Amazing Photos of Castles, Palaces, and Chateaux
Posted on October 7, 2007
Filed Under Architecture and Design
I wanted to showcase the incredible architectural design of the castles and palaces that were constructed in various centuries and came across quite a few stunning photos and images. Most of the photographs have been artistically enhanced (HDR) by the original photographer or later by the mentioned artist. Some are absolutley amazing.
Alcazar of Segovia
The Alcázar of Segovia (literally "Segovia Castle") is a stone fortification, located in the old city of Segovia, Spain. It is one of the most distinctive castle-palaces in Spain by virtue of its shape - like the bow of a ship. 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.
Created By Cuellar
Neuschwanstein Castle
Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th century Bavarian castle. Located in Germany, near Hohenschwangau and Füssen in southwest Bavaria, the castle was built by Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, as a retreat and as an homage to Richard Wagner, the King’s inspiring muse.
Created By Oefe
Moritzburg Castle
Schloss Moritzburg is a Baroque Germanic castle in the small town of Moritzburg in the German state of Saxony. It is located close to the city of Dresden. It was built from 1542–1546 as a hunting lodge for Duke Moritz of Saxony.
Photo by Jmbgermany
Peles Castle
Peleş Castle is a romantic castle in Sinaia, Romania, built between 1873 and 1883, and is considered by some to be the most beautiful in Europe and in the world. Peles Castle was designed in the neo-Renaissance style, first by German architect Wilhelm Doderer and later by Johannes Schultz (1876-1883). Later additions were made between 1893 and 1914 by the Czech architect Karel Liman. It was originally used as the summer residence of the royal family. It also serves as the burial site of King Carol I after his death in 1914.
Photo By daytona_k
Scone Palace
Scone Palace is located in Scone, near Perth, Scotland. It was constructed in 1808 for the Earls of Mansfield by William Atkinson. Built of red sandstone with a castellated roof, it is a classic example of the late Georgian Gothic style.
Created by José Luis Mieza Ramos
El Escorial, the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo El Real
El Escorial is situated at the foot of Mt. Abantos in the Sierra de Guadarrama. The location, hardly obvious as a site for a royal palace, was chosen by King Philip II of Spain, and it was he who ordained the building of a grand edifice here to commemorate the 1557 Spanish victory at the Battle of St. Quentin in Picardy against Henry II, king of France. The building’s cornerstone was laid on April 23, 1563. The design and construction were overseen by Juan Bautista de Toledo, who did not live to see the completion of the project. With Toledo’s death in 1567, direction passed to his apprentice, Juan de Herrera, under whom the building was completed in 1584, in less than 21 years.
Photo by: cuellar
Almourol Castle
The Almourol Castle is situated in a small rocky island, in the middle of the Tagus river, in Portugal. The castle was a Knights Templar stronghold used during the Reconquista. It is believed it was a primitive lusitanian redoubt and was populated from Roman times until the late Middle Ages. It is certain that in 1129, when Portuguese troops conquered the land, the castle already existed and was called Almorolan.
Photo by: feijomestre
Royal Palace of Madrid
The site of the palace dates from a 10th-century fortress, called mayrit, constructed as an outpost by Mohammed I, Emir of Córdoba and inherited after 1036 by the independent Moorish Kingdom of Toledo. The Antiguo Alcázar ("Old Castle") was built on the location in the 16th century. It burned on December 24, 1734; King Philip V ordered a new palace built on the same location. Construction spanned the years 1738 to 1755 and followed a Berniniesque design.
Photo by: R.Duran
Chateau de Chambord
It is the largest castle in the Loire Valley, France, but was built to serve only as a hunting lodge for King François I, who maintained his royal residences at Château de Blois and at Château d’Amboise. The original design of the Château de Chambord is attributed, though with several doubts, to Domenico da Cortona, whose wooden model for the design survived long enough to be drawn by André Félibien in the seventeenth century.
Photo by: -Kj
Butron Castle
The Butrón Castle, located in the municipality of Gatika, Spain, was constructed in the middle of the 14C. It has witnessed the factional fights that forged the history of Bizkaia. After being abandoned for several centuries and left to deteriorate, it was restored in the 19C by the architect Mr. Francisco de Cubas, who gave the castle its present romantic appearance.
Photo by: Santi
De Haar Castle (Kasteel de Haar)
Located in the Netherlands, the castle was founded in the 14th century. Between 1892 and 1912 the castle that stands today was rebuilt incorporating the original ruins.
Photo By: Saskya
Manzanares el Real Castle
Located in the town of Manzanares el Real, 30 miles north of Madrid. The construction of the castle began in the year 1475, at a time when Madrid had little more than 100 houses and about 300 citizens. The castle has a quadrangular plant with four towers on the corners.
