Coca, Spain
This castle was built on the site of ancient Cauca, the birthplace of the Roman Emperor Theodosius. The castle now serves as a training facility for foresters.
Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, California
Sleeping Beauty Castle was built based on the castle we wrote about above Neuschwanstein and acts as a landmark in Disneyland
Kronborg Castle, Denmark
Built in the 1420s, Kronborg is one of the most important fortifications in Northern Europe. It was immortalized as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Alnwick Castle, Northumberland (England)
The exterior of Alnwick Castle was used in the film Harry Potter and was the inspiration for Hogwarts Castle. It has approximately 800,000 visitors a year.
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
This 12th-century palace sits on volcanic rock and has become a recognizable symbol of Edinburgh.
Highclere Castle, UK
A 19th-century castle that serves as the main filming location for the hit series Downton Abbey.
Chateau de Versailles, France
This the Royal Castle in France has a whopping 2,300 rooms, 67 staircases, and 5,210 pieces of furniture.
Prague Castle, Czech Republic
Prague Castle was named the largest and oldest castle in the world by the Guinness Book of Records, covering 70,000 square meters.
Kylemore Abbey, Ireland
Kylemore was built as a private residence for wealthy London physician, Mitchell Henry. But he was forced to sell it in 1909 due to gambling debts.
Bodiam Castle, UK
The 14th-century moated castle was built by Sir Edward Dalingrigg to defend the area against French invasion during the Hundred Years' War.
Hochosterwitz Castle, Austria
One of Austria's most impressive medieval castles, Hochosterwitz is 160 meters high and can be seen from 30 km away on a clear day.
Chillon Castle, Switzerland
This island castle consists of 100 separate buildings that are combined into a palace.
Catherine Palace, Russia
The residence of Catherine I was built in 1717 and was built for the empress's recreation. In 1752 it was reconstructed.
Windsor Castle, England
This 11th-century castle was a royal residence and is the longest fortress in Europe.
Hogwarts Universal Studios, Orlando
The main building of the wildly successful film Harry Potter. Hogwarts was brought to life at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
Balmoral Castle, UK
Balmoral has been the residence of the British royal family since 1852, when it was purchased by Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert.
Conwy Castle, North Wales
This medieval fortress was built by Edward I in 1283 and cost approximately £15,000.
Schwerin Castle, Germany
The first reports of this castle date back to 973, and currently serves as the seat of the state parliament.
The most famous castles are those from fairy tales, legends and myths. All princesses, kings and dragons, according to legend, live in castles. IN modern world, where there is no place for magic, castles become simply examples of medieval architecture and a place where historical values are stored. This list contains the 10 most popular ones.
Surrounded by forested mountains Bran Castle is business card Romania is popularly called “Dracula’s Castle”, despite the fact that Vlad the Impaler himself never called it his home. Life in the castle began in 1378, when the area was defended against the Ottomans, then it was turned into a customs post at the pass between Transylvania and Wallachia. Vlad the Impaler, the hero of Bram Stoker's vampire novel, never lived here permanently, he simply spent 2 days in the castle's dungeon, locked by the Ottoman invaders who invaded Transylvania.
Germany is famous for its medieval architecture, and this 80-meter castle stands out among others for its large size and beauty, despite the fact that it is now in ruins. The castle is located on the northern slope of Mount Königstuhl, overlooking Heidelberg. Him rich story, which began in the 13th century. It was destroyed during the Thirty Years' War, further damage was caused by the French in the 17th century, and in 1764 it was struck by lightning. Local residents used the castle stone to build their houses. It was restored several times, which led to a mixture of architectural styles and added some charm to the castle.
This castle is located on a high hill overlooking the Alsatian plain in the Vosges Mountains. The heyday of life in the castle occurred from the Middle Ages until the Thirty Years' War, when, after a 52-day siege, the castle was burned and looted by Swedish troops. After this, the castle stood desolate for several years and was even overgrown with forest. In 1899, the German Emperor Wilhelm II ordered it to be restored to its original form, as it was before the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War. After the First World War, the castle went to the French, and now there is a museum within its walls.
