The feudal lord's castle in the Middle Ages scheme. The Knight's Castle was a safe house in the Middle Ages. Chillon Castle, Switzerland

Medieval castles weren't really just large fortresses with massive stone walls. These were ingeniously designed fortifications that used a variety of ingenious and creative ways to defend the inhabitants of the castle from enemy attacks. Everything - from the outer walls to the shape and position of the stairs - has been carefully planned to provide maximum protection for the inhabitants of the castle. In this review about little-known secrets, hidden in the construction of medieval castles.

Almost every castle was surrounded by a moat filled with water. It is generally accepted that this was an obstacle for the assault forces, but in fact it was not the main function of the moat.

Vischering Castle in Germany. The castle consists of an external defensive courtyard, security locks, a drawbridge over a moat, a main building and a chapel.

One of the biggest problems for the inhabitants of a medieval castle or fortress was that the invading army could dig tunnels under the fortifications. Not only could the enemy get inside the castle underground, but the tunnels could also lead to the collapse of the castle walls. The ditch prevented this, since the tunnel dug under the ditch was inevitably flooded with water and it collapsed.

Nesvizh Castle. Belarus.

This was a very effective deterrent against tunneling. Often the moat was laid not around the outer wall of the castle, but between the outer and inner walls.

Concentric Defense Circles

It was an extremely effective defense method for the inhabitants of a medieval castle, which looked like a series of obstacles surrounding the castle.

Hochosterwitz Castle. Austria.

As a rule, such obstacles were (as the distance from the castle) a burnt and dug field, an outer wall, a moat, an inner wall, a donjon tower. The attacking army had to overcome each of these obstacles in turn. And it took a lot of time and effort.

Main gate

The main gate of the castle was often the most dangerous place the entire structure, since, if necessary, they could turn into a deadly trap.

Eltz Castle in Germany.

They often led to a small courtyard, at the other end of which there was also another gate, equipped with an iron lowering lattice. If the attackers broke through the first gate and ended up in the courtyard, then the grill fell, after which the aggressors were trapped.

Svirzh castle in the village of Svirzh Lviv region. Main gate.

At the same time, there were small holes in the walls of the courtyard through which the defenders could shoot from bows and crossbows at the trapped enemy soldiers.

Hidden secrets of the stairs

The stairwells in medieval castles were actually very elaborate. First, they were almost always helical, very narrow, and built in a clockwise direction.

Spiral staircase in Mir Castle. Belarus.

This meant that it was very difficult for attacking opponents who climbed up the stairs (and one at a time, because the stairs were narrow), it was very difficult to fight, because they had a sword in their right hand. And since there was always a wall on their right hand, they had no opportunity to swing. The defenders, on the other hand, had the wall of the spiral staircase on their left hand, so they had more opportunities to swing.

Reverse spiral staircase with uneven steps in the Wallenstein castle in Germany.

Another original feature of the stairs was that they had uneven steps: some were very high and others were low. The defenders of the castle, being familiar with the local stairs, could quickly climb and descend along them, and the attackers often stumbled and fell, substituting themselves under attack.

Secret passages

Many castles had secret passages that served various purposes. Some of them were made so that the inhabitants of the castle could flee in case of defeat, and also so that during the siege the defenders were not cut off from the supply of food.

Koretsky castle in Ukraine.

Secret passages also led to secret chambers where people could hide, food was stored, and (which was quite common) an additional water well was dug.

Predjama Castle in Slovenia.

Therefore, the medieval castle was much more than just a large glamorous palace with massive stone walls around it. It was a structure designed down to the smallest detail to protect the inhabitants. And each castle was full of its own little secrets.

There are few things in the world more interesting than the knightly castles of the Middle Ages: these majestic fortresses breathe evidence of distant eras with grandiose battles, they saw both the most perfect nobility and the most vile betrayal. And not only historians and experts in military affairs are trying to unravel the secrets of ancient fortifications. The Knight's Castle is interesting to everyone - a writer and a layman, an avid tourist and a simple housewife. This is, so to speak, a mass artistic image.

How the idea was born

A very turbulent time - in addition to the big wars, the feudal lords constantly fought with each other. Neighborly, so that it is not boring. The aristocrats fortified their homes from invasion: at first, only a ditch would be dug in front of the entrance and a wooden palisade would be erected. With the acquisition of siege experience, the fortifications became more and more powerful - so that the ram could withstand and the stone cores were not afraid. In antiquity, this is how the Romans surrounded the army with a palisade on vacation. The Normans began to build stone structures, and it was only in the 12th century that the classical European knightly castles of the Middle Ages appeared.

