The 15 Best Castles on the top of hills! Why are castles built on top of Hills anyway? Castles were primarily built on top of hills to make them very inaccessible to invaders back in the day.
Castle 1. NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE, GERMANY
Located in Bavaria in Germany. 2 hours by Car from Munich
Neuschwanstein literally means “New Swan Castle”
Inspiration for Sleeping Beauty castle at Disneyland.
NEUSCHWANSTEIN Video: https://youtu.be/raJKrqS2w84?list=PLOVadUHX1B-J2MvlA_EIG1DkYxdO0LUQZ
Castle 2. MONT SAINT MICHEL, FRANCE
Mont Saint Michel or AKA Le Mont-Saint-Michel is the first exception to this list that could’ve gone on forever. Mont Saint Michel is actually a village-island commune located along the border of Brittany and Normandy in France. This is the first image that comes into my head when I think of castle like buildings on top of hills.
Castle 3. THE PALACE OF PENA, PORTUGAL
The palace in its present day form was commissioned by Ferdinand August Franz Anton from Austria , who married into the Portuguese royal family and became King Ferdinand II. King Ferdinand II marveled at the stunning views from the rocky outcrop and wished a castle built to rival the Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria.
PALACE OF PENA Video: https://youtu.be/gVLH8cROe0E
Castle 4. HIMEJI CASTLE, JAPAN
Himeji castle is so freaking cool, it’s a world heritage site and deserves your attention. It’s so majestic and Japan just happens to be lousy with these majestic castles. If it’s not Himeji it’s about 86 other castles that are similar looking or just as beautiful, but saying that Himeji is the best and I’ve visited it. It’s located very close to Kyoto only a Shinkansen ride away.
Castle 5. PRAGUE CASTLE, CZECH REPUBLIC
Prague Castle – Pražský hrad, or just hrad to Czechs – is Prague’s most popular attraction.
According to the Guinness World Records, it’s the largest ancient castle in the world: 570m long, an average of 128m wide and covering a total area bigger than seven football fields.
The castle has always been the seat of Czech monarchs as well as the official residence of the head of state.
PRAGUE CASTLE Video: https://youtu.be/CYRERpcFl9g
Castle 6. CHATEAU DE CHAMBORD, FRANCE
Chateau de Chambord is one of those slightly above sea level castles I wanted to mention. It’s just slightly above sea level, probably by 1 metre or three feet. It’s built in French Renaissance style. French Renaissance style is a combination of classical Renaissance styles and French medieval influences.
Castle 7. NAGOYA CASTLE, JAPAN
Nagoya Castle was built in the beginning of the Edo Period as the seat of one of the three branches of the ruling Tokugawa family, the Owari branch. As such, it was one of the largest castles in the country, and the castle town around it ultimately grew to become Japan’s fourth largest city.
NAGOYA CASTLE Video: https://youtu.be/AeM8b6Sebi4
Castle 8. STOCKHOLM PALACE, SWEDEN
Technically called the Royal Palace. It’s built in Baroque style and dates back to 1697 and was completed in 1760. That’s a long time. What took them so long?? Stockholm Palace is the official residence of the Swedish Royal Family. It seems that the Palace is still used as an official building for anything in regards to the Royal family be it representative purposes or duties that have to be prepared by the King who is head of state.
Castle 9. CASTELLO DI AMOROSA, USA
As the most visited winery in California, Castello di Amorosa is like an adult Disneyland in the North part of Napa Valley in Calistoga. The castle is 121,000 square feet and took 15 years to build, it was opened in 2007. The castle has 107 rooms and 95 are dedicated to wine, 4 levels above and 4 levels below. Wine flows through the walls in the castle as it is gravity fed from the tanks down to the barrels below.
CASTELLO DI AMOROSA Video: https://youtu.be/1BUwoLNFz5s?t=2m3s
Castle 10. BUDA CASTLE, BUDAPEST
This castle was built by King Bela IV of Hungary between the years of 1247 and 1265. You can reach the castle by The Castle Hill Funicular or by a link from Széchenyi Chain Bridge which you can take from Clark Adam square area. The original part of the castle was built by the Hungarian kings back in 1265. The Baroque part of the castle was built between the years of 1749 and 1769.