What are the Oldest and Most Famous Castles in Europe?

Question

It's sort of two questions (you don't have to combine them):

What are the Oldest Castles in Europe?

What are the Most Famous Castles in Europe?

(Please only mention castles that are still in existence)

Thank you!

Answer 1

This Castle is cool. It is the Sleeping Beauty Castle. Neuschwanstein Castle

Here is a link to the wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanst...

It is in Germany

Answer 2

I only know of Alcazar Castle in Spain. But there are too many castles there to know which is the oldest. Are you planning to see it? Try socialtravellersite (dot com). They have articles on different cool places.

Answer 3

One of the oldest must be the Bled castle by the Lake Bled in Slovenia, built around 1004AD.

Answer 4

If you want a detailed list of old castles by each country in Europe, check this site in wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cas...

Some have pictures of existing castles and castle ruins in wikipedia.

The most famous castles in Europe according to International Listings (January 2008) are:

Windsor Castle, in England. Windsor Castle is probably the most well known castle in the world, as - together with Buckingham Palace in London and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh - it is one of the official residences of England’s Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world. This building and its complex have provided a home and fortress for royalty for over 900 years. Originally made of wood, the castle was built for William the Conqueror to guard the approach to London. The site sits above the River Thames, on the edge of a Saxon hunting ground and one day’s march from the Tower of London

The Castello di Strassoldo di Sopra in Italy. This castle is the ‘upper’ castle, which is located near the Castello di Strassoldo di Sotto (”lower” castle), and both castles are located in northeast Italy. Both castles also are privately owned by the Strassoldo family and have been in this family for almost one thousand years. This building and the castle are located in the heart of a lovely medieval village, surrounded by a centuries-old park that’s fed by spring waters.

Frankenstein Castle: Darmstadt, Germany is home to the setting for Mary Shelley’s Gothic horror novel, Frankenstein.This castle was the 18th century home of Lord Konrad Dippel Von Frankenstein. There are many theories about Dippel, including one that he sold his soul for eternal life. In reality, Dippel was a highly controversial alchemist in whose laboratory the colour Prussian Blue was discovered. Maybe his enemies tried to ruin his reputation with the legend about the monster created in his laboratory.

Bran Castle: This is another castle that the faint of heart might want to avoid! Commonly known as Dracula ’s Castle, the Bran Castle was originally a stronghold built by the Knights of Teutonic Order in 1212. The first documentary attestation of the Bran Castle is the act issued on 19 November 1377, giving the Saxons of Kronstadt (Brasov) the privilege to build the Citadel. The building started in 1378 as a defense against Turks and later became a customs post on the pass between Transylvania and Walachia. From 1920 the castle became a royal residence until the expulsion of the royal family in 1948. Today it functions as a very attractive museum of medieval arts.

Château de Versailles: This castle complex is Louis XIV’s masterpiece, a structure so magnificent that the state treasury was almost depleted during its construction. Also known as the Palace of Versailles, and located now on the edge of Paris, this palace became home to French nobility during the seventeenth century. As the complex grew through four “building campaigns,” Versailles became the center of French government. Louis XIV lived at Versailles, and government offices, homes of thousands of courtiers and their retinues were built there, and nobles of a certain rank and position spent time each year at the court complex. Louis XIV’s attempt to centralize the French government succeeded, as few could match the ostentatious glamour represented by Versailles.

For more famous castles, check this out:

http://www.intlistings.com/articles/2008...

www.medieval-castles.net/castles.htm