How many years did the medieval castle take to build? How castles were built in the Middle Ages

The Middle Ages in Europe were a turbulent time. The feudal lords, for any reason, organized small wars among themselves - or rather, not even wars, but, in modern language, armed “showdowns”. If a neighbor had money, it had to be taken away.

Lots of land and peasants? This is simply indecent, because God ordered sharing. And if knightly honor was affected, then it was simply impossible to do without a small victorious war.

Initially, these fortifications were made of wood and did not resemble the castles we know in any way - except that a ditch was dug in front of the entrance and a wooden palisade was placed around the house.

The manorial courts of Hasterknaup and Elmendorv are the ancestors of the castles.

However, progress did not stand still - with the development of military affairs, the feudal lords had to modernize their fortifications so that they could withstand a massive assault using stone cannonballs and rams.

The besieged castle of Mortan (withstood the siege for 6 months).

Beaumarie Castle, owned by Edward I.

Welcome

We are heading to the castle, which stands on a ledge of a mountain slope, at the edge of a fertile valley. The road goes through a small settlement - one of those that usually grew up near the fortress wall. Simple people live here - mostly artisans, and warriors guarding the outer perimeter of defense (in particular, guarding our road). These are the so-called “castle people”.

Scheme of castle structures. Note that there are two gate towers, the largest one standing separately.

The first obstacle is a deep ditch, and in front of it is a shaft of excavated earth. The moat can be transverse (separates the castle wall from the plateau) or crescent-shaped, curved forward. If the landscape allows, a moat encircles the entire castle in a circle.

The bottom shape of ditches could be V-shaped or U-shaped (the latter is the most common). If the soil under the castle is rocky, then ditches were either not made at all, or they were cut down to a shallow depth, preventing only the advance of infantry (it is almost impossible to dig under the castle wall in the rock - therefore the depth of the ditch was not of decisive importance).

The ridge of the earthen rampart lying directly in front of the ditch (which makes it seem even deeper) often carried a palisade - a fence made of wooden stakes dug into the ground, pointed and tightly fitted to each other.

A bridge spanning a moat leads to the outer wall of the castle. Depending on the size of the ditch and bridge, the latter is supported by one or more supports (huge logs). The outer part of the bridge is fixed, but the last section (right next to the wall) is movable.

Scheme of the entrance to the castle: 2 - gallery on the wall, 3 - drawbridge, 4 - grate.

Counterweights on the gate lift.

This drawbridge is designed so that in a vertical position it covers the gate. The bridge is powered by mechanisms hidden in the building above them. From the bridge to the lifting machines, ropes or chains go into the wall openings. To facilitate the work of people servicing the bridge mechanism, the ropes were sometimes equipped with heavy counterweights, taking part of the weight of this structure on themselves.

Of particular interest is the bridge, which worked on the principle of a swing (it is called “tipping” or “swinging”). One half of it was inside - lying on the ground under the gate, and the other stretched across the ditch. When the inner part rose, covering the entrance to the castle, the outer part (which the attackers sometimes already managed to run into) sank down into the ditch, where the so-called “wolf pit” was built (sharp stakes dug into the ground), invisible from the outside until the bridge is down.

To enter the castle when the gates were closed, there was a side gate next to them, to which a separate lift ladder was usually laid.

The gate is the most vulnerable part of the castle; it was usually not made directly into its wall, but was located in the so-called “gate towers”. Most often, the gates were double-leaf, and the doors were knocked together from two layers of boards. To protect against arson, they were lined with iron on the outside. At the same time, in one of the doors there was a small narrow door that could only be passed through by bending over. In addition to locks and iron bolts, the gate was closed by a transverse beam lying in the wall channel and sliding into the opposite wall. The cross beam could also be inserted into hook-shaped slots on the walls. Its main purpose was to protect the goal from being attacked by attackers.

