The most famous fairytale castles

The most famous fairytale castles are probably the ones that originate from legends and myths. Well known examples are King Arthur’s Camelot and the Cinderella and Sleeping Beaty castles that can be found in several theme parks around the world. This list contains their real world counterparts and source of inspiration. These real fairytale castles are just as magical and most are associated with stories and fairy tales of their own.

1. Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg

The château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg is nestled at a strategic location on a high hill overlooking the Alsatian plain in the Vosges mountains, France. It was used by successive powers from the Middle Ages until the Thirty Years’ War when the castle was burned and pillaged by Swedish troops after a 52-day siege. After this the Château was left unused for a few hundred years and became overgrown by forest. In 1899 it was given to the German emperor Wilhelm II and rebuilt as it was on the eve of the Thirty Years’ War. When the French confiscated the castle after WWI it was considered fashionable to sneer at the castle because of its links to the emperor. Many considered it to be nothing more than a fairytale castle.

2. Matsumoto Castle

Built in the 16th century, Matsumoto Castle is considered one of Japan’s most famous castles. It is a flatland castle because it is not built on a hilltop or amid rivers, but on a plain. The castle’s complete defences included an extensive system of inter-connecting walls, moats and gatehouses. During the Edo period, the castle was ruled by the 23 lords of Matsumoto representing 6 different daimyo families. In this period the stronghold was also known as Crow Castle because its black walls and roofs looked like spreading wings.

3. Neuschwanstein

The ultimate fairytale castle, Neuschwanstein is situated on a rugged hill near Füssen in southwest Bavaria. It was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty castles in the Disneyland parks. The castle was commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as a homage to Richard Wagner. The castle was near completion in 1886 when, in 1886, the King was declared insane by a state commission and found dead a few days later. Since then over 50 million people have visited Neuschwanstein. It is the most photographed building in Germany and is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations.

4. Krak des Chevaliers

Krak des Chevaliers is widely recognised as the archetypal Crusader castle. The word Krak coming from the Syriac karak, meaning fortress. Described by Lawrence of Arabia as “perhaps the best preserved and most wholly admirable castle in the world”, this somewhat isolated site is located magnificently atop a 650 meter (2130 ft) high hill and is, indeed, extremely well-preserved. The original fortress at the location had been built in 1031 for the emir of Aleppo and captured during the First Crusade. It was by the Knights Hospitaller as their headquarters. The castle was expanded between 1150 and 1250 and eventually housed a garrison of 2,000. Today it represents one of the premier tourist attractions in Syria.

5. Alcázar of Segovia

Rising out on a rocky crag above the confluence of the rivers Eresma and Clamores in Segovia, the Alcázar is one of Spain’s most famous castles. The Alcázar was originally built as an Arab fort but has served as a royal palace, a state prison, a Royal Artillery College and a military academy since then. During the Middle Ages it was one of the favorite residences of the monarchs of the Kingdom of Castile and a key fortress in the defense of the kingdom. It was during this period a majority of the current building was constructed.