10 real-life European castles

By Ben Groundwater
Published: Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Almost too good to be true, you'd be forgiven for thinking these majestic buildings have come straight out of a fairytale. Here are 10 real-life European castles people can wander through. Some you can even stay the night in.

1. Neuschwanstein, Germany

Neuschwanstein (pictured at top) is about as picture-perfect as a castle can be. It’s rumoured to be the real-life inspiration for Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty’s castles in the Disney classics.

Each room tells its own story. There’s a 13-foot-tall chandelier, a bedroom draped in gold and violet silks and ceiling murals depicting sacred forests and armoured knights.

Built in the 19th century atop a hill in a beautiful part of Bavaria, the castle opened to the public almost immediately after the king it was built for, Ludwig II, died in 1886. People have wandered the castle ever since.

2. Eltz Castle, Germany

It’s rare to find a castle from the 12th century that’s still in its original form; it’s even rarer to find a castle inhabited by the same family – 33 generations and counting. But Eltz Castle, perched on a 70m-high rock on the banks of the Rhine River, is such a place.

Many of the original furnishings of the past eight centuries still remain, but the Armoury and Treasury room, in particular, is a collector’s dream. It’s filled with artworks made from gold and silver, coins, porcelain and 850-year-old family weapons.

Part of this historic building is open to the public from April to October. The other part remains off limits given it’s still inhabited.

Eltz Castle, Germany.

3. Warwick Castle, England

How do you teach more than 1000 years of history to visitors who flock to the United Kingdom’s Warwick Castle? With a bit of fun and games.

Among many of the interactive tours are actors who re-enact some of the bloodiest and scariest events that occurred in the castle centuries earlier, and a history maze with special effects and obstacles.

For those who want to stay after they play, Warwick Castle has medieval-themed accommodation, including lodges by the river and luxurious tents just five minutes from the castle.

4. Bran Castle, Romania

Okay, so vampires might not be real, but the beauty of this Romanian fortress – known as Dracula’s Castle – will send shivers down your spine.

Perched on a 200-foot-high mountain on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia, the creaky 600-year-old rooms, dark underground tunnels and narrow secret staircases are both creepy and intriguing.

The fear of bumping into a blood-thirsty ghoul at every turn is real, as Bran Castle is a popular spot for Halloween parties and there are competitions open for those game enough to stay the night.

Bran Castle, Romania.

5. Château de Chambord, France

If you have a picture in your head of what the grandest and most regally beautiful French château would look like, it’s probably very similar to Château de Chambord.

There are more than 200 fireplaces, 440 rooms and 84 staircases, including a double helix staircase believed to have been designed with the help of Leonardo da Vinci.

The mind-boggling feature has two spirals so two people can use the staircase at the same time without running into one another.

While you can’t stay the night at the château, you can in the four-star hotel that opened just 50m from the castle in March.

6. Pena Palace, Portugal

Built on the second-highest point of the Serra da Sintra mountain, the 480m steep uphill hike does little to keep hordes of tourists from visiting Pena Palace.

The Knights’ Room, which once hosted banquets, takes guests back to when rowdy knights would sit feasting on hearty meals at a round table. It’s a feature in the palace to this day.

Outside this mystical fortress built in 1854, gigantic gargoyle monuments glare down on visitors as they walk through the main entrance and hidden garden pathways wait to be found.

Pena Palace, Portugal.

7. Peleș Castle, Romania

With central heating and a 60-seat theatre room, Peleș is one of Europe’s modern-day castles, despite historic roots dating back to 1873.

There are tours that take in many of the 2000 artworks hung on the walls, a peculiar room filled with more than 50 clocks, 4000 pieces of weaponry from around the world, and the rare leather-covered books which rest on the library’s shelves.

8. Château de Chenonceau, France

Few castles straddle a watercourse, as does the Château de Chenonceau in France’s Loire Valley.

Built over the River Cher in the 16th century, there are a number of interesting rooms, including the 60m-long Gallery Room – the largest room at the château.

The kitchen’s large medieval stoves are most impressive. Food used to be delivered by boat and carted to the kitchen, but now there’s a restaurant on the grounds where visitors can indulge.

Château de Chenonceau, France.

9. Bojnice Castle, Slovakia

Slovakia’s Bojnice Castle is a romantic 12th-century relic that has become a popular filming location for fantasy and adventure flicks.

The bright turquoise roof helps to ease the spookiness, but it’s what lies 26m beneath the castle that’s the true spectacle – a cave with two small lakes.

If you’re after a scare, night tours by candlelight are popular, and the International Festival of Ghosts and Spooks is held here each year.

10. Dunnottar Castle, Scotland

Located on a rock out at sea on the northeast coast of Scotland, Dunnottar Castle is truly a diamond in the rough.

Built in the 15th century, the castle’s unfortunately taken a battering from the area’s elements.

Though most of the relic is ruined, visitors can still book a tour of this historic landmark which is now privately owned.

And there’s still much for visitors to see – look a little closer and you’ll find engravings on some of the ruins, which date back to 1649.

Dunnottar Castle, Scotland.

Explore more of Europe

RAA’s travel experts can help plan your next unique European adventure.

Email us

Or call 8202 4589

10% off travel insurance

RAA members save.

Get a quote