Behind the gate there was usually a lowering grate. Most often it was made of wood, with lower ends bound in iron. But there were also iron gratings made from steel tetrahedral rods. The lattice could descend from a gap in the arch of the gate portal, or be located behind them (on the inside of the gate tower), descending along grooves in the walls.

The grate hung on ropes or chains, which in case of danger could be cut off so that it would quickly fall down, blocking the path of the invaders.

Inside the gate tower there were rooms for guards. They kept watch on the upper platform of the tower, learned from the guests the purpose of their visit, opened the gates, and, if necessary, could shoot with a bow all those who passed under them. For this purpose, in the arch of the gate portal there were vertical loopholes, as well as “resin noses” - holes for pouring hot resin onto the attackers.

All on the wall!

Zwinger at Lanek Castle.

At the top of the wall there was a gallery for defense soldiers. On the outside of the castle they were protected by a strong parapet of half human height, on which stone battlements were regularly located. You could stand behind them at full height and, for example, load a crossbow. The shape of the teeth was extremely varied - rectangular, round, swallowtail-shaped, decoratively decorated. In some castles, the galleries were covered (wooden canopy) to protect the soldiers from the weather.

A special type of loophole is a ball loophole. It was a freely rotating wooden ball fixed to the wall with a slot for firing.

Pedestrian gallery on the wall.

Balconies (the so-called “machiculi”) were installed in the walls very rarely - for example, in the case when the wall was too narrow for the free passage of several soldiers, and, as a rule, performed only decorative functions.

At the corners of the castle, small towers were built on the walls, most often flanking (that is, protruding outward), which allowed the defenders to fire along the walls in two directions. In the late Middle Ages, they began to be adapted for storage. The inner sides of such towers (facing the castle courtyard) were usually left open so that an enemy who broke into the wall could not gain a foothold inside them.

Flanking corner tower.

Castle from the inside

The internal structure of the locks was varied. In addition to the mentioned zwingers, behind the main gate there could be a small rectangular courtyard with loopholes in the walls - a kind of “trap” for attackers. Sometimes castles consisted of several “sections” separated by internal walls. But an indispensable attribute of the castle was a large courtyard (outbuildings, a well, rooms for servants) and a central tower, also known as the “donjon”.

Donjon at Vincennes Castle.

The location of the water source depended primarily on natural causes. But if there was a choice, then the well was dug not in the square, but in a fortified room, in order to provide it with water in case of shelter during a siege. If, due to the peculiarities of groundwater occurrence, a well was dug behind the castle wall, then a stone tower(if possible, with wooden passages to the castle).

When there was no way to dig a well, a cistern was built in the castle to collect rainwater from the roofs. Such water needed purification - it was filtered through gravel.

The military garrison of castles in peacetime was minimal. So in 1425, two co-owners of the castle of Reichelsberg in the Lower Franconian Aube entered into an agreement that each of them would provide one armed servant, and pay two gatekeepers and two guards together.

Kitchen at Marksburg Castle.

Inside the tower there was sometimes a very high shaft going from top to bottom. It served either as a prison or a warehouse. Entry into it was possible only through a hole in the vault of the upper floor - “Angstloch” (German - terrifying hole). Depending on the purpose of the mine, the winch lowered prisoners or provisions into it.

If there were no prison premises in the castle, then the prisoners were placed in large wooden boxes made of thick boards, too small to stand up to their full height. These boxes could be installed in any room of the castle.

Of course, they were taken prisoner primarily to obtain a ransom or to use the prisoner in a political game. Therefore, VIPs were provided with the highest class - guarded chambers in the tower were allocated for their maintenance. This is exactly how Frederick the Handsome “spent his time” at the castle of Trausnitz on Pfeimde and Richard the Lionheart in Trifels.

Chamber at Marksburg Castle.

Abenberg Castle tower (12th century) in section.

At the base of the tower there was a basement, which could also be used as a dungeon, and a kitchen with a pantry. The main hall (dining room, common room) occupied an entire floor and was heated by a huge fireplace (it distributed heat only a few meters, so iron baskets with coals were placed further along the hall). Above were the chambers of the feudal lord's family, heated by small stoves.