Turning into a fortress

Gradually, the castle turned into a fortress, it was surrounded by a stone wall, into which high towers were built. The main goal is to make the knight's castle inaccessible to attackers. At the same time, be able to monitor the entire district. The castle must have its own source of drinking water - suddenly a long siege is ahead.

The towers were built in such a way as to hold any number of enemies for as long as possible, even alone. For example, they are narrow and so steep that a warrior walking in second cannot help the first in anything - not with a sword or a spear. And it was necessary to climb them counterclockwise so as not to hide behind a shield.

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Imagine a mountain slope on which a knight's castle is erected. Photo attached. Such structures were always built at a height, and if there was no natural suitable landscape, they made a fill mound.

A knight's castle in the Middle Ages is not only about knights and feudal lords. There have always been small settlements around and around the castle, where all kinds of artisans settled and, of course, warriors guarding the perimeter.

Those walking along the road are always turned with their right side to the fortress, those that cannot be covered with a shield. There is no high vegetation - do not hide. The first obstacle is the moat. It can be around the castle or across between the castle wall and the plateau, even crescent, if the terrain allows.

There are ditches even within the castle: if the enemy suddenly managed to break through, movement will be very difficult. If the soil is rocky - a ditch is not needed, digging under the wall is impossible. The earthen rampart right in front of the moat was often with a palisade.

The bridge to the outer wall was made in such a way that the defense of the knight's castle in the Middle Ages could last for years. It is lifting. Either the whole or its extreme segment. In the raised position - vertically - it provides additional protection for the gate. If a part of the bridge was raised, the other was automatically lowered into the moat, where the "wolf's pit" was set up - a surprise for the most hasty attackers. The Knight's Castle in the Middle Ages was not hospitable to everyone.

Gate and gate tower

Knight's castles of the Middle Ages were most vulnerable just in the area of ​​the gate. Latecomers could enter the castle through the side gate via the lifting ramp, if the bridge was already raised. The gates themselves were most often not built into the wall, but were arranged in the gate towers. Usually bivalves, from several layers of boards, were sheathed with iron to protect themselves from arson.

Locks, bolts, cross beams, sliding across the opposite wall - all this helped to hold out in the siege for quite a long time. Behind the gates, moreover, a powerful iron or wooden lattice was usually lowered. This is how the knightly castles of the Middle Ages were equipped!

The gate tower was arranged so that the guards guarding it could learn from the guests the purpose of the visit and, if necessary, treat them with an arrow from the vertical loophole. For a real siege, holes for boiling tar were built in there.

Defense of a knight's castle in the Middle Ages

The most important defensive element. It should be tall, thick and better if on a plinth at an angle. The foundation underneath it is as deep as possible - in case of undermining.

Sometimes there is a double wall. Next to the first high one there is a small inner one, but impregnable without devices (ladders and poles that remained outside). The space between the walls - the so-called zwinger - is being shot through.

The outer wall at the top is equipped for the defenders of the fortress, sometimes even with a weather canopy. The teeth on it existed not only for beauty - it was convenient to hide behind them at full height in order to recharge, for example, a crossbow.

The loopholes in the wall were adapted for both archers and crossbowmen: narrow and long - for a bow, with an extension - for a crossbow. Ball loopholes are a fixed but rotatable ball with a shooting slot. Balconies were built mainly decorative, but if the wall is narrow, then they were used, retreating and letting the rest pass.

Medieval knights' towers were almost always built with convex towers at the corners. They protruded outward to fire along the walls in both directions. The inner side was open so that the enemy who penetrated the walls would not gain a foothold inside the tower.

What's inside?

In addition to the Zwingers, other surprises could be expected outside the gates of the intruders. For example, a small closed courtyard with loopholes in the walls. Sometimes castles were built from several self-contained sections with powerful internal walls.

There was always a courtyard inside the castle with a household - a well, a bakery, a bathhouse, a kitchen and a donjon - the central tower. Much depended on the location of the well: not only health, but also the life of the besieged. It happened that (remember that the castle, if not just on a hill, then on the rocks) was more expensive than all the other buildings of the castle. The Thuringian Kuffhäuser Castle, for example, has a well over one hundred and forty meters deep. In the rock!

