1 – Chateau de Chenonceau, France
The castle is built on river Cher, offering one of the most beautiful sights as it reflects in the water. Nicknamed “Chateau des Dames”, it owes much of its charm to veral influential ladies in French history. The surrounding gardens and the castle itlf aren’t the only beautiful things to admire here. Within the castle, there are impressive collections of Renaissance furniture, tapestries and many masterpieces.
2 – Neuschwanstein, Germany
This fairy tale castle doesn’t have a very long history to brag with, but its beauty makes all of us admire it in silence (and without taking photos of the interiors). It started its life in the 19th century as homage to Richard Wagner. After the death of Ludwig (the king who commissioned it), the castle was open for the public. The grounds have a theatrical aura to them which only helps to bring more visitors (about 1.3 million annually).
Does this castle also look familiar? It should becau it was featured in many movies and was the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park and the Cinderella Castles at the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland.
3 - Miramare Castle, Trieste, Italy
The beautiful castle was built in the 19th century. The grounds include a cliff and ashore park which gives the castle its beautiful and romantic look. The entire grounds were completely re-landscaped to accommodate the numerous tropical plans and trees, which are now overlooking the Adriatic Sea.
The castle located in the Trieste region was finished in 1860 and the eclectic style dominates the entire building. Currently, the castle hous a muum. The original furnishings, ornaments and furniture still can be admired in the castle’s rooms.
4 – Ashford Castle, Cong, Ireland
If you are after a sumptuous vacation in an incredible place, Ashford Castle should be your destination. The imposing interiors blend nicely with the majestic entrances, creating a unique atmosphere. The spacious rooms are elegant, offering the guests a taste of what nobility experienced hundreds of years ago.
Built in 1228, the castle is very well prerved to retain its centuries old beauty. The guests can choo between numerous activities, including falconry, horback riding and hunting.
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5 – Prague Castle, Prague, Czech Republic
The largest castle in the world is also one of the most beautiful in Central-Eastern Europe. Prague Castle started its life in the 9th century with a church. Centuries later a Romanesque palace was erected here and in the 14th century the royal palace was rebuilt in Gothic style. After a big fire which destroyed much of the castle in the 16th century, it has been renovated and some buildings in renaissance style appeared.
6 – Peles Castle, Sinaia, Romania
Considered by many one of the most beautiful castles in Eastern Europe, Peles Castle is the pride of Sinaia, a mountain town located clo to Brasov, Romania. Although the castle combines elemen
ts of veral architectural styles, the German Renaissance one dominates the building and contributes to its stunning beauty. Currently a muum, Peles Castle boasts 160 rooms, out of which the Big Armory Room and the Reception Room are among the most interesting.
Almost adjacent to Peles, we can find Pelisor and Foisor, two smaller castle-like buildings, which are also muums (and can be visited). The domain belongs to the Romanian Royal Family.
7 – Burg Hohenwerfen, Salzburg, Austria
Located high above the Salzach Valley, between the Tennen and Hagen mountains and at just 40 km from Salzburg, the castle fits perfectly the description of a fairy tale place. The former fortification was built in the 11th century but to cure the area, three castles were later extended, including this one.
The Hohenwerfen is today an interesting adventure castle for its visitors. There’s a romantic tavern to explore, an interesting weapons chamber to discover and the historic Falconry Center with daily flight demonstrations.
In ca this looks really familiar, you should know that the castle appears in the background of The Sound of Music during “Do Re Mi”.
8 – Palace of Pena, Sintra , Portugal
qq仙The oldest palace inspired by European Romanticism stands on top of a hill overlooking the city of Sintra. Its history started in the Middle Ages when a chapel was built on the very same hilltop. Later, a monastery was built but, by the 18th century it was reduced to ruins becau of a lightning and an
earthquake. The place remained in ruins for decades until 1838 when Ferdinand II bought the area and decided to build a palace.
The palace is a true expression of the European Romanticism, mixing veral styles: Neo-Gothic, Islamic and Neo-Renaissance. The beautiful park which surrounds the castle compris exotic plants and trees.
9 – Alcázar of Segovia, Segovia, Spain
The Alcázar of Segovia is perched atop a rock in the old city of Segovia. Just like many other Spanish castles, it started off as an Arab fort. During the Middle Ages it was the preferred residence of the monarchs. The current castle dates mostly from tho times.