Sometimes the donjon did not serve as a living space. It could well have been used only for military-economic purposes (observation posts on the tower, dungeon, food storage). In such cases, the feudal lord’s family lived in the “palace” - the living quarters of the castle, standing apart from the tower. The palaces were built of stone and had several floors in height.

It should be noted that the living conditions in the castles were far from the most pleasant. Only the largest palaces had a large knightly hall for celebrations. It was very cold in the dungeons and palaces. Fireplace heating helped, but the walls were still covered with thick tapestries and carpets - not for decoration, but to preserve heat.

The windows let in very little sunlight (this was due to the fortification nature of the castle architecture); not all of them were glazed. Toilets were arranged in the form of a bay window in the wall. They were unheated, so visiting the outhouse in winter left people with a unique feeling.

Large temples had two floors. Commoners prayed below, and gentlemen gathered in a warm (sometimes glassed-in) choir on the second tier. The decoration of such rooms was quite modest - an altar, benches and wall paintings. Sometimes the temple served as a tomb for the family living in the castle. Less often it was used as a refuge (along with the donjon).

War on earth and underground

To take the castle, it was necessary to isolate it - that is, to block all food supply routes. That is why the attacking armies were much larger than the defending ones - about 150 people (this is true for a war of mediocre feudal lords).

The issue of provisions was the most painful. A person can live without water for several days, without food - for about a month (one should take into account his low combat effectiveness during a hunger strike). Therefore, the owners of a castle preparing for a siege often took extreme measures - they drove out all the commoners who could not benefit the defense. As mentioned above, the garrison of the castles was small - it was impossible to feed an entire army under siege conditions.

The attackers had no less problems. The siege of castles sometimes lasted for years (for example, the German Turant defended from 1245 to 1248), so the question of logistics for an army of several hundred people arose especially acutely.

In the case of the siege of Turant, chroniclers claim that during all this time the soldiers of the attacking army drank 300 fuders of wine (a fuder is a huge barrel). This amounts to about 2.8 million liters. Either the census taker made a mistake, or the constant number of besiegers was more than 1000 people.

View of Eltz Castle from Trutz-Eltz Counter-Castle.

The war against castles had its own specifics. After all, any more or less high stone fortification presented a serious obstacle to conventional armies. Direct infantry attacks on the fortress could well be crowned with success, which, however, came at the cost of great casualties.

That is why, in order to successfully capture the castle, a whole range of military measures was necessary (the siege and starvation have already been mentioned above). One of the most labor-intensive, but at the same time extremely successful methods of overcoming the castle’s defenses was undermining.

Undermining was done for two purposes - to provide troops with direct access to the castle courtyard or to destroy a section of its wall.

So, during the siege of the Altwindstein castle in Northern Alsace in 1332, a brigade of sappers of 80 (!) people took advantage of the diversionary maneuvers of their troops (periodic short attacks on the castle) and within 10 weeks made a long passage in solid rock to the south-eastern part fortresses

If the castle wall was not too large and had an unreliable wall, then a tunnel was dug under its base, the walls of which were strengthened with wooden struts. Next, the spacers were set on fire - just under the wall. The tunnel was collapsing, the base of the foundation was sagging, and the wall above this place was falling apart.

Curious devices were used to detect tunnels. For example, large copper bowls with balls inside were placed throughout the castle. If a ball in any bowl began to tremble, this was a sure sign that a tunnel was being mined nearby.

But the main argument in attacking the castle were siege engines - catapults and rams.

Storming of the castle (14th century miniature).

A type of catapult is a trebuchet.

Sometimes the catapults were loaded with barrels filled with flammable materials. To give the defenders of the castle a couple of pleasant minutes, catapults threw the severed heads of prisoners to them (especially powerful machines could even throw whole corpses over the wall).

