Ancient castles overgrown with ivy amaze with their grandeur, produce unforgettable impression. Such historical buildings exist in many European countries. Among them are the oldest and most original. Ancient castles amaze with their beauty, grandeur and practicality. They were built not only to demonstrate the wealth of their owner, but also as defensive structures. Even with a long siege of castles, life there did not stop. Almost every architectural monument has become part of local legends, some have gained fame unusual place, which is haunted.

Germany is proud of Reichsburg Castle with a thousand-year history. At one time, it was the residence of King Conrad III. At the end of the seventeenth century it was almost completely destroyed, but in the nineteenth it was restored by a local businessman.

The Austrian castle of Hochosterwitz, towering one hundred and sixty meters above the area, seems to be vigilantly watching over its possessions even today. It dates back to the ninth century. This medieval building looks great even from a distance of thirty kilometers.

Bled Castle seems to hang over Lake Bled on a hundred-meter cliff. This historic Slovenian building offers magnificent views. It is known that the castle was once the residence of Josip Broz Tito, and even earlier - the residence of the royal dynasty.

The castle-fortress of Hohenschwangau is located in Germany. It was built by knights in the twelfth century. It served as the residence of several rulers, including Louis II. The famous composer Richard Wagner visited this castle.

The most original castles

Visiting castles is always impressive. It seems that you are in a fairy tale or starring in a movie about knights and beautiful princesses. There are completely original castles, unlike those we are used to seeing in films or book illustrations.

Predjama Castle cannot be called anything other than non-standard and unique. It is literally carved out of rock. The left wing was carved at the beginning of the twelfth century, the right and middle parts were completed already in the sixteenth. At the end of the twentieth century, the castle was restored, returning its original appearance.

Who hasn't heard of the Swallow's Nest? This castle is a pearl and business card Crimea. It rises on the Aurora rock, on which huge waves crash. Its romanticism, mystery and at the same time grace contributed to the fact that several feature films were shot in the castle.

Near the coast of Normandy there is artificial island Mont Saint-Michel, on which a medieval French castle is built. Its peculiarity is that it is a working monastery.

The oldest castles

Castles began to be built in Europe in the tenth century. They are all similar in layout, as they are fortification structures. Typically, castles were surrounded by a moat, which was filled with water.

The huge Dover Castle is considered one of the oldest buildings. Some of its buildings appeared about two thousand years ago - these are two lighthouses, although only one has survived to this day. Already in the tenth century a church was added to the lighthouse, and in the eleventh century a church was built nearby main tower, surrounded all the buildings with a defensive wall.

Another ancient castle is located in the Czech Republic. We are talking about Prague Castle. It is known that its first tower was built already in 879. Not only is the age impressive, but also the huge area of ​​the castle.

Kisimul is the name of a castle built on an island near Barra in the eleventh century. As archaeological excavations confirm, the first structure was destroyed. It was rebuilt again in the fifteenth century. There is a spring in the castle fresh water, and this is very important during a siege. Kisimul has never been captured, which makes it unique in its own way.

The most unusual castle in the world

The most unusual, one might say fabulous, is Neuschwanstein Castle. It is also called the castle in the clouds. This is one of the most interesting attractions in Germany. The name translates as “New Swan Cliff”.

Construction took place in the nineteenth century. It is known that when creating the cartoon about the sleeping beauty, the world famous animator Disney created the castle of the main character of the cartoon similar to Neuschwanstein Castle. The similarity is striking.

Monarchs often prefer to live not in castles, but in palaces. Royal Palace It took almost 57 years to build in Stockholm. The site has a website with interesting facts about the largest palaces in the world. The editors of the site, continuing the theme of surprisingly unusual sights, invites you to get acquainted with abandoned places that will take your breath away.
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Europe has a long, rich and bloody history, making it an ideal place for ghost stories to arise. Many countries, including Ireland, Scotland and England, take advantage of this to attract tourists. Former castles are being converted into hotels or simply renting out rooms for tourists. Supernatural hunters pay big money for the chance to witness phenomena. We offer an overview of the most terrible castles, as their stories are associated with ghosts.