Today the castle is one of the three major attractions in the city and one of the most popular historic sites in the country.
10 – Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, UK
Perched atop Castle Hill, it dominates the city of Edinburgh. It is one of the few castles in Europe which still have a military garrison (although for ceremonial purpos only). No matter where you are
in the castle, the views are delightful. On a clear day, if you look to the north, you can e the mountains of The Kingdom of Fife in the distance.
The true beauty of the castle is highlighted during Military Tattoo, which takes place each year on the Esplanade. The oldest structure in the castle is St Margaret’s Chapel which dates from the 12th century.
Edinburgh is rved by many low-cost carriers from different European cities.
11 – Vajdahunyad Castle短跑跑鞋推荐
, Budapest, Hungary
Vajdahunyad Castle is actually (in part) a copy of the Castle with the same name located in Hunedoara (Transylvania, Romania). The one in Budapest started its life in cardboard at the millennial exhibition in 1896. It was so popular with the locals that it was decided to build it from stone and brick. You can find it right by Heroes’ Square.
A Gothic gate leads to the courtyard. Inside, there is a beautiful chapel – where newlyweds love to take their wedding photos – which is flanked by two pudo-medieval ambulatory with a corner turret.
Among the other replicas, there’s also a copy of the castle-tower from Sighisoara Citadel (Romania). Also in the courtyard, we can find the statue of the Anonymus. It is believed that touching its pen brings luck.
Budapest is rved by many low-cost carriers so getting to Hungary’s capital is very easy and cheap. Once here, take the metro or the bus to Heroes’ Square. As you stand facing the column, the Castle is in front of you, a little to the right.
12 – The Castle of the Knights of St. John, Rhodes, Greece
The entire Old Town of Rhodes is incredibly well prerved. Within the medieval town, the Palace of the Grandmaster is the most impressive sight. It contains the relics dating from the medieval times as well as beautiful 1st century floor mosaics which were brought to Rhodes from the island of Kos.
Another interesting place to visit is the Street of Knights, a fully restored medieval road, which stretches from the Archaeological Muum to the Grandmaster’s Palace.
Rhodes is rved by both domestic and international flights. Within the summer ason you can fly directly into the island from many European capitals, while during winter you might need to change planes in either Athens or Thessaloniki.
Neuschwanstein Castle: Pure Magic by Paul Buchanan
in Travel (submitted 2011-04-27)
To the south of Munich, proudly stands the jewel of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein Castle. Constructed solely by Bavarian hands using solely Bavarian materials, this monument is the work of a different kind of King: Ludwig II, or Louis II, if you prefer. It's no coincidence that Neuschwanstein will bring fairy tales to mind: it rved as the model for Disney's Sleeping Beauty's Castle.
This gargantuan work, erected in the 19th Century, revitalid the Bavarian economy, providing work for the locals, and today still remains a vital centre in the region, attracting thousands of visitors anxious to experience the magic of Disney in its original form. The goal of its creator was precily this: to evoke a Grimm Brothers fairy tale.双子男双子女
Set in the South of Munich amidst mountains, vales and lakes, is the dream-like figure of Neuschwanstein Castle. Its style is indisputably Neo-Renaissance, with a facade distinguished by its solemnity. The castle?s most remarkable features are its height and the way its architecture is perfectly adapted to the hill upon which it stands. If you plan on taking a
guided tour however, make sure to bring a comfortable pair of shoes becau you will be climbing over 200 steps.
The sombreness of its facade takes a surprising turn once you enter the castle's richly-decorated interior, with Rococo touches and scenes from the operas of Ricard Wagner. The designer wanted the inside to be surprising and he succeeded, blending Renaissance and Baroque art with just a hint of Moorish Iberia. If you had the chance to tour the castle's more than 360 rooms by yourlf, you would reali that the images on the walls and hallways echo with the violins, cellos and bass of Wagner's genius.
The great crystal chandeliers, the tapestries and the regal furnishings covered in gold will give you a taste of how kings lived in times past. For this very reason, if you visit, you will understand why the castle was nominated to hold a place amongst the New Seven Wonders of the World. From the outside, Neuschwanstein Castle appears as a giant resting against the hillside, watching over the Bavarian monasteries, castles and homes below, but on the inside, it hous valuable works of art, the most captivating of which are the Renaissance, religious and mythological paintings.