Located in a picturesque place, between the shore Lake Geneva and the Alpine ridge, the castle is one of the most popular attractions in Switzerland. The castle consists of 100 buildings, which were initially separate, but over time they were combined into a single architectural ensemble. From the mid-12th century, the counts of the Savoy dynasty lived here. It is noteworthy that this castle was never besieged; its owners always managed to solve any problems through diplomatic negotiations.
Matsumoto Castle, built in the 16th century in the city of Matsumoto (Nagano Prefecture), is one of the most famous in Japan. It does not crown the top of the mountain and does not hang over the city from the hillside, but stands on a plain, which is why a man-made network of special walls, ditches and secret passages was used to protect it. The castle's wing-like design and pitch-black color gave it another name, Raven's Castle. Over the many years of its existence, the castle changed owners more than once and was even under threat of demolition. It is now a popular attraction as it can be visited as a day trip from Tokyo.
Eltz Fortress, built during the Middle Ages, is located in the mountains on the Moselle River, between Koblenz and Trier, oldest city Germany. It is still owned by the Eltz family, who have owned it since the 12th century. Anyone can visit the Rübenach and Rodendorf houses, where the armory, kitchen, and living quarters are located. The castle also houses a rich treasury with jewelry, weapons and works of art.
This castle is located in the city of Warwick, on a cliff above the River Avon. It is included in the Catalog of Ancient Monuments and the List of Architectural and historical monuments Great Britain. Since its construction in the 11th century, the castle has undergone several modernizations and renovations. Initially, the main structure was wooden; already in the 12th century it was replaced with a stone structure. During the Hundred Years' War the façade was redone, making it one of the most recognizable examples of 14th-century military architecture. In 2001, the castle was included in the list of “10 best historical buildings and monuments”, published by the UK Tourism Department. Today it is one of the most popular attractions in England.
Have you ever been to medieval castles? They say that almost any fortress that has survived to this day has long become a haven for real ghosts. Of course, rational thinking tells us that we shouldn’t be afraid of these tales - but what about the facts that prove the real existence of paranormal activity?
Medieval Europe was not the most pleasant place to live. The cult of the lord reigned here, capable of sending peasants to death for the slightest offense. The times of witch hunts left a wide gap in the female population of half the continent, and the bones of so-called witches are still found embedded in the walls of medieval castles. Before you are ten such fortresses, which even local residents trying to avoid it.
Germany
It is believed that a whole horde of ghosts has been living here for five centuries. Around the beginning of the 16th century, the owner of the castle hired a couple of farmers to deal with his unfaithful wife. Soon after, both the man himself and his sons died in their own beds. Since then, the castle has been considered cursed.
Leap Castle
Ireland
In the 12th century, the castle was built by the influential O'Bannon clan. The family nest of the eminent Irish very soon turned into a scarecrow for the entire area: fratricidal feasts, constant executions and even sacrifices took place here. The local chapel was nicknamed the "Bloody Chapel" after a jealous husband stabbed his wife and lover to death there, then brought his children there and forced them to pray over the rotting bodies of the adulterers for seven days. Are there ghosts here? Still would!
Zvikov
Czech
This is one of the most important and significant Gothic castles of the medieval Czech Republic. According to rumors, the local Zvikovsky devil lives in the castle, who really does not like people. Jokes aside, but strange, unpleasant things actually happen here. Animals refuse to enter some rooms of the castle, sometimes the curtains in the main hall spontaneously catch fire, and those who sleep in the main tower die within a year. At least that's what the locals say.
Moosham
Austria
Built at the end of the 12th century, Moosham Castle became a silent witness to the death of thousands of young girls. The times of the witch hunt turned Moosham into a real stronghold of the Inquisition, blood flowed like a river for the glory of the papal throne and Christian virtues. Much later, in the 19th century, the remains of dead deer and livestock began to be found near the castle, which gave rise to a new wave of rumors. To this day, it is believed that a clan of ancient werewolves lives in the basements of Moosham, going out hunting at night.
Bran Castle
Romania
One of the most feared castles in the world, Bran Castle was the residence of Vlad III - the brutal Romanian ruler, better known as Vlad Dracula or Vlad the Impaler. It was this man who inspired Bram Stoker’s famous gothic novel “Dracula”: you can imagine how gloomy the atmosphere is in the family nest of the main vampire of the world. A little more creepy? Easily. In one of the main halls of Bran there is a golden casket where the heart of Queen Mary is hidden. Naturally, it is still beating - if you believe the rumors.