Dragsholm Castle is one of the most famous castles haunted in Europe. It was built in the 12th century by Peder Sunesen, Bishop of Roskilde. First of all, it was built as a fortification, where the nobility could escape during attacks; in addition, prisoners were also kept here. Today the castle is used as a hotel, a conference venue, two restaurants and 100 ghosts, five of which are particularly famous. The first is Bishop Ronnov, who died in the castle as a prisoner. To this day, hotel guests hear Catholic chants as they walk through the corridors of the castle. The second ghost is the fourth Earl of Bothwell. He was a political prisoner who went mad and died in the castle. Visitors sometimes hear him prancing on his horse in the castle courtyard. The third ghost is Euler Brockenhuis, known as the "Mad Squire". He was kept in prison on chains. To this day, guests of the castle hear his terrible groans.
The fourth ghost is the White Lady. This woman's name was Selina Bowles, she fell in love with a tradesman and became pregnant by him. When everything became known to her father, he put the girl in prison. In the 1930s, workers discovered the skeleton of a woman in one of the castle walls. Hotel guests sometimes notice a wandering ghost moaning in sorrow. The fifth ghost is the Gray Lady, a maid who served in the castle. One day she suffered from severe toothache. The owner of the castle treated her with poultices. Over time, the girl died, but was grateful to the owner for the treatment. Today, a ghost wanders around the castle in search of good deeds as a sign of gratitude to the owner.

Chateaubriand Castle is an ancient castle that was built in the 11th century. Its ghost story began in the 16th century, after the death of Jean de Laval's wife, Françoise de Foix. One day, De Laval and his wife were summoned to an audience with King Francis I. She soon became the king's favorite. In October 1537, Françoise died in a strange way. There were rumors that she was poisoned by her dishonored husband. For hundreds of years, her ghost appears on the night of her death and wanders aimlessly around the castle.

Meggerney Castle was built in the 17th century. The ghost of this castle behaves unusually: it unexpectedly appears in front of guests or kisses men when they are sleeping. It is said to be the ghost of Menzi Klan's cook's wife, who was killed by her husband when he was angry that she was constantly flirting with men. He cut his wife's body into pieces before disposing of it. The lower part of the woman's body wanders around the lower floors of the castle and basements, and her upper part is upstairs where the men sleep.

The first Earl of Charleville, Charles William Bury, became master of the castle in 1798. The castle is haunted by the ghost of the Earl's daughter, 8-year-old Harriet, who died in an accident in 1861. She fell from a height onto the stone floor. Guests admit that they sometimes hear children laughing and singing at night. There are even those who were lucky enough to meet a ghost on the stairs, exactly in the place where she fell.

Keep Castle is considered one of the oldest buildings in Newcastle. It was built in 1080. From the 17th century it began to be used as a prison with terrible conditions for prisoners. In addition, in the 18th century there was an execution site near the castle, Black Gate. In this castle a large number of ghosts, almost every room has one. Visitors to the castle have reported the appearance of unexpected shadows, orbs and gray clouds. There have also been cases of guests being pushed and scratched. The voices of soldiers, women, children and praying monks can be heard in the castle.

Houska Castle is perhaps one of the most terrible castles, it was called the “Gateway to Hell”. It was built by the ruler of Bohemia, Ottokar II, in the first half of the 13th century. In the center of the castle there is a well, from which hellish sounds can sometimes be heard. It is said that various monsters lived here, including monsters that were half human, half toad, and half dog. Behind any visitor to the castle you can notice a flying monk with an axe. There is evidence that a whole procession of ghosts has been seen holding their heads in their hands while standing in front of Cerberus.

The first mention of the castle dates back to 1157, when Frederick I gave the castle to Count Rudolf van Eltz, who was supposed to protect the trade routes between the Mayfield Plain and the Moselle River. Interestingly, the descendants of the Elts still own the castle. Several rooms in it are open to tourists. One of the bedrooms belonged to Countess Agnes. Her bed, breastplate and battle ax are still in the room. According to legend, the countess died defending the castle from an uninvited guest. Today you can see her ghost.

Leap Castle was built in the 15th century by the Ocarroll clan. During reconstruction, a prison with human remains was found in it, which was filled with three carts. Its long and bloody history has earned it the reputation of a haunted castle. The first and most famous is the ghost called “It”. This strange creature is a sheep with a rotting head. When it appears, guests smell sulfur and rotting flesh. In the castle there is the ghost of a man pushing a barrel in front of him from the priest's house that burned down in 1922. The Red Lady is another ghost of the castle. She is mostly seen holding a dagger in her hand, as if she wants to attack someone. This girl is said to have killed herself when she was captured and raped. The castle is haunted by two young ladies, Emily and Charlotte, who are sometimes seen playing and running around the castle. Emily died at age 11 after falling from a height. Sometimes they see a ghost fly down and disappear near the ground. Charlotte is seen dragging her ugly feet.