Photo by: R.Duran
Gravensteen Castle
Located in Ghent, Belgium, the present castle was built in 1180 by count Philip of Alsace and was modelled after the crusaders castles the count encountered while he participated in the second crusade. Before its construction, there stood a wooden castle on the same location, presumably built in the ninth century.
Photo by: highsmith
Chateau de Chenonceau
The Château de Chenonceau, near the small village of Chenonceaux, Loire Valley in France, was built on the site of an old mill on the River Cher, sometime before its first mention in writing in the 11th century. The current manor was designed by the French Renaissance architect Philibert Delorme in the 1500’s which was the third castle constructed on the site.
Photo by: nacho_h71
Belsay Castle
Belsay Castle is a 14th century medieval castle situated at Belsay, Northumberland, England. The main structure, a substantial three storey rectangular pele tower with rounded turretts and battlements was constructed about 1370, and was the home of the Middleton family.
Photo By: Craig Wilkinson
Upper Belvedere Palace
The Belvedere is a baroque palace complex built by Prince Eugene of Savoy in the 3rd district of Vienna, Austria, south-east of the city centre. In 1717, the decision was made to build the Upper Belvedere. Construction took place between 1721 and 1722 and the interior decoration was completed the following year.
Photo By: Gerhard
Goluchow Castle
Located in Poland, the Goluchow Castle was originally a defence structure built for Rafal Leszczynski around 1650. Later, to be turned into a stately magnate residence by Rafal’s son, Waclaw, one of the Republic of Poland - Lithuania’s most prominent citizens. Two and a half centuries later Izabela of the Czartoryskis Dzialynska, who then owned the Castle, had it restored in the style of the French Renaissance.
Photo By: ukaszsie
Bojnice Castle
Located in Slovakia, it is also one of the oldest and most distinguished of Slovak fortresses. The first written records of its existence come from 1113 in a document from the Zobor abbey. In this Latin written document King Koloman confirmed the property as belonging to the Benedictine monastery of St. Hypolita in the upper Nitra. Originally the fortress was made from wood and grew out of the older fortress. Gradually over the 13th century it was built up from stone as property of the Poznanovec family. The outer walls of the fortress were shaped according to the uneven rocky terrain, so creating the irregular outline with extended fortification.
Photo by: Tudorka
Castle Doorwerth
Doorwerth Castle was known, in earlier times, as Dorenweerd Castle. The present spelling of its name dates from around 1800. The first, probably wooden, castle is first mentioned in 1260 when it was besieged and burned to the ground as a result. The castle was rebuilt then left in ruins 2 more times. The castle suffered heavily in 1944 when it was transformed into a cheerless ruin as a result of German destructiveness and Allied shelling. Directly after WW II a lengthy restoration followed that lasted until 1983. The Doorwerth Castle is now back to it’s 18th century state.
Photo By: digicla
Lednice Castle
The present appearance of Lednice is a result of the Neo-Gothic reconstruction of 1846 - 1858, designed by Georg Wingelmüller. However, the constructional development of the present Romantic building began as early as the Middle Ages in connection with the noted House of Liechtenstein, which utilized Lednice for representation purposes since the 18th century.
Image by: v.krejci
Bodiam Castle
Bodiam Castle is a quadrangular castle located in East Sussex, England. It was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III, supposedly at the request of Richard II in order to defend the surrounding area from French invasion.
Image by: Aitor Escauriaza
Lulworth Castle
Located in Dorset, England, the Lulworth Castle is a dramatic early-17th century hunting lodge. The mock castle was built in 1607 - 10 by Thomas Howard, 3rd Viscount Blindon. He was a member of the huge Howard clan who were in great favour at the court of James I and had his principal seat at nearby Blindon Abbey.
Image By: Tim Carter
Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
The Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte is a French Baroque chateau located in Maincy, near Melun, in France. It was built from 1658 to 1661 for Nicolas Fouquet, Marquis de Belle-Isle (Belle-Ile-en-Mer), Viscount of Melun and Vaux, the superintendent of finances of Louis XIV
Image by: Sylvain
Eilean Donan Castle
Located on the small island of Eilean Donan in Scotland. The original castle was built in 1220 for Alexander II as a defence against the Vikings. In April 1719 the castle was occupied by Spanish troops attempting to start another Jacobite Rising. The castle was recaptured, and then demolished, by three Royal Navy frigates on 10–13 May 1719. The castle was restored in the years between 1919 and 1932 by Lt. Col. John MacRae-Gilstrap
Image By: Stefano
Craigdarroch Castle
Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada is a historic, Victorian-era mansion. It was constructed in the 1890s as a family residence for the wife of wealthy coal baron Robert Dunsmuir.