Central tower

Donjon is the tallest structure of the castle. From there, the surroundings were monitored. And it is the central tower that is the last refuge of the besieged. The most reliable! The walls are very thick. The entrance is extremely narrow and located at a high altitude. The staircase leading to the door could be pulled in or destroyed. Then the knight's castle can hold the siege for quite a long time.

At the base of the keep was a basement, a kitchen, a pantry. Further there were floors with stone or wood floors. The stairs were wooden, with stone floors they could be burned to stop the enemy on the way.

The main hall was located on the whole floor. Heated by a fireplace. Above, the rooms of the family of the owner of the castle were usually located. There were small stoves decorated with tiles.

At the very top of the tower, most often open, there is a platform for a catapult and, most importantly, a banner! Medieval knightly castles were distinguished not only by chivalry. There were cases when the knight and his family did not use the donjon for housing, having built a stone palace (palace) not far from it. Then the donjon served as a warehouse, even a prison.

And, of course, every knight's castle must have a temple. The obligatory inhabitant of the castle is the chaplain. Often he is both a clerk and a teacher, in addition to his main job. In rich castles, churches were two-story, so that the gentlemen would not pray next to the rabble. The owner's ancestral tomb was also built within the boundaries of the temple.

Functions

The main functions of the feudal castle with suburbs were:

• military (center of military operations, means of military control over the district),
• administrative and political (the administrative center of the district, the place where the political life of the country was concentrated),
• cultural and economic (craft and trade center of the district, a place of the highest elite and folk culture).

Defining characteristics

There is a widespread belief that castles existed only in Europe, where they originated, and in the Middle East, where the crusaders took them. Contrary to this point of view, similar structures appear in Japan in the 16th and 17th centuries, where they develop without direct contact and influence from Europe and have a completely different history of development, are built differently from European castles and are designed to withstand attacks of a completely different nature.

Components

Hill

A mound of earth, often mixed with gravel, peat, limestone, or brushwood. The height of the embankment in most cases did not exceed 5 meters, although sometimes it reached 10 meters or more. The surface was often covered with clay or wood flooring. The hill was round or close to a square at the base, the diameter of the hill was at least twice the height.

At the top, a wooden, and later stone, defensive tower was erected, surrounded by a palisade. Around the hill was a water-filled or dry moat, from the ground of which an embankment was formed. The tower was accessed through a wooden drawbridge and a staircase on the hillside.

Courtyard

A large courtyard with an area (with rare exceptions) of no more than 2 hectares, surrounding or adjacent to the hill, as well as various residential and outbuildings - the dwellings of the owner of the castle and his soldiers, stables, a forge, warehouses, a kitchen, etc. - inside it. Outside, the courtyard was protected by a wooden palisade, then by a moat, which was filled from the nearest reservoir, and an earthen rampart. The space inside the courtyard itself could be delimited into several parts, or several adjacent courtyards were built near the hill.

Donjon

Castles proper appeared in the Middle Ages and were the dwellings of feudal nobles. Due to the feudal fragmentation and, as a consequence, frequent internecine wars, the feudal lord's dwelling had to perform a defensive task. Usually castles were built on hills, islands, rock ledges and other hard-to-reach places.

With the end of the Middle Ages, castles began to lose their original - defensive - task, which has now given way to a residential one. With the development of artillery, the defensive task of castles disappeared completely; features of the castle architecture were preserved only as decorative elements (French Pierrefonds castle, late 14th century).

A regular layout with a pronounced symmetry prevailed, the main building acquired a palatial character (Madrid Castle in Paris, 15th-16th centuries) or Nesvizh Castle in Belarus (16th century). In the 16th century, castle architecture in Western Europe was finally replaced by palace architecture. The defensive mission was preserved for the longest time by the castles of Georgia, which were actively built until the 18th century.

There were castles that belonged not to one feudal lord, but to a knightly order. Such castles were distinguished by their larger size, as an example is the Königsberg Castle.

Castles in Russia

The main part of the medieval castle was the central tower - donjon, which served as a citadel. In addition to its defensive functions, the donjon was the direct dwelling of the feudal lord. also in main tower often there were living rooms of other inhabitants of the castle, a well, utility rooms (food warehouses, etc.). The donjon often housed a large ceremonial hall for receptions. Elements of the donjon can be found in the castle architecture of Western and Central Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, etc.