Culleyn Castle was built in 1602 by Gray Thomas Kennedy, on the site of the ruins of an old one. There are two ghosts living in the castle. The first is the ghost of a trumpeter who plays the trumpet during a storm at night or when one of the Kennedy family is about to get married. The second ghost belongs to a young woman in an elegant ballgown. No one knows who she is or why she is here.

Chillingham Castle was built in the 14th century on the site of a former fortress. It does not have a good reputation as it is home to strange ghosts. For example, the ghost of a little boy who is called "Radiant Boy" or "Blue Boy". Guests hear his screams coming from the corridors at midnight in the pink hall. After shouting, he appears in blue robes. The boy's bones were actually found in the wall of one of the castle's bedrooms. After which his remains were buried. Another ghost belongs to Lady Mary Berkeley. She was the wife of Lord Gray Wark. Her husband went to her sister, and left Mary with the child. It is said that her ghost haunts the castle in search of the husband who left her for another woman.
However, ghosts are found not only in European castles, you can also meet them while traveling around India, visiting creepy

Whether it's a heroic medieval knight, a beautiful princess or just a legend, castles capture our hearts and captivate our imaginations. We long to explore their narrow corridors, climb their dimly lit staircases, and gaze into the distance from their tall stone towers. And if the castle's past involves defeated enemies, forgotten prisoners and evil spirits... well... so much the better.

Here are 6 of the creepiest castles in the world, where the traveler will meet, rather, a 16th-century knight than Cinderella’s handsome prince.

Bran Castle in Transylvania, Romania
Few fictional characters in the world are as terrifying as Bram Stoker's Dracula, which is the least reason to place his far-from-humble abode at the top of haunted castles.

Despite the fact that this 14th-century fortress echoes the legends of Dracula, Bran Castle has managed to acquire the name "Dracula's Castle" and all the associated monetary profits.

They say that Bran Castle was once the abode of Vlad the Impaler, also known as Vlad the Impaler, who loved to impale his enemy. Today the castle is a museum displaying furniture and art collected by the royal family.

Visitors can see the castle on their own or use the services of a guide.

Tamworth Castle in Staffordshire, England
Although the English Tamworth Castle in Staffordshire has never been inhabited by fictional vampires, the Norman design of the courtyard and the stone tower, clearly foreshadowing something evil, betray that very creepy factor. And yes, there are still ghosts there.
The most famous residents of Tamworth Castle are the Black Lady and the White Lady, both of whom can be regularly heard or seen in the area. They say the White Lady threw herself from the battlements when she learned that her lover had been killed. And the Black Lady is in all likelihood the spirit of a nun named Edita, summoned from her grave by the unkind prayers of other nuns after they were expelled from a nearby monastery.
Visitors to this castle can visit 15 rooms, including the Great Hall, a dungeon and a bedroom where those very ghosts live.

Berry Pomeroy Castle in Devon, England
Known as the most haunted in the entire united kingdom, the 12th century castle also has its own White Lady, here she is even sadder...
The White Lady of this castle is said to be Lady Margaret Pomeroy, who was starved to death by Lady Eleanor's own sister. Rumor has it that Eleanor was always jealous of her younger and beautiful sister and therefore locked her in the castle tower for about 20 days. Margaret's ghost is all white, from her long flowing hair to her white legs, and is often seen towering over St Margaret's Tower.
The White Lady is a permanent resident of Castle Berry Pomeroy; people who saw her fell into deep depression, fear and anger.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
Rising above the Princess Gardens, these majestic towers are located in Europe's spookiest haunted city...
The 900-year-old fortress was built on the remains of an ancient volcano and is home to the world's most mysterious ghosts.
While some visitors claim to hear the monotonous drumming, several people have seen the drummer himself, who is reportedly beheaded and appears only before the attack on the castle.
They say there is a ghost of a dog wandering around the castle cemetery, and something is happening in the towers that science itself cannot even explain.

