10 ancient castles in which you can live now

Who among us at least once in our lives dreamed of visiting a real medieval castle? Nowadays, this dream is quite realistic to realize.

Until today, hundreds of monumental historical buildings have been preserved in the world, which the enterprising owners turned into fashionable hotels. The demand for them is very high, because it is in such a place that modern comfort and the mysterious atmosphere of antiquity are combined.

We present the 10 most famous medieval castles that still host tourists within their walls.

10 Castello di Casol (Tuscany, Italy)

The cities of Tuscany are wonderful places for a relaxing and cultural holiday. Castle Castello di Casol will amaze any tourist with its noble grandeur. It is perfectly preserved, so anyone can easily move back in time and immerse themselves in the history of this place. Moreover, the nature around will not leave anyone indifferent.

9. Amberley Castle (West Sussex, UK)

This hotel is located 60 miles southwest of London under the roof of the medieval castle of Amberley in West Sussex.

The history of this monumental building is 900 years old. There are beautiful gardens around the castle. Also nearby are 2 lakes and one golf course.

The Castle Hotel is surrounded on all sides by an ancient castle wall, and at the entrance to the castle, visitors are “greeted” by a massive lattice, which the hotel employees lower at night.

8. Royal Mansour (Marrakesh, Morocco)

Not far from the famous central square of Jemaa el-Fna, on an area of ​​3,5 hectares lies the Royal Mansour. The hotel impresses with its luxury, thanks to which it claims to be the best in Marrakesh.

The hotel is designed in the style of the traditional eastern quarter – the medina, surrounded by a high fortress wall, a luxurious Moorish garden with fountains, picturesque lakes and magnificent exotic plants.

The hotel guests are accommodated in three-storey cottages-riads, recreating an authentic oriental atmosphere, in which elements of modern European style were introduced.

7. Gritti Palace Hotel (Venice, Italy)

This magnificent and comfortable hotel is located in an old building of the former mansion, which stands right on the banks of the legendary Grand Canal.

Not far from the hotel building is the famous Piazza San Marco and La Fenice Theatre. On the water tram, the stop of which is located near the hotel, tourists can independently get to any point in Venice and visit other interesting sights of the city.

6. Pousada de Obidos (Obidos, Portugal)

This is a classic defensive building, built in the Manueline style, which is a synthesis of Gothic, Moorish and Renaissance styles. The gate to the fortress wall is decorated with azulejos panels.

At first, there was a Visigoth fortress on this site, next to which a whole settlement was located. In the XNUMXth century, the Arabs took over the fortress. Later they built walls around the settlement and made it one of the central points of Extremadura.

After the Arab emirate was included in Portugal in the XNUMXth century, the fortress was significantly expanded and acquired the appearance in which it has been preserved to this day.

5. Schloss Fuschl Resort & Spa (Salzkammergut, Austria)

This hotel is located in one of the most picturesque corners of Austria – a delightful castle of the XNUMXth century, not far from which there is a national nature reserve. Here, quite often, representatives of the European aristocracy, monarchs and movie stars become guests.

4. Castle Alarcon (Alarcon, Spain)

In the city of Alarcon, on a high rock, there is a castle. The Hukar River is washed by its walls from three sides. Once upon a time, he served as a reliable defense of the borders of Castile. Now here is a comfortable hotel, which is in demand among tourists at any time of the year.

According to one version, the castle is named after King Alaric II, but this hypothesis has no documentary evidence.

3. Hotel de la Cite (Carcassonne, France)

Carcassonne is a small town located in the French province of Languedoc. It is conventionally divided into new and old parts. Of course, thousands of tourists come to this place every year to visit the old part, which houses a real medieval fortress.

On the territory of the fortress there is a museum of the Inquisition, a castle, a theater – Théâtre Jean-Deschamps, where classical music concerts and theater performances are held throughout July, as well as a fashionable hotel with magnificent interiors in a medieval style.

In addition, on the territory of the fortress there is a huge number of small restaurants and souvenir shops where tourists can buy souvenirs from neighboring Provence.

2. Ananda in the Himalayas (Uttarakhand, India)

This hotel is located among the picturesque meadows near the headwaters of the Ganges River, not far from the holy Indian cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh. The name of the hotel is translated from Sanskrit as “absolute bliss”, which hotel guests can achieve.

Previously, the central building of the hotel was the residence of the Maharaja and was called the Viceregal Palace. Then there were many famous people. Now the Himalaya mansion has been completely restored. Behind the classically styled façade hides traditional Indian design, with portraits of the Maharaja and antique furnishings.

1. Dromoland (Clare, Ireland)

Ireland, despite its relatively small size, boasts many old buildings. One of the most famous historical buildings is the castle hotel Dromoland. It was erected in 1475.

In the first half of the 60th century, already in a transformed form, the castle was taken over by the most influential O’Brien clan, who were direct descendants of King Brian Boru. In the early XNUMXs of the last century, Donag O’Brien was forced to sell the castle due to financial difficulties. The new owner of the beautiful medieval building is a US citizen Bernard McDonagh.

Currently Dromoland is one of the best hotels in Ireland. The magnificent castle with carved wood panels, expensive sculptures and paintings and antique furniture is in great demand among tourists who want to visit these picturesque lands.