Wasserschloss in Schwerin

Usually the castle had a small courtyard surrounded by massive battlements with towers and well-fortified gates. This was followed by the outer courtyard, which included outbuildings, as well as the castle garden and vegetable garden. The entire castle was surrounded by a second row of walls and a moat over which a drawbridge was thrown. If the terrain allowed, then the moat was filled with water and the castle turned into a castle on the water.

The centers of defense of the castle walls were the tower walls protruding beyond the plane of the walls, allowing to organize flanking shelling of those going to attack. In Russian fortifications, the sections of the walls between the towers were called spinners. In this regard, the castles were in terms of a polygon, the walls of which followed the terrain. Numerous examples of such structures have survived to this day in the UK, Germany, France, Ukraine and Belarus (for example, the Mir Castle in Belarus or the Lutsk Castle in Ukraine).

Over time, the structure of the castles became more complex; the territory of the castles already included barracks, a court, a church, a prison and other structures (Kusi castle in France, XIII century; Wartburg castle in Germany, XI century; Harleck castle in Great Britain, XIII century).

Rosenberg Castle in Kronach. Moat and ventilation towers of the auditory gallery

With the beginning of the massive use of gunpowder, the decline of the era of building castles begins. So, the besiegers began to carry out, if the ground allowed it, sapper work - to quietly dig glanders, which made it possible to bring large charges of explosives under the walls (assault on the Kazan Kremlin in the 16th century). As a measure of struggle, the besieged in advance, at a noticeable distance from the walls, dug an underground gallery, from which they listened in order to detect tunnels and destroy them in time.

However, the development of artillery and the increase in its destructive action eventually forced to abandon the use of castles as the basis of defensive strategy and tactics. The time has come for fortresses - complex engineering structures with a developed system of bastions, ravelins, etc.; developed the art of building fortresses - fortification. The recognized authority for the fortification of this era was the chief engineer of Louis XIV, Marshal of France Sebastien de Vauban (1633-1707).

Such fortresses, sometimes developing from castles over time, were also used in World War II to hold down the enemy's forces and delay his advance (see: Brest Fortress).

Building

The construction of the castle began with the choice of location and building materials. A wooden castle was cheaper and easier to build than a stone castle. The cost of building most of the castles has not survived to this day; most of the surviving documents on the topic refer to royal palaces. A castle made of wood with a mott and bailey could have been built by unskilled labor - peasants dependent on the feudal lord, who already had the skills necessary to build a wooden castle (they knew how to cut wood, dig and work with wood). Forced to work for the feudal lord, workers, most likely, were not paid anything, so building a castle from wood was cheap. According to experts, it took 50 workers and 40 days to build a medium-sized hill - 5 meters high and 15 meters wide. The famous architect en: James of Saint George, responsible for the construction of Beaumaris Castle, described the costs associated with the construction of the castle:

A study was carried out examining the costs associated with the construction of the castle of Lange, built in 992 in France. The stone tower is 16 meters high, 17.5 meters wide and 10 meters long with walls an average of 1.5 meters. The walls contain 1200 square meters of stone and have a surface of 1600 square meters. It was estimated that the tower took 83,000 man-days to build, most of which required unskilled labor.

Stone castles were not only expensive to build, but also expensive to maintain as they contained a large amount of timber, which was often untempered and in need of constant maintenance.

Medieval machines and inventions proved to be indispensable during construction; antique timber frame construction techniques have been improved. Finding stone for construction was one of the main problems; often the solution was a quarry near the castle.

Due to the lack of stone, alternative materials were used, such as brick, which was also used for aesthetic reasons, as it was in vogue. Therefore, even in spite of the sufficient amount of stone, some builders chose brick as the main material for the construction of the castle.

The material for construction depended on the terrain: in Denmark there are few quarries, therefore most of its castles are made of wood or brick, in Spain most of the castles are made of stone, while in Eastern Europe, castles were usually built using wood.

Castles today

Nowadays, locks have a decorative function. Some of them are turned into restaurants, others become museums. Some renovate and rent or sell.

For some reason, at the mention of the word "fairy tale" in the mind's eye, first of all, they stand up medieval castles and fortress. Maybe because they were built in those ancient times, when wizards freely roamed the fields and meadows, and over mountain peaks fire-breathing dragons were flying.

Be that as it may, even now, looking at the castles and fortresses that have been preserved in some places, one cannot help imagining princesses sleeping in them and evil fairies casting magic over magic potions. Let's take a look at the once luxurious housing of those in power.