Bodelwydan Castle in Wales
Whispering ghosts, dark figures and the ghosts of soldiers are enough to place Bodelvidan Castle at the top of the ranking of the most terrible castles in the world, consider the fact that its walls were built on human bones, and the castle becomes even scarier.
In 1829, the owner of the present Bodelwydan Castle, Sir John Hay Williams, found human bones near the chimneys. Since then, the castle has been constantly restored, but it continued to be built on bones.
Over the years, this 15th-century estate served as a personal residence, a hospital during the First World War, a private girls' school, and even a museum.
In 2004, the castle was chosen to film the British TV program Haunted.

Dunluce Castle in Northern Ireland
Built precariously on the edge of a cliff on the north Antrim coast, this Norman castle has been rebuilt many times over the years, but apparently its original inhabitants are reluctant to leave.
In 1586, royal feuds began over the castle and ended with the hanging of the former castle's constable. His ghostly figure in a purple cloak and with a ponytail on his head wanders around the tower of Dunluce Castle, where he, in fact, was killed.
In 1639, the castle's kitchen collapsed into the sea, killing several servants. Today, visitors experience cold chills in some parts of the castle, and gift shop workers notice that sometimes someone rearranges books and plays with the radio.
Despite the fact that no one felt the evil intentions of all these ghosts, the thought of cheerful residents returning to spice up your stay already gives you goosebumps.

Ancient castles keep many secrets and mysteries. Some attract people with their creepy legends about demons, vampires and werewolves, others with romantic love stories.

Edinburgh castle

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• Scotland
• It hosts the Mary King Festival
• Founded on the site of an extinct volcano.
• According to legend, several ghosts still roam the castle. The first ghost is the ghost of a piper who got lost in the underground labyrinths of the castle and died there. The second ghost is the ghost of a headless soldier who beats a drum when danger approaches. According to legend, it was this soldier who, during his lifetime, warned about the offensive of Oliver Cromwell’s troops. The third ghost is Lady Glamis, who is often seen wandering the dark halls of the castle. She was accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake in 1537. There is also an old man in a leather apron and a ghost of a dog walking near the cemetery. You can also still hear French prisoners imprisoned during the Seven Years' War from the castle's tunnels.

Glams Castle

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• Scotland
• Visitors to the castle met such ghosts as Lady Janet, the little page, and the Gray Lady.
• There is a walled room in the castle. There is no entrance to it, but its windows are visible from the street. According to legend, one Sunday two friends decided to play cards, which was strictly prohibited. Now they will play cards in this room all their lives, because they disobeyed the ban.

Moosham Castle

• State of Salzburg, Austria
• Built in 1208
• Known as the Witches Castle. Between 1675 and 1687, thousands of women were labeled witches and sentenced to death by the Inquisition. They were tortured and then beheaded. Most of them still roam the halls of the castle as ghosts. In addition to the place of execution of witches, Moosham Castle also served as a werewolf's lair. The history can be traced back to the beginning of the 19th century. Many mutilated cattle and carcasses of deer were found in the castle. And some of the residents of Moosham were convicted and imprisoned as werewolves.

Bran Castle

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• Transylvania,

  Brasov, Romania

• Built at the end of the 14th century

The castle was home to the famous Vlad the Impaler, known as Vlad the Impaler for his love of impaling his enemies. Vlad III the Impaler was the inspiration for Count Dracula, the vampire and murderer of men described in Bram Stoker's novel. Prince Vlad the Impaler had the nickname Dracula (translated as “son of the dragon”), which he inherited from his father. Vlad did not live in Bran, as many believe, but only stayed for a few days while hunting in the surrounding forests.

Chillingham Castle

• Great Britain
• The castle was located on the border of two opposing nations, so detachments of English troops who were heading to Scotland often stopped at the castle. And the Scots often raided the castle. Bloody battles often took place around the castle, and captured enemies were immediately tortured and killed. Since then, their souls have been wandering around the castle.
• Chillingham Castle served as the site of massacres. This castle was owned by John Sage and for three years he worked as an executioner-torturer in the torture room. It is said that he tortured approximately fifty people a week. It is believed that in a fit of passion he strangled his mistress Elizabeth Charlton. Elizabeth's father threatened King Edward I Longshanks that he would ally with the Scots and start a rebellion if the murderer was not punished. As a result, by order of the king, Tormentor Sage was executed on the castle grounds. Sage's ghost can still be heard dragging bodies around at night.
• Another famous ghost is the Blue Boy, who haunts the pink room. Guests of the castle more than once heard loud crying, after which they saw blue flashes of light. The ghost of the blue boy has not been seen since extensive reconstruction was carried out at the castle and the bodies of a man and a boy were found walled up in a 10-meter wall.
• Another famous ghost is the spirit of Lady Mary Berkeley, who often appears from her portrait in The Gray Room. According to legend, Lady Mary's husband, Lord Gray Wark, went to her sister, leaving her alone with the child. Since then, Mary has been wandering around the castle in search of her husband.

