Best Castles to Visit for Fantasy Nerds
This week will be all about castles! We have compiled a list of the castles we would most like to visit, and what we think would be best for Fantasy Nerds! Do you have a castle you have always wanted to visit? We hope you enjoy our list!
Bran Castle – Transylvania
This castle inspired Bram Stoker’s description of Dracula’s Castle! The landscape surrounding the castle is absolutely breathtaking, with luscious trees, high mountain peaks, and a gorgeous town tucked into the hills just below! There is a “Time Tunnel” you can tour at this castle, which is an elevator that takes you from a bottom entrance through the top of the castle with exhibits from the building of the castle in 1377 to the present day!
Find out more information on this castle here!
Neuschwanstein Castle – Germany
WTF has actually been to this castle in Germany! This was the inspiration behind the Cinderella castle at Disneyworld. This castle is absolutely massive, and while it was technically never finished, it is beautifully maintained! This was built at a time when castles were no longer considered necessary as strongholds, but King Louis II aka Mad King Ludwig had a romanticized view of castles and started construction in 1868. By the time of King Louis II’s death, the castle was still incomplete and he had barely lived there a total of six months on and off by the time he drowned himself. The tour through the completed parts of the castle is amazing, and there are numerous paintings of swans!
There is an incredible hike where you go just above the castle and get the most breathtaking view I have ever seen in my life! The enormous castle from a slightly top-down view, the trees and surrounding hills luscious and bright, a soft breeze kissing your cheeks and flowing through your hair. Absolutely incredible experience I highly recommend it!
Kumamoto Castle – Kumamoto, Japan
Kumamoto Castle has a rich history spanning back over four hundred years! The site of battles, and a peak into how feudal lords lived in the 1600s. What you can visit today is mostly a reconstruction after much of the castle burnt down in the 1870s. The architecture is absolutely breathtaking and would be a marvel to see!
Dalhousie Castle – Scotland
We have talked about Dalhousie Castle in Scotland before on our blog, but it deserves to be included on this list! This castle lets guests spend the night in this historical castle that has seen many battles and even hosted a King and Queen. The rooms here are fit for royalty with a beautiful view of the Scottish countryside. You can explore secret passageways, eat dinner in the dungeon, and have a whiskey tasting in the library, as well as take lessons in archery and falconry!
Doune Castle – Ireland
I first heard about the Game of Thrones set tours from the HBO documentary about the show, and since then I have been dying to go! The location is in beautiful Ireland, a country I have always wanted to visit. There are actually multiple tours that look like fun experiences. The first one, from the documentary, is Game of Thrones Tours. You can tour iconic locations including Winterfell, the Twins, Riverlands, and Iron Islands. What makes this tour unique is that your guide is an extra from the TV show, and they provide you with replica costumes and metal swords to immerse yourself in the experience.
Winterfell Tours is another tour that looks fantastic. There are many add-on experiences with this tour that can give you a one-of-a-kind adventure! You can meet the actual dogs that played the Direwolves Grey Wind and Summer. You can take archery lessons from the “Master-of-Arms”, go on a Narrow Sea boat voyage, have a Medieval Banquet, and more! These add-ons seem totally worth the extra money, and make it an amazing castle to visit!
…
What did you think of our list? Did we leave any out? Which castles are on your list to visit? Let us know in the comments below!
Thank you so much for reading!
-Clever&WTF