(German Schloß Neuschwanstein, literally "New Swan Stone") is located in Germany, near the town of Fussen (German Fussen). The castle was founded in 1869 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The construction was completed in 1891, 5 years after the unexpected death of the king. The castle is magnificent and attracts curious tourists from all over the world with its beauty of architectural forms.

This is the "dream palace" of the young king, who was never able to see her incarnate in his full grandeur. Ludwig II, the Bavarian, founder of the castle, ascended the throne too young. And being a dreamy nature, representing himself as a fairy-tale character Lohengrin, he conceived to build his castle in order to hide in it from the harsh reality of the defeat of Bavaria in alliance with Austria in 1866 in the war with Prussia.

Moving away from state concerns, the young king demanded too much from the army of architects, artists and artisans. Sometimes he set completely unrealistic deadlines, which required round-the-clock work of masons and joiners. During construction, Ludwig II delved deeper into his fictional world, for which he was later declared insane. The architectural design of the castle was constantly changing. Thus, the guest quarters were excluded and a small grotto was added. The small audience hall has been transformed into the majestic Throne Room.

A century and a half ago, Ludwig II, the Bavarian tried to hide from people behind the walls of a medieval castle - today they come in millions to admire his fabulous refuge.

(German Burg Hohenzollern) is an old castle-fortress in Baden-Württemberg, 50 km south of Stuttgart. The castle is built at an altitude of 855 m above sea level on the top of the Hohenzollern mountain. Only the third castle has survived to this day. The medieval castle fortress was first built in the 11th century and was completely destroyed after the capture, at the end of a grueling siege by the troops of the cities of Swabia in 1423.

A new fortress was built on its ruins in 1454-1461, which served as a refuge for the Hohenzollern house during the Thirty Years War. Due to the complete loss of the fortress of strategic importance, by the end of the 18th century, the castle was noticeably dilapidated, and some parts of the building were finally dismantled.

The modern version of the castle was erected in 1850-1867 on the personal instructions of King Frederick William IV, who decided to completely restore the ancestral castle of the Prussian royal house. The famous Berlin architect Friedrich August Stüler supervised the construction of the castle. He managed to combine new, large-scale castles in the neo-Gothic style and the few surviving buildings of the former destroyed castles.

(Karlštejn), built by the order of the Czech king and emperor Charles IV (named after him) on a high limestone cliff above the Berounka river, as a summer residence and a storage place for the sacred relics of the royal family. The first stone in the foundation of the Karlštejn castle was laid by Archbishop Arnost, who was close to the emperor, in 1348, and already in 1357 the construction of the castle was completed. Two years before the end of construction, Charles IV settled in the castle.

The stepped architecture of Karlštejn Castle, ending in a tower with a chapel of the Grand Cross, is quite common in the Czech Republic. The ensemble includes the castle itself, the Church of the Virgin Mary, the Catherine Chapel, the Big Tower, the Mariana and Well Towers.

The majestic Tower of Studnice and the Imperial Palace, which housed the king's chambers, transport tourists to the Middle Ages, when a powerful monarch ruled the Czech Republic.

Royal palace and fortress in the Spanish city of Segovia, in the provinces of Castile and Leon. The fortress was built on a high rock, above the confluence of the Eresma and Clamores rivers. Such good location made it practically unapproachable. Now it is one of the most recognizable and beautiful palaces in Spain. Originally built as a fortress, the Alcazar was at one time both a royal palace, a prison, and an artillery royal academy.

The Alcazar, which was a small wooden fortress in the 12th century, was later rebuilt into a stone castle and became the most impregnable defensive structure... This palace became famous for great historically significant events: the coronation of Isabella the Catholic, her first marriage to the King of Aragon Ferdinand, the wedding of Anne of Austria to Philip II.

(Castelul Peleş) was built by the King of Romania Karol I near the city of Sinai in the Romanian Carpathians. The king was so fascinated by the local beauty that he bought up the surrounding lands and built a castle for hunting and summer vacation... The name of the castle was given by a small mountain stream flowing nearby.

In 1873, the construction of a grandiose structure began, under the direction of the architect Johann Schulz. Together with the castle, other structures necessary for a comfortable life were built: royal stables, houses for guards, a hunting lodge and a power station.

