Do you love history and historical castles? If so you may want to take a holiday where you can visit a selection of fascinating historical castles. With its rich history, Europe is an absolute gem when it comes to old and ancient castles. The impressive castles of Europe range from ancient hill forts to well-preserved buildings of historical significance (with or without ghosts and the clanking of chains!).
Aberdeenshire’s Castle Country in Scotland
Scotland is a great destination for castle hunters as the country has a rich heritage and a vast number of castles dotted around. Particularly special though is Aberdeenshire’s Castle Country, not only for the volume of castles in this area but also because the area is home to Balmoral Castle (the Queen’s very own holiday home) and features a number of castles in striking locations (picture castles such as Slains Castle which is perched high on a cliff tops with the waves of the North Sea crashing angrily below).
The Northumberland Coast
With its close proximity to Scotland, Northumbria is a county with an impressive number of castles. Most notably many of the castles in Northumberland are set in dramatic locations such as Bamburgh Castle which sits high above the sand dunes and the golden sandy beach at Bamburgh, along with many other coastal castles perched close to the water’s edge or cliff-side. Of note is Alnwick Castle where some of the scenes of the Harry Potter movies was filmed.
Transylvania in Romania
With an exciting collection of castles, Transylvania in Romania is shrouded in myth and legend and may have you quivering upon arrival due to the area’s association with Dracula and horror films. There are 11 castles in Transylvania, although Romania in general is rich in castles. Many of these castles are perched up high and are bound to appeal to those who love to be terrified, with many having links to Vlad the Impaler (a real life character who is said to have drank blood from the many victims he killed and may well have provided some of the inspiration for the tale of Dracula).
Loire Valley in France
For fairytale castles, the Loire Valley in France has to be one of Europe’s very best destinations. With vast romantic looking castles, set by lakes, rivers or streams in many cases, the Castles of the Loire Valley offer an unrivalled sense of romance. Some of the hilltop castles are particularly impressive with their shielded locations up high, with very limited lower level access where the residents of the Castle really lived ‘on top of the world’ in their very own little bubble.
Germany’s Bavarian Castles
Said to be one of the most beautiful areas in Germany, Bavaria in Germany is often quoted as being home to some of the finest castles in Europe. With truly fairytale looking castles, some of these castles may well have inspired fairy tales. With hill top castles and some castles set next to mountain backdrops, the castles of Bavaria truly have to be seen to be believed.