What 7 magnificent medieval castles in Europe looked like before they fell into ruins

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

During the quarantine, we are deprived of the opportunity to travel, but no one canceled the virtual exploration, right? Therefore, we will go on a fascinating journey through the most magnificent European castles, which keep centuries of incredibly rich history in their ruins. After many centuries of decline, wars and historical reconciliation, most of the castles have turned into ruins, and now they are only a pale shadow of their former glory. What did they look like during their heyday?

Designers and architects have digitally and animatedly recreated the seven greatest abandoned castles in Europe, returning them to their former splendor and beauty. As COVID-19 makes its triumphant march across our planet, millions of people are stuck in their homes like in a prison. This project offers the illusion of home captivity and much-needed inspiration.

Samobor Castle, Samobor, Croatia

The medieval Bohemian kingdom was ruled by monarchs. This kingdom included the territories of modern Czech Republic and Germany. The period of Bohemia's existence lasted from the end of the 12th century until the First World War. Samobor Castle was built by the Czech ruler Otakar in the middle of the 13th century. At that time, there was a war for the controversial Duchy of Styria. In the end, Otakar lost to the Croatian-Hungarian army.

The stone ruins of a once imposing stone citadel rise above the modern city of Samobor. The castle is just ten minutes walk from it. Tourists have something to admire there. The walls of the fortress and the remains of the moat still retain the echoes of the memory of the former power. The watchtower is the only original element that has survived relatively intact. Most of the remains, including the Gothic chapel of St. Anne, date from 16th century modifications.

Chateau Gaillard, Le Andely, France

Chateau Gaillard is one of the first examples of the use of concentric fortifications and loopholes in castle design. The loopholes in the castle walls allowed the defenders of the fortress to pour boiling oil on the attackers and throw stones. This concentric fortification was formed of three defensive walls, one within the other, each separated by a deep moat.

Richard the Lionheart built Gaillard quite quickly, between 1196 and 1198. The fortress was built to protect against the troops of King Philip II of France. The castle has seen a lot in its lifetime before finally being abandoned in the 16th century and later almost completely destroyed by King Henry IV of France. Nevertheless, something remains of the castle and this unique structure can still be admired.

Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven, Scotland

Dunnottar is the cape of the fort. It is located on a piece of land that juts out into the North Sea from the east coast of Scotland. The castle played a key role in the tense confrontation between the British and the Scots over the years. The famous William Wallace ("Braveheart") laid siege to the castle in 1297 and recaptured it from the British.

The castle was later besieged by Oliver Cromwell. The Scottish crown jewels were smuggled out in secret. One of the most impressive remains of the castle is the 14th century tower. This structure is a unique Scottish feature, it was a kind of fortified mansion, once there were three floors.

Menlo Castle, Galway, Ireland

Menlo Castle was owned by the Blake family for most of its existence and was destroyed by fire in 1910. The family's coachman, James Kirwan, escaped the fire by walking down ivy vines from his window. He tried to save the other residents of the mansion, but he failed. Since then, the castle has been entwined with ivy and it has become completely abandoned.

Menlo looks like a mysterious fairytale castle. Fully entwined with ivy, it blends into the natural landscape of the surrounding forests and fields. Unfortunately, it is not known when the castle was built, but it was primarily a house, not a military fortress. Large round towers and a former pier with a cannon ensured the safety of the inhabitants of the castle.

Olsztyn Castle, Olsztyn, Poland

Olsztyn Castle is located on a steep hill among limestone cliffs in northeastern Poland. From its windows a wonderful view of the Zina River opened up. The castle was built around 1306. It was rebuilt by Casimir the Great between 1349-1359 to defend against the Czechs. Olsztyn later became the seat of a military garrison and was reconstructed in the Renaissance style in the 16th century.

At that time, it was a three-level structure with access bridges and a moat. During the wars that followed after the 16th century, the castle gradually suffered very significant damage until it was almost completely destroyed. Today, visitors can still see the original Gothic tower and wander around the fortress, which combines built-in elements with rocks and karst caves.

Spissky Fortress, Spisske Podhradje, Slovakia

Spiš Castle occupies a rather impressive area of four hectares. This is one of the largest castle complexes in the world. This castle played the role of a border fortress in the feudal Hungarian kingdom. Later, the castle constantly passed from hand to hand. He was conquered and lost. It was either a fortress or someone's home. Gradually, it began to decline, until a fire in 1780 finally destroyed it.

Today Spiš Castle is included in the UNESCO list. It is very pleasant to walk around the castle complex and admire the surrounding beauty. Here you can take just perfect panoramic shots. In order to protect the medieval building from the threat of complete destruction due to the instability of the rocks on which the foundation stands, environmentalists took it under their wing.

Poenari Castle (Poenari Fortress), Wallachia, Romania

The legendary Poenari Castle is so decorated with various inspiring details that it seems like it descended from the pages of some fairy tale about princesses and dragons. It once belonged to Vlad Impaler, the governor (duke) of Wallachia, who inspired Bram Stoker to write his famous novel about Count Dracula. Climbing a concrete staircase of 1,480 steps to a fortress like an eagle's nest creates an indescribable sense of loneliness and isolation in this castle on the rock. It is easy to feel dizzy at this altitude, especially when you consider that the destruction of the castle was partially caused by a landslide. Because of this, the castle sank as much as 400 meters below the river.

Poenari Castle was built in a very tricky way. At one time, the owner himself, Vlad Impaler, escaped death by fleeing from the warriors besieging the castle through a secret passage to the Carpathians. The fortress was fortified with earth and lime, later the governor built additional towers to protect the castle. Now the castle is closed to visitors due to the bears walking around there. The authorities plan to solve this problem in the near future, as well as to build a suspension road to make it easier for tourists to climb out of the valley.

Medieval castles always arouse our interest with their inimitable unique architecture and aura of romance. Read our article about the castle, which the photographer managed to capture literally on the eve of how it was completely destroyed by fire.