Storming a castle using a mobile tower.

In addition to the usual ram, pendulum ones were also used. They were mounted on high mobile frames with a canopy and looked like a log suspended on a chain. The besiegers hid inside the tower and swung the chain, causing the log to hit the wall.

In response, the besieged lowered a rope from the wall, at the end of which steel hooks were attached. With this rope they caught the ram and tried to lift it up, depriving it of mobility. Sometimes an unwary soldier could get caught on such hooks.

Having overcome the rampart, broken the palisades and filled in the ditch, the attackers either stormed the castle using ladders or used tall wooden towers, the upper platform of which was flush with the wall (or even higher than it). These gigantic structures were doused with water to prevent the defenders from setting them on fire and were rolled up to the castle along a plank flooring. A heavy platform was thrown over the wall. The assault group climbed up the internal stairs, went out onto the platform and fought into the gallery of the fortress wall. Usually this meant that in a couple of minutes the castle would be taken.

Silent Sapa

Sapa (from the French sape, literally - hoe, saper - to dig) is a method of digging a ditch, trench or tunnel to approach its fortifications, used in the 16th-19th centuries. The switchback (quiet, secretive) and flying glanders are known. Work with a shift gland was carried out from the bottom of the original ditch without workers going to the surface, and with a flying gland - from the surface of the earth under the cover of a previously prepared protective embankment of barrels and bags of earth. In the 2nd half of the 17th century, specialists - sappers - appeared in the armies of a number of countries to perform such work.

The expression to act “on the sly” means: to sneak, slowly, unnoticed, to penetrate somewhere.

Fights on the castle stairs

From one floor of the tower it was possible to get to another only by a narrow and steep spiral staircase. The ascent along it was carried out only one after another - it was so narrow. In this case, the warrior who went first could only count on his own ability to fight, because the steepness of the turn was chosen in such a way that it was impossible to use a spear or long sword from behind the leader’s back. Therefore, the battles on the stairs were reduced to single combat between the defenders of the castle and one of the attackers. Namely the defenders, because they could easily replace each other, since there was a special extended area behind them.

Samurai castles

We know the least about exotic castles - for example, Japanese ones.

Stone castles began to be built at the end of the 16th century, taking into account European achievements in fortification. An indispensable feature of a Japanese castle are wide and deep artificial ditches with steep slopes that surrounded it on all sides. Usually they were filled with water, but sometimes this function was performed by a natural water barrier - a river, lake, swamp.

Inside, the castle was a complex system of defensive structures, consisting of several rows of walls with courtyards and gates, underground corridors and labyrinths. All these structures were located around central square honmaru, on which the feudal lord's palace and the high central tenshukaku tower were erected. The latter consisted of several gradually decreasing rectangular tiers with protruding tiled roofs and pediments.

Japanese castles, as a rule, were small - about 200 meters long and 500 wide. But among them there were also real giants. Thus, Odawara Castle occupied an area of ​​170 hectares, and the total length of its fortress walls reached 5 kilometers, which is twice the length of the walls of the Moscow Kremlin.

Ancient charm

French castle of Saumur (14th century miniature).

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The Norman Conquest of England led to a boom in castle building, but the process of creating a fortress from scratch is far from simple. If you want to start building a fortress yourself, then you should familiarize yourself with the tips given.

It is extremely important to build your castle on high ground and at a strategic point.

Castles were usually built on natural elevations, and were usually equipped with a link connecting them with the external environment, such as a ford, bridge or passage.

Historians have rarely been able to find evidence from contemporaries regarding the choice of location for the construction of the castle, but they still exist. On September 30, 1223, 15-year-old King Henry III arrived in Montgomery with his army. The king, who had successfully carried out a military campaign against the Welsh prince Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, was planning to build a new castle in this area to ensure security on the border of his possessions. The English carpenters had been given the task of preparing the wood a month earlier, but the king's advisers had only now determined the site for the construction of the castle.