Thanks to the power plant, Peles became the first electrified castle in the world. The castle officially opened in 1883. At the same time, central heating and a lift were installed in it. The construction was fully completed in 1914.

It is a symbol of the small city-state of San Marino in the territory of modern Italy. The beginning of the construction of the fortress is considered to be the 10th century A.D. Guaita is the first of three San Marino fortresses built on the peaks of Monte Titano.

The structure consists of two rings of fortifications, the inner one has retained all the signs of forts of the feudal era. The main entrance gate was located at a height of several meters, and it was possible to pass through them only by a drawbridge, now destroyed. The fortress was restored many times in the 15th - 17th centuries.

Well, here we have seen some medieval castles and fortresses in Europe, of course, not all. Next time we will admire the fortresses on the tops of inaccessible rocks. There are still so many interesting discoveries ahead!

There are many medieval castles scattered across Europe, which many centuries ago were intended to shelter and protect the families of feudal lords. Today, castles are silent witnesses to royal dramas, the fall of great houses and historical events.

Now tourists in winter and summer visit ancient fortresses to see their splendor with their own eyes. We've put together some incredibly beautiful castles to visit on this list!

1 Tintagel Castle, England

Tintagel is a medieval fort on the promontory of the island of the same name. The castle is bordered by the village of Tintagel in Cornwall. It was built by the representative of the Plantagenet dynasty, Richard in 1233. However, Tintagel is often associated with another famous character - King Arthur. Here he was conceived, born and from here taken away by the wizard Merlin in infancy.

Since the 19th century, the castle has been a tourist attraction and is under the possession of Prince Charles. It is managed by English Heritage, the British State Commission on Historic Buildings.

2 Corvin Castle, Romania

This Gothic castle with Renaissance elements is located in Transylvania, a Romanian town called Hunedoara, on a cliff by the Zlashte River. The castle was built in the middle of the 15th century by the father of the Hungarian king Matthew Corvinus and was inherited until 1508.

Since then, Korvinov has changed 22 owners, and was opened to the public as a museum. The castle is still one of the wonders of Romania, by the way, according to rumors, Vlad Tepes himself, known as Count Dracula, spent seven years in captivity here.

3 Alcazar de Segovia, Spain

This fortress of the Spanish kings is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The castle is located in an incredibly beautiful location - a rock at the confluence of two rivers. Due to its location, it is one of the most recognizable castles in Spain.

In 1120, the Alcazar was used as an Arab fortress. Then there was a royal residence, an artillery academy and even a prison. Currently, it houses a military archive and a museum.

4 Eltz Castle, Germany

Eltz Castle is considered one of two medieval buildings in the Eifel Highlands that were never destroyed or captured. The castle has withstood all the wars and upheavals since its construction in the XII century.

It is surprising that the castle has been owned by the same family for 33 generations - Eltz, whose descendant to this day takes care of it, keeping it intact. The owner opened it for tourists, who are especially attracted by the Eltz treasury with jewelry exhibits and other works of art from different centuries.

5 Windsor Castle, England

For over 900 years this castle has been closely associated with the monarchs of Great Britain and is their symbol. The current ruling Windsor dynasty is named in his honor. The castle was built in the 11th century by William the Conqueror, and has been used as a royal residence since the reign of Henry I. Over so many centuries, it has been rebuilt and supplemented several times in accordance with the requests of the ruling monarchs.

Interestingly, during the Second World War, the castle served as a refuge for the royal family. Nowadays, the castle is used for state receptions, tourist visits, as well as for the rest of Queen Elizabeth II in the spring of every year.

6 Himeji Castle, Japan

This castle near the city of Himeji is one of the oldest in Japan. Its construction, as a fortress, was started in 1333, and in 1346 the fort was reconstructed into a castle. For a long time he wandered from one samurai clan to another, and only in the 1600s found a master. Then the main part of the 83 wooden buildings of the castle was built.

Films are often filmed in the Himeji area, as the castle is well preserved in its original form. In addition, the building belongs to the National Treasures of Japan and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

7 Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

This ancient castle is located on Castle Rock in the center of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. About 300-odd million years ago there was active volcano! The first mention of this building dates back to 1139, when the nobility and the ministers of the church gathered in the royal castle. This continued until 1633, but since then the castle has been considered the heart of Scotland.

It is worth noting that this fortress survived 26 sieges, making it the most attacked on Earth. Over the past 150 years, Edinburgh Castle has been frequently restored, and now it is the main tourist attraction in Edinburgh.