Chateau de Brissac
France
Built back in the 11th century, Brissac Castle is considered home to all the ghosts and ghosts of west-central France. According to legend, one of the first owners of the castle caught his wife with another man and killed them both. Today the new owners are hosting receptions here for high society from among those who want to tickle their nerves.
Castle Fraser
Scotland
Located in the eastern part of Scotland, Fraser Castle is famous for the terrible story of a princess killed in her sleep by demons. They say that the body of the unfortunate woman was dragged down the stone steps of the tower, and the servants were unable to wash off the blood after that. The owners allegedly had to line the steps with wooden panels, but on a full moon, blood again appears through them.
Horst
Belgium
The dilapidated Horst Castle is still inhabited to this day. True, it is not people who live here, but real ghosts. At least that's what the locals say. They also say that the ghost of the former owner of the castle returns every full moon on a cart drawn by six pitch-black horses.
Predjama Castle
Slovenia
The famous pirate knight Erazem once lived here, launching raids on the coasts and passing ships. The castle is riddled with hundreds underground passages, caves and shelters that even certified “demon hunters” do not dare explore.
Dragsholm
Denmark
One of the most scary places Denmark. The famous White Lady lives here - the ghost of a young girl who fell in love with a local commoner. The father walled up his own daughter in the room where she ended her days. It sounds like an ordinary legend, but there is a place for truth here. At the beginning of this century, shocked builders working to restore part of the walls discovered a secret room where a skeleton in a white wedding dress sat at a table.
Neuschwanstein is a fantasy come true, a fairy tale castle that rises its toy-like turrets and galleries above the wooded hills in the Bavarian Alps near the city of Fussen near the Austrian border.
It gives the impression of a theatrical set, and in part it is one, since it was created under the active leadership of the Munich theater artist Christian Jank. At the same time, the castle has a very impressive size, and it was built over the course of seventeen years. Ludwig grew up in the nearby Hohenschwangau Castle. This is stylized medieval fortress the structure was built by his father Maximilian II. Ludwig was a passionate admirer of Germanic mythology and appears to have identified himself with the swan knight Lohengrin. Having attended the premiere of Richard Wagner's opera of the same name in 1858, he was beside himself with delight. When three years later, at the age of eighteen, Ludwig inherited the royal throne, one of his first acts of state was to invite the composer to Munich.
Now, with money and power, he became a patron of Wagner, paid all the composer's debts and promised to establish a festival to perform Wagner's works. In his operas, Wagner brought the world of German legends and tales to the stage on a grand scale, trying to captivate the audience with the drama of the eternal confrontation between Good and Evil. Ludwig, meanwhile, ordered the construction of a fairy-tale castle to begin, which in all respects would correspond to the ideals of ancient German chivalry.
This, as well as his other decisions, increasingly inclined those around him to the idea that the king was damaged in his mind and, as a ruler, was not able to look at things sensibly. When Ludwig was still young, Bismarck publicly announced that he was completely sane, although even then many of the oddities of his behavior, his manner of dressing bizarrely, and his whole way of life were striking - he, for example, sometimes slept all day long, and sometimes invited for lunch... the spirit of Louis XIV. But at the end of his life his madness was completely obvious and no one doubted it.
Eyewitnesses and contemporaries claimed that fifteen master carvers worked on the manufacture of a carved wooden bed for Ludwig for four and a half years. The interior of the castle is a mixture of various architectural and artistic styles, a combination of Moorish, Gothic and Baroque elements: there are stalactite columns, a throne room in a decadent Byzantine spirit, and a singing hall with exquisite lighting, intended for the production of Wagner's operas.
The fairytale castle, hidden in the forests of the Bavarian Alps, is a real masterpiece that has earned incredible popularity among tourists and brings fabulous profits to Germany. Neuschwanstein became the prototype for Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland Paris, Tchaikovsky's inspiration for the ballet Swan Lake and the embodiment of Ludwig II's love for the music of Wagner...
Author: P_I_F.