After a careful survey of the area, they chose a point on the very edge of a ledge overlooking the Severn valley. According to the chronicler Roger of Wendover, this position "looked unassailable to anyone." He also noted that the castle was created “for the security of the region from frequent attacks by the Welsh.”

Tip: Identify places where the topography rises above traffic routes: these are natural places for locks. Keep in mind that the design of the castle is determined by where it is built. For example, a castle will have a dry moat on a ledge of outcroppings.

2) Come up with a workable plan

You will need a master mason who can draw plans. An engineer knowledgeable in weapons will also come in handy.

Experienced soldiers may have their own ideas about the design of the castle, in terms of the shape of its buildings and their location. But it is unlikely that they will have the knowledge of specialists in design and construction.

To implement the idea, a master mason was required - an experienced builder, whose distinguishing feature was the ability to draw a plan. With an understanding of practical geometry, he used simple tools such as the ruler, square, and compass to create architectural plans. Master masons submitted a drawing with a building plan for approval, and during construction they supervised its construction.

When Edward II began building a huge residential tower at Knaresborough Castle in Yorkshire in 1307 for his favorite Piers Gaveston, he not only personally approved the plans created by the London master mason Hugh of Titchmarsh - probably made as a drawing - but also demanded regular reports on the construction . From the mid-16th century, a new group of professionals called engineers increasingly began to take on a role in drawing up plans and constructing fortifications. They had technical knowledge of the use and power of cannons, both for defense and attack on castles.

Tip: Plan the loopholes to provide a wide angle of attack. Shape them according to the weapon you're using: longbow archers need larger slopes, crossbowmen need smaller ones.

You will need thousands of people. And not all of them will necessarily come of their own free will.

The construction of the castle required enormous efforts. We have no documented evidence of the construction of the first castles in England from 1066, but from the scale of many castles of that period it is clear why some chronicles claim that the English population was under pressure to build castles for their Norman conquerors. But from the later Middle Ages, some estimates with detailed information have reached us.

During the invasion of Wales in 1277, King Edward I began building a castle at Flint, north-east Wales. It was erected quickly, thanks to the rich resources of the crown. A month after the start of work, in August, 2,300 people were involved in the construction, including 1,270 diggers, 320 woodcutters, 330 carpenters, 200 masons, 12 blacksmiths and 10 charcoal burners. All of them were driven from the surrounding lands under an armed escort, who made sure that they did not desert from the construction site.

From time to time, foreign specialists could be involved in construction. For example, millions of bricks for the reconstruction of Tattershall Castle in Lincolnshire in the 1440s were supplied by a certain Baldwin “Docheman”, or Dutchman, that is, “Dutchman” - obviously a foreigner.

Tip: Depending on the size of the workforce and the distance they have to travel, they may need to be housed on site.

An unfinished castle on enemy territory is very vulnerable to attack.

To build a castle on enemy territory, you need to protect the construction site from attacks. For example, you can surround the construction site with wooden fortifications or a low stone wall. Such medieval defense systems sometimes remained after the construction of the building as an additional wall - as, for example, at Beaumaris Castle, the construction of which began in 1295.

Safe communication with the outside world for the delivery of building materials and supplies is also important. In 1277 Edward I dug a canal to the River Clwyd straight from the sea to the site of his new castle at Rydlan. The outer wall, built to protect the construction site, extended to the piers on the banks of the river.

Security problems may also arise when radically renovating an existing castle. When Henry II rebuilt Dover Castle in the 1180s, the work was carefully planned so that the fortifications would provide protection for the duration of the renovation. According to the surviving decrees, work on the inner wall of the castle began only when the tower was already sufficiently repaired so that guards could be on duty in it.

Tip: building materials for building a castle are large and voluminous. If possible, it is better to transport them by water, even if this means building a dock or canal.

When building a castle, you may have to move a significant amount of earth, which is not cheap.

