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Corvin Castle: Hunedoara- Romania
"Corvin Castle was laid out in 1446, when construction began at the orders of John Hunyadi (Hungarian: Hunyadi János, Romanian: Iancu or Ioan de Hunedoara) who wanted to transform the former keep built by Charles I of Hungary. The castle was originally given to John Hunyadi's father, Voyk (Vajk), by Sigismund, king of Hungary, as severance in 1409. It was also in 1446 when John Hunyadi was elected as the regent-governor of the Kingdom of Hungary by the Diet" (Corvin Castle). -
Alcazar Castle: Segovia- Spain
"The Alcázar was originally built as a fortress but has served as a royal palace, a state prison, a Royal Artillery College and a military academy since then. The castle is one of the inspirations for Walt Disney's Cinderella Castle," (Alcazar Castle). -
Conwy Castle: Conwy- Wales
"Conwy Castle is a medieval fortification in Conwy, on the north coast of Wales. It was built by Edward I, during his conquest of Wales, between 1283 and 1289" (Conwy Castle). -
Hohenzollern Castle: Bavaria- Germany
"Appearance, size and furnishing of the original Castle are unknown, but presumably it was in the first decade of the 11th century. At that time it must have been a vast and artistically valuable furnished complex. Contemporary sources praised it as "Crown of all Castles in Swabia" and as "the most fortified House in Germany". However in 1423, the Castle was completely destroyed" (Hohenzollern Castle). -
The Chateau of Chambord: Chambord, France
"A palace rises up out of the swampy lowlands of the Sologne region, on the edge of a forest filled with wild boar. Francois I, the young king who had garnered glory in the Battle of Marignan, ordered its construction. The chateau de Chambord was not intended to be a permanent residence; Francois I would in fact spend only a few weeks here, leaving it empty of furniture and people after his visits," (The Chateau of Chambord). -
Culzean Castle: Maybole, Scotland
"Culzean Castle is the jewel in the crown of the National Trust for Scotland. This grand cliff-top country house was remodelled in the late 18th century by the renowned architect Robert Adam in his trademark neo-classical Georgian style,"(Culzean Castle). -
Eilean Donan Castle: Highland, Scotland
"Eilean Donan is for many people, the archetypal Scottish castle and is certainly one of the most photographed. Ruined in the early 18th century, it was restored to all its glory some two centuries later and is now the headquarters of the Clan McRae" (Eilean Donan Castle). -
Windsor Castle: Windsor, England
"Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and the Official Residence of Her Majesty The Queen. Its rich history spans almost 1000 years" (Windsor Castle). -
Hohenwerfen Castle: Werfen,Austria
"The mighty castle of Hohenwerfen has towered over the 155 metre high craggy rock pillar above the Salzachtal valley for more than 900 years. The powerful fortifications were built at the same time as Hohensalzburg Fortress and are some of the best preserved late medieval defences and rooms on the continent" (Hohenwerfen Castle). -
The Palace of Pena: Sintra (Lisbon), Portugal
"Located in the Sintra hills, the Park and Palace of Pena are the fruit of King Ferdinand II’s creative genius and the greatest expression of 19th-century romanticism in Portugal, denoting clear influences from the Manueline and Moorish styles of architecture" (The Palace of Pena). -
The Neuschwanstein Castle: Baveria, Germany
"Seven weeks after the death of King Ludwig II in 1886, Neuschwanstein was opened to the public. The shy king had built the castle in order to withdraw from public life – now vast numbers of people came to view his private refuge" (The Neuschwanstein Castle). -
Chenonceau Castle: Chenonceaux, France
Property of the Crown, then royal residence, Chenonceau "Castle is an exceptional site not only because of its original design, the richness of its collections, its furniture and its decorations, but also because of its destiny, since it was loved, administrated and protected by women, who were all extraordinary and who, for the most part have marked history" (Chenonceau Castle). -
Lichtenstein Castle: Lichenstein, Germany
"Lichtenstein Castle, in German Schloss Lichtenstein, is a Gothic Revival castle built in the 1840s. It is situated on a cliff located near Honau on the Swabian Alb, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Today, the castle is still owned by the Dukes of Urach, but is open to visitors" (Lichtenstein Castle). -
Bodiam Castle
"Bodiam Castle was built from 1385, and there's an unsolved puzzle at the very heart of the castle. Essentially, historians are pondering whether the castle's perfect appearance is too good to be true. One one side, some scholars argue that Bodiam was built as a Medieval romance - a grand country home designed to evoke the majesty and power of other English castles, but with little intention of ever being used in battle" (Bodium Castle). -
Buckingham Palace
"The History of the Palace begins in 1702 when the Duke of Buckingham had it built as his London home. The Duke's son sold the house in 1761 to George III, it was renamed "Queen's House" in 1774 as Queen Charlotte resided there" (Buckingham Palace).
