Chicago has a beautiful skyline. Each building stretching higher than the next, all nestled into a few city blocks along Lake Michigan. The lights of Los Angeles stretch as far as the eye can see, and the modern architecture of New York City sits alongside the Statue of Liberty from 1886. There’s only one problem: there are no castles. When did humans decide to stop building castles? We went from the mountainous brick and stone structures that stood strong and stoic during battles and wars to metal towers stretching hundreds, even thousands, of feet in the air. Sure, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is pretty cool, but it doesn’t have the same mystique and intrigue as age-old Hunyad Castle in Transylvania, Romania.
We don't know the definite amount of castles around the world – there’s anywhere from 2,500 to 5,000 in the U.K. alone – but here are three rad examples to spark your interest and boost to the top of your travel list.
1. Hunyad Castle - Romania
Everyone knows Bram Stoker’s Dracula, inspired by Vlad Dracula or Vlad the Impaler. Hunyad Castle, also known as Corvin Castle, is nestled in Transylvania, Romania, which already makes it awesome. It was supposedly where Vlad the Impaler was imprisoned by John Hunyadi, the man who killed his father. Because of this, people believe Corvin Castle was an inspiration for Bram Stoker’s novel even though his notes make no reference to the castle itself, just Transylvania in general. The first installment was built from 1440-1446, with later additions being made in the late 1400s, 1600s and 1800s.
2. Mont Saint Michel Abbey - France
Mont Saint-Michel, located in Normandy, France, is a small island not far off the coast of the country. The island hosts Mont Saint Michel Abbey, the building the island is named after. It was completed in 1523, making it just under 100 years newer than Corvin Castle. For a while, the abbey served as a prison while under Louis XI’s reign. The original bridge that connected the island to the mainland used to flood over during high tide, kind of like the island in The Woman in Black. Don’t worry, there won’t be any benevolent spirits chasing you. A new bridge was built in 2014, this time more elevated to keep it from flooding.
3. Neuschwantsein Castle - Germany
Neuschwantsein Castle is located in Bavaria, Germany, and is significantly newer than the other two castles, with construction that started in 1869 and was completed in 1886. Neuschwantsein has been featured in movies like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and stood as inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland – even though it definitely looks like the castle where Fiona was kept in Shrek.
Does anyone have an answer as to why we stopped building castles? Whoever made the decision needs to reconsider because castles are too glorious and majestic to let die. Keep in mind, there are thousands of more castles in the world ready to be explored. These are just to get you started on a new adventure.