It is often forgotten that the castle’s fortifications were built not only through architectural techniques, but also through landscape design. Huge resources were devoted to moving land. The scale of the Norman land work can be considered outstanding. For example, according to some estimates, the mound built in 1100 around Pleshy Castle in Essex required 24,000 man-days.

Some aspects of landscaping required considerable skill, especially the creation of water ditches. When Edward I rebuilt Tower of London in the 1270s, he hired a foreign specialist, Walter of Flanders, to create a huge tidal ditch. Digging the ditches under his direction cost £4,000, a staggering sum, almost a quarter of the cost of the entire project.

With the increasing role of cannons in siege art, the earth began to play an even more important role as an absorber of cannon shots. Interestingly, experience in moving large volumes of earth allowed some fortification engineers to find work as garden designers.

Tip: Reduce time and cost by excavating the stonework for your castle walls from the moats around it.

Carefully implement the mason's plan.

Using ropes of the required length and pegs, it was possible to mark the foundation of the building on the ground in full size. After the ditches for the foundation were dug, work began on the masonry. To save money, responsibility for construction was assigned to the senior mason instead of the master mason. Masonry in the Middle Ages was usually measured in rods, one English rod = 5.03 m. At Warkworth in Northumberland, one of the complex towers stands on a grid of rods, perhaps for the purpose of calculating construction costs.

Often the construction of medieval castles was accompanied by detailed documentation. In 1441-42 the tower of Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire was destroyed and plans were drawn up for its successor on the ground. But for some reason the Prince of Stafford was dissatisfied. The king's master mason, Robert of Westerley, was sent to Tutbury where he held a meeting with two senior masons to design a new tower on a new site. Westerly then left, and over the next eight years a small group of workers, including four junior masons, built a new tower.

Senior masons could be called upon to certify the quality of the work, as was the case at Cooling Castle in Kent when the royal mason Heinrich Yewel assessed the work carried out from 1381 to 1384. He criticized deviations from the original plan and rounded down the estimate.

Tip: Don't let the master mason fool you. Make him make a plan so that it is easy to make an estimate.

Complete the construction with complex fortifications and specialized wooden structures.

Until the 12th century, the fortifications of most castles consisted of earth and logs. And although later preference was given to stone buildings, wood remained a very important material in medieval wars and fortifications.

Stone castles were prepared for attacks by adding special battle galleries along the walls, as well as shutters that could be used to cover the gaps between the battlements to protect the castle defenders. All this was made of wood. Heavy weapons used to defend the castle, catapults and heavy crossbows, springalds, were also built from wood. Artillery was usually designed by a highly paid professional carpenter, sometimes with the title of engineer, from the Latin "ingeniator".

Such experts were not cheap, but could end up being worth their weight in gold. This, for example, happened in 1266, when the castle of Kenilworth in Warwickshire resisted Henry III for almost six months with the help of catapults and water defense.

There are records of marching castles made entirely of wood - they could be carried with you and erected as needed. One of these was built for the French invasion of England in 1386, but the garrison of Calais captured it along with the ship. It was described as consisting of a wall of logs 20 feet high and 3,000 steps long. There was a 30-foot tower every 12 paces, capable of housing up to 10 soldiers, and the castle also had unspecified defenses for archers.

Tip: Oak wood becomes stronger over the years, and it is easiest to work with when it is green. The upper branches of trees are easy to transport and shape.

8) Provide water and sewerage

The most important aspect for the castle was efficient access to water. These could be wells that supplied water to certain buildings, for example, a kitchen or stable. Without a detailed knowledge of medieval well shafts, it is difficult to do them justice. For example, at Beeston Castle in Cheshire there is a well 100 m deep, the top 60 m of which is lined with cut stone.

There is some evidence of complex aqueducts that brought water to the apartments. The tower of Dover Castle has a system of lead pipes that delivers water to the rooms. It was fed from a well using a winch, and possibly from a rainwater collection system.