Photo by: Matt
Matsumoto Castle
Matsumoto Castle is one of Japan’s historic castles. Located in the city of Matsumoto, in Nagano Prefecture. It is believed much of the castle was completed in 1593-4. This castle is also called Crow Castle because of its black walls and spreading wings. It is an example of a flatland castle, not being built on a hilltop or amid rivers.
Photo by: Yevgen Pogoryelov
So let’s hear it, which one is your favorite?
While you’re here, check out these posts:
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Nice collection, Neuschwanstein is my favorite!
Those are some great photos; especially when I feel I were actually there. It does a wonderful trick to the eyes and the mind. I would love to purchase an estate, such as one of these, and live happily for the rest of my God given days and nights. My crew are culinary artists and delectable gardeners, specially trained by a blotter.
Amazing collection. Here is a chateau from Switzerland http://tinyurl.com/ywwjsh .
I had that one tagged to be included but couldn’t find any high quality photos of it unfortunately
Depends on what you mean with high quality.
The resolution from this picture ( http://tinyurl.com/2luzce ) goes up to 2272 × 1704.
More via google: http://tinyurl.com/3928wb
Great shots, it’s the hd shot that makes them look so great.
I’ll take #2 Neuschwanstein Castle. When dad was in the Army I was born in Nurnberg and my parents took me to it and still trying to make my way back there
This is an excellent continuation of the crazy house blog and it also reminds me of a blogger, “If I Were King”.
I’m sure I could fit my whole house into one of their living rooms…
Scottsdale! You could scoot on over to Camelback Mountain and take a photo of Phoenix’s first castle. An American contribution to the long succession of castles worldwide. Such as it is….but it’s kinda cool, at least we thought so when we realized it was being built (about ten years after the builder actually commenced construction).
@Peter: I was having too much fun going through all the HDR photos on flickr and didn’t go searching elsewhere. I had quite a lengthy list of castles to include, so I just elminated some if I couldn’t find any decent hdr shots. Most of the people who did these are amateurs, in some cases it was their first attempt at HDR. I think they did a pretty good job with it.
@Mark: Im not much of a photographer myself
Ill look around though and see if I can find some photos of it. There’s a couple in America I left off this list.
Peles Castle is my favorite…
Beautiful setting..
Thanks for sharing!
I like the Almourol Castle.
It has a great feel of it’s surroundings, and kick ass views. I hope it has a drawbridge on the main square. Next to the stables.
Here’s another one in Portugal. It’s in Sintra, on the top of a small mountain, and it is a romantic reconstruction (19th Century) of an old monastery. It was rebuilt as a royal summer residence. It’s perfectly preserved, its interiors are lavish and the views outstanding.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Pena-medio-cut.JPG
Replying to Michael Meka, unfortunately the Almourol castle has no drawbridge, since it is built on a small rocky island in the middle of the river, in a rather secure position, thus not requiring the drawbridge. But you are absolutely right about its surroundings and viws: absolutely stunning. Worth a visit.
Some miles from it, there’s also the great templar castle of Tomar, the last stronghold of the Knights Templar in Europe (until the 16th Century). It was built around 1160 and it is said to have contained the Holy Grail, in its rather unique templar church.
Here’s a view of that fortified church in Tomar castle’s main square:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tomartemplarschurch2.jpg
You’ve forgotten Castle Nyenrode in the Netherlands.
http://www.nyenrode.nl/ny_images/campus/nyenrode-Castle-01.jpg
Wow! I want one.
Breath-taking sights! I love the Peles Castle, I wish I could live in that castle. Some castles look creepy but they are still beautiful.
I liked the Butron Castle. Looks like Count Dracula’s palace.
I love them all and cannot make a choice. Would like to visit everyone of them. Than would be a dream come true.
All are singularly beautiful places,without question but the photos and whatever processing took place has made this an outstanding group of ethereal quality in addition to the strength of each “presence”.
Great and beatiful pictures!I liked Peles Castle.
Here is another one - Golubac Fortress
Golubac Fortress (Serbian: Голубачки град or Golubački grad, Hungarian: Galambóc vára) was a medieval fortified town on the right side of the Danube River, 4 kilometers downstream from the modern-day town of Golubac, Serbia. The fortress, which was most likely built during the 14th century, is split into three compounds which were built in stages. It has ten towers, most of which started square, and several of which received many-sided reinforcements with the advent of firearms.
More info here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golubac_fortress
http://wikitravel.org/upload/en/a/a9/800px-Golubac.jpg
OMG! I’m drooling at all these castle pictures. I have been painting Ireland’s Kylemore Abbey as gift for a loved one for some time now, and your site just inspired me to get it done before Christmas!
My art site:
http://www.jmvillustrations.com
Very beautiful pictures. Although I very much doubt Almourol Castle was built to defend against vikings centuries after the viking era ended.
