We are big fans of visiting the most impressive castles in the world . On our trips we always mark them as essential visits, especially those that are less reconstructed and that is that one of the things that most attracts our attention is that they are in ruins or only a part of them is preserved. Its location and the surrounding landscapes are usually some of the best in the country. For this reason we leave you with a list of the 10 most impressive castles in the world that we believe, you cannot miss. We are still missing some of the list, but we hope to be able to complete it one day.
1. Neuschwanstein Castle
Many say that Neuschwanstein Castle is the most impressive castle in the world . Commissioned by Louis II, also called The Mad King , it is not surprising that he was chosen by Walt Disney as the model to build Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. The best perspective you can get of the castle is from the Marian Bridge (Marienbrücke), which is currently under construction. The ideal is to do this getaway at two different times of the year and be able to enjoy it first with the warmth of the central months of the year and then with snow, when the cold begins to appear in the area. If you want to know it, we leave you the trip to Bavaria that we did, in which apart from visiting the Neuschwanstein CastleWe got to know some of the surrounding towns that are worth getting lost for a few days. If you do not have a car, a good option to visit the castle from Munich is to book a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle by bus with a Spanish guide. For more information you can consult this post on how to get to Neuschwanstein Castle and this post on how to visit Neuschwanstein Castle.
2. Eilean Donan Castle
On our trip to Scotland we had marked in red the visit to Eilean Donan Castle , one of the most cinematographic castles in the world, in which sequences of films such as The Immortals have been filmed or for being the image of Cardhu Scotch whiskey . The landscape that surrounds it is just as incredible as the castle itself and being located in the beautiful area of ​​the Highlands, on Lake Duich, it is impossible to say otherwise.
3. Himeji Castle
We can say that Himeji Castle is one of the most beautiful castles in Japan . A World Heritage Site, it has been preserved since the Middle Ages, although several restorations have been made, including the last one that lasted 5 years, until the beginning of 2015. That made us rule out the visit on our trip to Japan, since everything was covered with a tarp and scaffolding. We plan to return to Japan, hopefully soon, and it is assured that this will be one of the first visits we make.
4. Lichtenstein Castle
One of the least known castles in Europe and one of the most impressive in the world. It is located near the German city of Stuttgart, in the Swabian Mountains. Its location on a cliff makes Lichtenstein Castle look like something out of a fairy tale and although it is private property, it is open to the public. Just seeing the photo makes you want to visit it, right?
5. Bran Castle
Bran Castle , also known as Dracula’s Castle , very popular for the Irishman Bram Stoker’s novel Count Dracula and later for the Francis Ford Coppola film, is another of the most impressive castles that can be visited in the world . Although they say that the historical figure on which it was based never lived in the castle, this has not detracted from tourism and it is one of the essential visits if you travel to Romania.
6. Chenonceau Castle
They say the Château de Chenonceau is the most beautiful of the Loire Valley castles and one of the most impressive castles in the world. Noting that it is built on the Cher River and is the most visited private castle in France, we must think that such a statement will be true, right? Although in the Loire Valley we can find a multitude of fantasy castles and fairytale towns that deserve to be visited, we are especially excited about Chenonceau Castle , the Loire Valley being one of the getaways for this year.
7. Chillon Castle
One of the first visits we made on our trip to Switzerland was precisely the Chillon Castle , for us the most beautiful in Switzerland. Its location on the shores of Lake Geneva is spectacular and the visit to its interior is in no way overshadowed by the exterior.
8. Alcazar of Segovia
Spain is a land of castles and among them we would highlight the castle-palace of the Alcazar of Segovia , which together with its famous aqueduct project the image of Segovia to the world. It was first built as a fortress, but for much of the Middle Ages it became one of the favorite residences of kings. Seeing the image makes you want to meet him right now, right?
9. Dunnottar Castle
Although Eilean Donan Castle is the most famous in Scotland, we can say that Dunnottar Castle has nothing to envy even if only a few ruins remain. Its location is the most spectacular we have seen to date and made it our favorite in Scotland.
10. Swallow’s Nest Castle
Swallow ‘s Nest Castle is the most current in the list of the 10 most impressive castles in the world . It was built between 1911 and 1921 on the edge of a cliff, in the Yalta area, in Ukraine. It overlooks the Black Sea and is one of the many wonders of the Crimea.