Effective disposal of human waste was another challenge for lock designers. Latrines were collected in one place in the buildings so that their shafts were emptied in one place. They were located in short corridors that trapped unpleasant odors, and were often equipped with wooden seats and removable covers.

Today, it is widely believed that restrooms used to be called “wardrobes.” In fact, the vocabulary for toilets was extensive and colorful. They were called gongs or gangs (from the Anglo-Saxon word for "place to go"), nooks and jakes (the French version of "john").

Tip: Ask a master mason to design comfortable and private latrines outside the bedroom, following the example of Henry II and Dover Castle.

The castle not only had to be well guarded - its inhabitants, having a high status, demanded a certain chic.

During war, the castle must be defended - but it also serves luxury home. Noble gentlemen of the Middle Ages expected their homes to be both comfortable and richly furnished. In the Middle Ages, these citizens traveled together with servants, things and furniture from one residence to another. But home interiors often had fixed decorative features, such as stained glass windows.

Henry III's tastes in furnishings are recorded very carefully, with interesting and attractive detail. In 1235-36, for example, he ordered his hall at Winchester Castle to be decorated with images of the world map and the wheel of fortune. Since then, these decorations have not survived, but the well-known round table of King Arthur, created perhaps between 1250 and 1280, remains in the interior.

The large area of ​​the castles played an important role in luxurious life. Parks were created for hunting, a jealously guarded privilege of aristocrats; gardens were also in demand. The extant description of the construction of Kirby Muxloe Castle in Leicestershire says that its owner, Lord Hastings, began laying out gardens at the very beginning of the construction of the castle in 1480.

In the Middle Ages they also loved rooms with beautiful views. One group of 13th-century rooms in the castles of Leeds in Kent, Corfe in Dorset and Chepstow in Monmotshire were called gloriettes (from the French gloriette - a diminutive of the word glory) for their magnificence.

Tip: The interior of the castle should be luxurious enough to attract visitors and friends. Entertainment can win battles without having to expose oneself to the dangers of combat.

Which castle inspired Pyotr Tchaikovsky to create Swan Lake? Where was Indiana Jones filmed? How do ancient European castles function today? Lovers of mystical landscapes, romantic trips and mysterious legends! Our material is especially for you!

Eltz (German: Burg Eltz) is a castle located in Rhineland-Palatinate (Wirsch commune) in the valley of the Elzbach River. Together with the Bürresheim Palace, it is considered the only building in western Germany that has never been destroyed or captured. The castle was not damaged even during the wars of the 17th and 18th centuries. and the events of the French Revolution.

The castle has been perfectly preserved to this day. It is surrounded on three sides by a river and rises on a cliff 70 meters high. This makes it consistently popular among tourists and photographers.

Official website

Bled Castle, Slovenia (11th century)

One of the oldest castles in Slovenia (Slovenian: Blejski grad) is located on the top of a 130-meter cliff near the lake of the same name near the city of Bled. The oldest part of the castle is the Romanesque tower, which was used for housing, defense, and to monitor the surrounding area.

During World War II, the headquarters of German troops was located here. In 1947, there was a fire in the castle, due to which some of the buildings were damaged. A few years later the castle was restored and it resumed its activities as historical museum. The museum's collection includes clothing, weapons and household items.

Official website

(XIX century)

The romantic castle of King Ludwig II is located near the town of Füssen in southwestern Bavaria. The castle was the inspiration for the construction of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris. Neuschwanstein (German: Schloß Neuschwanstein) is also featured in the 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as a castle in the fictional land of Vulgaria. Pyotr Tchaikovsky was fascinated by the view of Neuschwanstein. According to historians, it was here that he came up with the idea of ​​​​creating the ballet “Swan Lake”.

Neuschwanstein Castle is shown in the films “Ludwig II: The Splendor and Fall of the King” (1955, directed by Helmut Keutner), “Ludwig” (1972, directed by Luchino Visconti), “Ludwig II” (2012, directed by Marie Noel and Peter Zehr).