Hi.
Lovely collection! Great pics! Thanks. Did you take them all yourself? Maybe one day you can go to Karlo Vivary “Karlsbad” (in the old Austrian pre 1st world war times) now in Tchec republic.
There is an avenue on top of the hill overlooking this small treasure city with 59 (if I recall the number correctly) miniature castles/palaces/mansions alongside, built by all the royals for their SPA holidays that were fashionable to take there every year before the 1900. Most are now luxury Hotels and B&B or residences for the selected few who can afford.
I have been to the castle in Victoria BC and it has a fireplace exactly like my family home. I understand that it is a music conservatory now. It is a wonderful picture and all of the pictures are a pleasure to look at.
Matsumoto castle looks stunning..
I’ve been to Peles Castle a few years ago … the interior is stunning like it’s exterior .
Love your collection, they look like… the fairy-tales are real
I want my own Castle!
the best castle is “CASTEL DEL MONTE” located in puglia-ITALY……have a look!!!!
Forgot the Heart Castle on Heart Island.
I love the Bodiam Castle. Would love to see the inside.
I’m so jealous of everyone who gets to see these in “person”! I wonder if any of them are haunted
Yeah, they are all so beautiful in their own ways, so it’s hard to pick a favourite.
Wow, these are really amazing. I like them a lot. the Scone Palace in Scotland is the best I think…
Bodiam in East Sussex, UK. One of my earliest artistic attempts with a camera when I was a boy.
Really beautiful!!
gorgeous could look at them all day
This is a great overview of all the most attractive renaissance castles in Europe and certainly the best photoshopped as well. ; ) I am currently working on having a complete database on all castles- medieval, renaissance and follies as well. When you get a chance…
All the best, The Castle Lady
I like the Peles castle.I wish we could view the interior of some of these.
Awesome photos….would really love to ride my bike through France and germany one day.
We have a few properties in Rancho Santa Fe that almost qualify as castles.
Im from turkey and I wish I’d see some fotos from my country.but these fotos are really cool.Id be glad ıf you put some pictures from turkey
Wow. Truly amazing collection.
I am digging it.
i want them there just sooo big and very pretty i just dont like one of them which is the one that looks like one of china’s castles which are really ugly soo pretty much i like all of them but that one!!! . .
+
…..
they also look so cool i think that most of them would be haunted and i am soooooooo jealous of the people that get to live in those big beautiful castles!!!!
=-)
Thank you for sharing such amazing and beautiful photos of these castles. I have been to Chateau de Chombard and Chateau de Chenonceau and you truly have capatured the elegance of each one. My new favorite is Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte. I must make time, god willing to visit this truly beautiful castle.
these are really amazing pictures. All the castles and palaces are Excellent.
Thanks for providing such beautiful pictures.
Must start traveling. *sigh* Beautiful.
Its all beautiful, huge and arty…
Its where greedy people live…
Your collection of the chateaus,palaces and castles photos are amazing. The exterior makes you want to go in and picture what it was like in the past. i would like to travel to visit every beautiful place on this site thank you so much for sharing these wonderful building with me.
Those pictures are so beautiful.They seem like it was yesterday to be living in those times.thanks for shareing.
My favorite is Himeji Jo
Those photos are amazing. It’s almost like traveling to the location.
Thank you for sharing.
Nice HDR photos! I love a good HDR every now and again, but I simply love castles!
the photos are amazing!i’m from romania and i love PELES CASTLE is my favourite !
el escorial is my favorite
!!
Amazing world!
Thank you for sharing us the most beautiful shoots. I love ALL, especially Peles Castle in Romania.
Thanks again and again.
WHOOO I want to say these pictures a BEAUTIFUL I have dreamed for years of going in a castle and visiting as many as I can. my dream is growing all the time I read more books about them, my hopes and dream is to travel to London, Scotland, England, any where I can walk up steps of a castle that has been standing for years to feel what they did as they grew up living in such a wonderful place, my heart faces just thinking of it, if you have any pictures please email me some for my collection thanks TenaJr4ver@yahoo.com
Exquisite Photos .Great work
Mind blowing sights & pictures! I love these Royal Palace of Madrid, I would be glad even if I can see that in real life. BTW, all are beautiful but my favorite amongst them is Royal Palace of Madrid.
what about Dover castle one of the finest norman castles in the world, might not look like a Gothic German castle but it has played its part for over a thousand years also was still in use during WW2 helping defend UK against the Nazi’s are there many other castles which have had such a long history, i doubt it!!!
I was a wee bit disappointed that Burg Eltz in Germany and Vianden in Luxembourg were not included. You do however have a beautiful collection.
i wish to see these castles in person
How wierd my last name is alcazar just like the first castle.
I loved this site