Neuschwanstein translates as "New Swan Stone". The entire architecture of the building is permeated with a swan motif. The swan is the heraldic symbol of the ancient family of the Counts of Schwangau, whose successor Ludwig II's father, Maximilian II of Bavaria, considered himself to be. Ludwig was a huge fan of Richard Wagner, identifying himself with one of the characters from his operas, the Swan Knight. Having inherited the royal throne, Ludwig II realized his old fantasy - a swan castle of incomparable beauty.
Myths and facts
Far from noisy cities, almost at the very border with Austria, construction began in 1869 under the direction of the Munich theater artist Christian Janck. But due to Ludwig's extravagant tastes and whims, this process moved very slowly. For example, 14 carpenters worked on wood carvings in the king’s bedroom alone for 4.5 years.
Construction of the castle was stopped when Ludwig was removed from power due to intrigue in his own office. The king rarely touched state issues personally, and with his antics he earned the reputation of a madman. In addition, he suffered from hallucinations - for example, he dined with the spirit of Louis XIV. According to Bavarian law, the king can be removed from power if he is found unfit to rule. And after the report of his cabinet in 1886, he was overthrown.
Ludwig was transported to Berg Castle, where he soon drowned in Lake Starnberg. However, regarding this mysterious death, ruled a suicide at the time, suggests that the cabinet was not happy with Ludwig's simple removal from power. Especially considering that his treating psychiatrist also shared the fate of his patient.
These mysterious events gave rise to many legends and created an intriguing aura around Neuschwanstein Castle, making it the most famous castle in Germany.
You can climb to it from the town of Fussen either on foot or on horseback.
On the way, you can admire views of Lake Alpsee and Hohenschwangau Castle - the headquarters of the parents of the “fairy-tale king”.
Here she is close.
Gradually, contours begin to appear in the fog...
... and then the walls of Neuschwanstein Castle appear - New Swan Cliff, if we say so.
Since all this was built not so much for show-off, but for the soul, a special observation bridge was also erected in a strategic place. He is not visible here yet.
But then the wind disperses the fog and the Marienbrücke Bridge appears in the distance. It is from here that one of the two opens best views to the castle.
There are always so many people crowding here that it is not so easy to squeeze through. Some people push baby strollers in front of them.
I was, in fact, lucky - having settled down behind a family equipped with a battering ram stroller, I got onto the bridge.
Even in nasty weather, the views here are quite nice.
Neuschwanstein Castle stands on the site of two fortresses. King Ludwig II ordered to lower the plateau by approximately 8 meters at this place by exploding the rock and thereby create a place for the construction of a “fairytale palace”. On September 5, 1869, the first stone was laid for the construction of a huge castle.
Construction work at the castle (1882-1885). In 1880, more than 200 carpenters, masons and auxiliary workers were employed at the construction site.
Ludwig II went down in history as the “fairy-tale king” thanks to the castles he built, on which he spent all his money and time. On June 13, 1886, he drowned on Lake Starnberg under mysterious circumstances. According to one common version, it was a political assassination of an inconvenient and uncontrollable king.
After the king's death in 1886, all construction work was suspended. The main tower of the castle with the church, 90 m high, which should have towered above all the buildings, was not built at all.
Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria truly gives the impression of a fairytale castle. It was built at a time when castles had already lost their defensive functions.
Inside, Neuschwanstein is very different from the Prussian royal castles of Berlin and Potsdam. But filming there is strictly prohibited. Currently the castle is a museum. Visiting is only possible as part of a group.
The interior of the castle is a mixture of various architectural and artistic styles, a combination of Moorish, Gothic and Baroque elements: there are columns and a throne room. Interior large hall at Neuschwanstein Castle:
Although the throne room was not completed during construction, it is without a doubt the most impressive. Postcard, late 19th century:
Ludwig's bedroom at Neuschwanstein Castle. Eyewitnesses claimed that 15 craftsmen worked on the manufacture of a carved wooden bed for Ludwig for 4.5 years:
Views from the balcony of Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria.
At the end of World War II, part of the Reichsbank gold was kept in the castle. In the last days of the war, the gold was taken to an unknown destination.
Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria primarily amazes with its cold grandeur and pointed towers among the Alpine peaks:
Views from the castle balcony.
Neuschwanstein Castle in summer:
...and in winter.
Every year over 1 million 300 thousand visitors pass through the gates of Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria.