Well, it has been a week or two of FASCINATING reading! Finally, the results:
Well, this was a lot of fun! The mail is still coming in and the stories have been great! I am sorting out this list by country and just listing the contributors at the bottom.
First , the winner is: (with more entries than appear here):
Easy -- Neuschwanstein in southern Germany. Certainly not the oldest castle around, but rather good ol' King Ludwig's romanticized idea of what a castle should look like. Has a beautiful singer's hall, too.
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Mad King Ludwig's castle in Bavaria, called Neushwanstein (New Swan castle), is outside the town of Fussen. It was the model for Disney's Cinderella's Castle in Disneyland. The King ate dinner with his horse at the other end of the banquet table (thats why he is called 'Mad'). Its on one of the 1st hills in thew foothills of the Alps and can be seen >from the valley below.
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Yes, Walt Disney modeled Sleeping Beauty's castle at Disneyland (probably at Walt Disney World, too - haven't been there) after Neuschwanstein, but after you see the real thing there's really no comparison. It's a wonderful place. Ludwig was fond of swans ('schwan' is swan in German, if you didn't already know that) so the swan motif is repeated over and over throughout the castle, in his bedchamber even the handles on the water faucets are swans heads. Ludwig was also very enamored of Wagner's operas, to the point of having some of his favorite scenes from different operas painted on the walls of the rooms.
The castle was never completed, because Ludwig inconveniently died (he drowned in six inches of water, or something like that).
There's another Ludwig castle not too far from Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, that is supposed to be beautiful as well, but I haven't been there.
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I think Neuschwanstein is my favorite--very fairy tale like. Inside is lots of wood, which gives it a rich but warm look, unlike the gaudier palaces dripping in gold. King Ludwig seemed to know what he was doing on this one.
Basically, castles are palaces (homes where royalty lived) or fortresses (up on the hill and generally not furnished, just a big stone thing). Neuschwanstein seems to be a bit of both.
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The best fairy tale, just like you have always thought it would be castle is Neuschwenstein (sp?) castle in Germany, which is a day trip >from Munich. Built in the 1800s by Mad king Ludwig who was friends with Wagner. This is the castle that Disney used as the inspiration for the Castles in Disneyland.
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Went to Europe in 1985 and did the Castle tour. As the San Francisco Chronicle said in an article printed in the summer of 1985. There are only two type of castles that you must see. Ludwigs castles in Germany. The rest are in France.
Ludwig II of Bavaria built three castles which are magnificant. Two are must sees. Neuschwanstein (sp) which translates to new swans rock and Linderhof are two classics. Newschwanstein was the castle Walt Disney modled his Fantasyland castle after. These are located in Southern Germany, Bavaria.
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One is the Royal Castles (of Ludwig II?) in southern Germany, within a day's drive of Munich. There are 4 (I only saw 2), including the famous Neuschwanstein (on which the Disney castle was modeled). This castle was not completely finished, but the rooms that were, including a throne room and ballroom, are quite impressive. Also, the scenery is beautiful around there (edge of the mountains).
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Neuschwanstein (sp?) is the ultimate fairyland castle, in Bavaria near Austrian border. One of Prince Ludwig's group of castles (he was a little mad). This is reputed to be the one after which Disney modelled his fairyland castles. Ludwig was into Wagner, and there is a big Wagner festival at the castle each year. Michelin rates it ***.
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Oh, one of the great things about Mad Ludwig's castle is that it is high on a hill that overlooks a gorgeous valley. With each floor up, the view gets better.
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The castle in Salzburg, Austria is another castle that is quite impressive. Not sure of the date, but it is similar to Carcasonne, and salzburg is a beautiful Town.
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Gravensteen - The Castle of Counts
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Karlstejn - This country's most famous castle.
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That's a great question. I'd have to say that my favorite castle is Prague Castle. It dominates the whole city - it's actually more like an entire district than a castle.
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Chinon
Chateau Gaillard - built by Richard Coeur-de-Lion Mont St. Michel - Impressive!
Josselin - home of Olivier de Clisson, constable of France Carcassone - must see
Angers
Albi - fortress cathedral (of Albigensian crusade fame) Avignon - Palace of the Popes
Vincennes
Tarascon - similar to the Bastille
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The city/fortress of Carcasonne in France is a wonderful castle, very much like a medieval town with narrow cobblestone streets, etc. Really nice Youth hostel in the city as well.
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If you are in Paris, you should visit the famous castles in the Loire valley, e.g. Chambord, but others are also worth a visit, and the cities Blois and Tours.
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Maybe it is the golden glow of nostalgia, but there is a restored castle near Strasbourg in Alsace that knocked my socks off about 30 years ago. It was restored by the Hohenzollern's during the 1870-1918 period when Germany held Alsace and has been kept up by the French since. It has great battlements and a spectacular view over a beautiful valley. Can't remember the name, but any guide to Alsace or the Strasbourg area should provide it.
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The rest are in France and the majority are located in the Lorie Valley about 70 to 150 miles west of Paris. I would also include a visit to Versilles which is about 20 miles west of Paris. After seeing these you understand why there was a French revolution.
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Visit Chaumont in the fog and Asay-le-Rideau in clear weather. Both are in the Loire valley.
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I think my favorite traditional castle is the small chateau at La Petite-Pierre in the North Vosges region of France. It's not spectacular, but it's got a beautiful setting.
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Second favorite walled town is Wissembourg in Alsace, with gardens on the walls.
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Impressing castles, mystery,.. don't miss the 'Chateaux Cathares' near Toulouse and Perpignan, France.
Between the Pyrenees and the Mediterannee Sea, the ruins (about 12th century) are on the top of cliffs.
But you won't even see them because they have the same color as the rocks and you can't imagine how the Cathares built them there!
Each castle has its own story:
The enemy was around the castle and just waiting until the people into the castle were out of food and water. The end seemed to be close because it was the last day they could hold without food and water. Tomorow they will have to surrender and they will probably be burned as the other cathares (judged as heretics). Fortunatly, during the night, it rained and the tanks in the castle were now full of water. The winter coming soon, the ennemy will probably have to leave the place. Thats a miracle! But you never can predict the History: Dead rats were left in the bottom of the tanks, so the unexpected water became poluted and all the people in the castle died by drinking this 'saving' water.
Of course there is more about secret passages, hided gold, etc. You will learn more about the 'cathares' people, on how this area became part of France instead of Spain.
Be carefull! It is so windy some days that if you through a small rock from the top of the highest tower,
it will come back to your face. And you have to hold you very carefully on the ruins because in some
passages the wind will simply blow you in the air (that is true !).
Just keep in mind some famous names of these 'Cathare' castles: Perpertuse, Queribus, Monsegur.
I tried to do my best with my english to describe shortly my favorite castles. I am just hoping that you realise how interesting they are. If you like countryside, history, archeology, mystery, and even good food ('cassoulet and foie gras'), hiking (Yes, you have to climb rather steeply to reach these castles), you will, I am sure, emjoyed this area (fortunatly not too much touristic yet!).
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(more castles per square mile than anywhere else in Europe) Marksburg - accurate 13/14th century restoration Bug Eltz
Heidelburg (obligatory, but impressive) Rothenburg and Dinkelsbuhl - fortress towns Wurzburg
Coburg
Frankenstein (the real one; small, but impress your friends 8-) Zitadelle Spandau - Berlin's big castle (not the prison; it was torn down when Hess died. There's a British Forces shopping mall there now. |
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| Copyright © - "Elizabeth Schwartz" |
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