To further heighten the fantasy of being a prince or princess, you can arrive at the castle by hor-dr
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awn carriage. In this way, you will also be able to better appreciate the region's abundant nature and carefully prerved medieval atmosphere. Without a doubt, the best time of year to visit is during the winter, when extensive snowfall covers the trees and hillsides in white. Many of the hotels in Munich offer private tours of the castle, but it is just as easy to arrive by auto or public transport (taking a train to F?sn and then a bus to Hohenschwangau). If you?re looking for magic, then a trip to Neuschwanstein should be on your itinerary.
Neuschwanstein Castle
King Ludwig II’s tribute to Wagner
Before visiting Germany a few years ago, I didn’t know very much about German history or culture, and didn’t really care to. I had always had a warm place in my heart for France, and felt my Gallic tastes were fundamentally at odds with what little I had grasped of life in Germany. As I saw things, the French language was smoother and more mellifluous than German; the French favored wine (as I do) where Germans were more fond of beer; the French countryside was organic and endearingly unkempt while rural Germany was spotless and well-manicured, and so on. In other words, Germany was undoubtedly nice enough, but just not my style.
My wife, however, has more overt German roots (even her name, Morgen, is spelled like the German word for morning). She had spent some time in Germany while in high school, spoke German well, and had the same sort of idealized fondness for Germany that I had for France. So in the interest of fostering marital harmony, we humored each other on our first trip to Europe together. She agreed to spend some time in Provence, an
d I agreed to spend some time in Bavaria. Needless to say, this was not a hardship for either of us. We ate and drank well in both countries and collected plenty of interesting stories.
Where Fairy Tales Come From
A recurring theme in the sights we saw in Germany—and believe me, I mean this in the best and most complimentary way—was wackiness. I’m not just talking about lederhon and sauerkraut either, though it has always puzzled me how such things came to exist. A particular slice of German history we became well acquainted with was the rule of Ludwig II, king of Bavaria from 1864 until his death in 1886. While the many stories about Ludwig are strange and colorful (and some are featured as Interesting Things of Other Days) his most famous follies are the castles he built—especially his grandest and best-known castle, Neuschwanstein.
兵马俑攻略Neuschwanstein is a beautiful castle t in one of the most scenic locations on Earth. If it looks a bit familiar, that may be becau Walt Disney ud it as inspiration for Cinderella’s Castle at the Disney theme parks. It really does evoke images of fairy tales, in more ways than one. But the story of its origin is one of tragedy, despair, and outright weirdness.
Swan Song
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To understand the story, you’ll need to know a bit about Ludwig. As a child, he loved swans. This is not surprising, considering the castle he lived in was called Hohenschwangau (or “high region of the swan”) and contained artwork depicting the story of Lohengrin, a medieval knight of the Holy Grail who rescues a princess with the aid of a swan. Ludwig liked to feed swans and draw pictures of them, and when at age thirteen he heard of Richard Wagner’s opera “Lohengrin,” he was very excited. He memorized the entire libretto, and this led him to an interest in Wagner’s other music and writings. Within a few years, this interest turned into an obssion. In 1863, Ludwig got a copy of Wagner’s “The Ring Cycle.” In the preface, Wagner talks about “the mirable state of the German theater,” and that “a German Prince would need to be found to provide the required funds” to produce the opera. Ludwig took this as his personal mission. The very next year, at age eighteen, Ludwig became king when his father died. His first official duty was to nd for Wagner and have hi
yellowteacherm brought to Munich.
Wagner, who at that time was in his fifties, was a gifted musician but not, apparently, a very nice guy. History records Wagner as arrogant and lf-centered, prone to excess, indiscretion, and intolerance. It so happened that at the very time Ludwig summoned him to Munich, Wagner was trying to evade his creditors and was very much in need of a patron. So Ludwig and Wagner struck up an almost symbiotic relationship. Ludwig funded Wagner’s work and put him up in a handsome villa, and Wagner played the part of mentor and idol. Not long thereafter, though, amid reports of yet another affair and worries that Wagner might be e