8 Hever Castle, England

The castle was built in the XIII century in the south-east of England in the county of Kent, as an ordinary country house. It became famous due to the fact that the Boleyn family lived here from 1462 to 1539. In 1505, he was inherited by Thomas Boleyn, father of Anne, wife of King Henry VIII, whose wedding caused the breakup of England and Rome. True, after the king was bored with his new wife, he executed her in the Tower.

Since then, Hever has passed from one owner to another, but has retained the unique Tudor interiors. The castle is now used as a conference venue, but is also open to the public.

9 Bojnice castle, Slovakia

It is considered one of the most romantic castles in Europe. Its first mention dates back to 1113 - an ordinary wooden castle in Bojnice, which was gradually fortified. The fortress was officially handed over to the ruler of Slovakia, Matus Czak, by the King of Hungary Wenceslas III in 1302.

Since then, each new owner has reconstructed the castle, and in the end it turned out to be the most visited place in Slovakia. Many fantastic and fabulous films have been filmed here. The castle also houses the Slovak Folk Museum.

10 Bran Castle, Romania

Bran Fortress is a national landmark of Romania. Initially, it was a wooden structure, which was founded in 1212 by the knights of the Teutonic Order, and later, local residents completed the construction with their own funds. In those days, the building served as a defensive fortress.

Bran changed many owners, but most often it is called "Dracula's castle". According to legend, Prince Vlad Chepes, nicknamed Count Dracula, often stopped here and hunted near the castle. In the 20th century, the castle was donated by the locals to Queen Maria of Romania, whose grandson currently owns it. The castle now houses a museum of furniture and art from the collection of Queen Mary.

11 Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland

This beautiful castle, which is recognized as one of the most romantic in Scotland, is located on Donan Island - at the meeting point of three lakes. In the 7th century, a hermit monk lived on the island, after whom the castle was named. In the XIII century, the first fortress was built, and Eilean Donan himself was transferred by the king into the possession of the ancestor of the Scottish clan Mackenzie.

The building was destroyed in 1719, and only at the beginning of the 20th century, the MacRae clan acquired the castle and began to restore it. By the way, this fortress can be seen in the TV series Outlander.

12 Bodiam Castle, England

The land on which the castle is now located went to Edward Dalingridge after his marriage. In 1385, during the 100 Years War, he fortified the estate to protect the area from the French. For several decades, the castle has been passed down from generation to generation. When the family was interrupted at the end of the 15th century, the castle came into the possession of the Leuknor family.

Later, Bodiam changed several owners, each of which contributed to its restoration, for example, after the siege during the War of the Roses. In 1925, after the death of the then owner, the castle was donated to the national foundation, which still supports it. Now this fortress near the village of Robertsbridge can be visited by anyone.

13 Hohensalzburg Castle, Austria

This building is considered one of the largest of all preserved medieval castles in Europe and is located at an altitude of 120 meters on the top of Mount Festung near the Austrian city of Salzburg. The castle was built in 1077 under the leadership of the Archbishop of Salzburg, but now only the foundation remains of that building.

Hohensalzburg has been fortified, rebuilt and reconstructed many times. Only in the 16th century did it acquire the form that it is now. The fortress was used as a warehouse, barracks, fort and even a prison during the First World War. Now this castle is a favorite tourist attraction, where you can climb the funicular or walk.

14 Arundell Castle, England

This castle was founded on Christmas Day 1067 by Roger de Montgomery (Earl of Arundel), one of the subjects of William the Conqueror. It later became the main residence of the Howard Dukes of Norfolk, who have owned it for over 400 years.

The castle was rebuilt after damage during the English Civil War in the 17th century, and also renovated with the return of fashion for medieval interiors. Although Arundel is privately owned, most of the castle is open to tourists.

15 Mont Saint Michel, France

This castle is not called an architectural wonder of France for nothing. It is a rocky island in northwestern France that was turned into a fortified island in the 8th century. For a long time, monks lived here, and even an abbey was built.

During the 100-year war, the British tried unsuccessfully to conquer the island, and during the French Revolution, when there were no monks on the island, a prison was built here. It was closed in 1863, and in 1874 the island was declared a historical monument. About 3 million tourists come here annually, while there are only a few dozen locals!

These amazing historical monuments reached the descendants almost intact. They preserve the centuries-old history of different peoples, which cannot always be read on the pages of textbooks.

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