Houska Castle

• Prague, Czech Republic
• Built by the ruler of Bohemia Ottokar II in the 13th century
• The castle was not built for protection from the outside, but to protect people from what is hidden inside the castle. According to legend, the passage in this place led straight to hell, from where one day a half-man, half-monster was released, and demons, witches and other evil spirits also entered our world. In the center of the castle there is a well, from which hellish sounds can sometimes be heard. Before building the castle, residents lowered a soldier with a rope into the pit. The soldier let out a scream, he was pulled out, and a couple of days later he died. In 1930, Houska Castle attracted the attention of Hitler and was very popular with the Nazis, who began to use it for a number of secret experiments and occult experiments. This is evidenced by several bodies of Nazi soldiers who were executed in the basement of the castle. According to rumors, skeletons of unearthly creatures were found in the castle. Ghosts still walk around the castle - a black horse without a head and a bulldog man. And from the window of the upper floor a woman in a black dress constantly appears. Only the most courageous tourists dare to go down into the dungeon, because demons who came to us from the other world still roam there.

Rožmberk Castle

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• Czech
• Rožmberk is one of the most mysterious castles in the Czech Republic, located in the south of the country, near the Austrian border.
• Named after the aristocratic family that owned it.
• The most famous ghost of Czech castles is the White Lady (or the Lady in White, as she is also called).
• Once upon a time in this Czech castle Baron Rozmberk. He was a cunning and greedy man. Baron Rozmberk's main assistant was a monk who compiled all the documents for his master and thereby helped him capture more and more lands. One day, the baron wanted to seize the land plot on which the monk’s relatives lived. Therefore, the monk refused to draw up documents, for which he was executed by the baron. Dying, the monk cursed the baron himself and all his descendants. The baron has his only daughter, Perkhta, whom he tried to marry off as profitably as possible. Perkhta married Count Liechtenstein and went to the groom's palace. But, since the greedy baron refused to give the promised dowry, the young husband sent his wife back to her father. Already in old age, Lichtenstein came to her to ask for forgiveness, but Perkhta refused him. After which Count Liechtenstein cursed the Rožmberk family. Perchta still wanders the castle corridors in the form of the ghost of the White Lady. It is believed that the sleeves of the White Lady's dress have the ability to change color; if they are white, then it is fortunate, if they are red, then there is a fire, if they are black, then it is a big disaster.

Eltz Castle

• Germany
• The first mention of the castle dates back to 1157, when Frederick I gave the castle to Count Rudolf van Eltz. Since then, the castle has always belonged to one single family.
• According to legend, the castle has never been captured because it is guarded not only by living people, but also by the spirits of long-dead knights who once owned it and still stand guard over the castle.
• In the castle you can also see the ghost of Countess Agnes, who, according to legend, died defending the castle from an uninvited guest.

Leap Castle

• North Roscrea, Ireland
• Leap Castle was built in the 15th century by the Ocarroll clan.
• Leap Castle has a long and bloody history. During reconstruction, a prison with human remains was discovered in the castle, which was filled with three carts. One of the most famous stories is connected with the chapel ("Bloody Chapel"), in which in 1532 a soldier killed his priest brother with a sword. Since then, the priest's pizrak has been living in the castle. Another scary spirit is a phenomenon called "It". It does not look like a person, it is described as a creature the size of a sheep, but with the face of a man. When it appears, visitors smell sulfur and rotting flesh. In the castle you can also meet the ghost of the Red Lady holding a dagger. The castle is haunted by two girls, Emily and Charlotte. Sometimes visitors see them playing and running around the castle. Or Emily flying from a height and disappearing near the ground (she died at the age of 11, falling from a height).
• The castle's dungeon does not go unnoticed. According to one story, in the dungeon there is a room with a special hatch through which prisoners were thrown onto numerous metal spikes built into the floor.