Currently the castle is a museum. To visit, you need to buy a ticket at the ticket center and go up to the castle by bus, on foot or by horse-drawn carriage. The only person who "lives" in the castle on at the moment and is its keeper - the watchman.

Official website

The castle in Livorno received its name due to the fact that the local coastline is known as Boccale (Jug) or Cala dei Pirati (Pirate Bay). The center of the modern Castello del Boccale was an observation tower, built by order of the Medici in 16th century, presumably on the ruins of more than ancient building period of the Pisan Republic. Throughout its history, the appearance of the castle has undergone changes more than once. In recent years, a thorough restoration of the Castello del Boccale has been carried out, after which the castle was divided into several residential apartments.

The legendary castle (rum. Bran Castle) is located in the picturesque town of Bran, 30 km from Brasov, on the border of Muntenia and Transylvania. It was originally built at the end of the 14th century with the help of local residents for exemption from paying taxes to the state treasury for several centuries. Thanks to its location on top of a cliff and its trapezoidal shape, the castle served as a strategic defensive fortress.

The castle has 4 levels connected by a staircase. During its history, the castle changed several owners: it belonged to the ruler Mircea the Old, the inhabitants of Brasov and the Habsburg Empire... According to legend, during his campaigns the famous governor Vlad the Impaler-Dracula spent the night in the castle, and its surroundings were the favorite hunting ground of the ruler the Impaler.

Currently, the castle belongs to a descendant of the Romanian kings, the grandson of Queen Mary, Dominic of Habsburg (in 2006, according to the new Romanian law on the return of territories to the previous owners). After the castle was handed over to the owner, all the furniture was taken to museums in Bucharest. And Dominic Habsburg had to recreate the decoration of the castle, buying various antique items.

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Official website

Alcazar Castle, Spain (9th century)

The fortress of the Spanish kings Alcázar (Spanish: Alcázar) is located in the historical part of the city of Segovia on a cliff. Over the years of its existence, the Alcazar was not only a royal palace, but also a prison, as well as an artillery academy. According to archaeologists, even in ancient Roman times there was a military fortification on the site of the Alcazar. During the Middle Ages, the castle was the favorite residence of the kings of Castile. In 1953, the Alcazar was turned into a museum.

Currently, it remains one of the most visited tourist destinations in Spain. The palace has a museum in which furniture, interiors, a collection of weapons, and portraits of the kings of Castile are exhibited. 11 halls are available for viewing and the most high tower- Tower of Juan II.

Chateau de Chambord, France (XVI century)

Chambord (French: Château de Chambord) is one of the most recognizable castles in France, architectural masterpiece Renaissance era. The length of the facade is 156 m, width 117 m, the castle has 426 rooms, 77 staircases, 282 fireplaces and 800 sculpturally decorated capitals.

According to historical research, Leonardo da Vinci himself took part in the design. Since 1981, it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Since 2005, the castle has the status of a state public and commercial enterprise. On the second floor of the castle there is now a branch of the Museum of Hunting and Nature.

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Windsor Castle, UK (11th century)

Situated on a hill in the Thames River valley, Windsor Castle has been a symbol of the monarchy for more than 900 years. Over the centuries, the appearance of the castle changed in accordance with the capabilities of the ruling monarchs. It acquired its modern appearance as a result of reconstruction after a fire in 1992. The castle occupies 52,609 square meters and combines the features of a fortress, a palace and a small town.

Today, the palace is owned on behalf of the nation by the Occupied Royal Palaces Estate organization (residential royal palaces), and consumer services are provided by the Royal Household department. Windsor Castle is the largest residential castle in the world (about 500 people live and work there). Elizabeth II spends a month in the spring and a week in June at the castle to participate in traditional ceremonies associated with the Order of the Garter. About a million tourists visit the castle every year.

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Corvin Castle, Romania (XIV century)

The ancestral seat of the feudal house of Hunyadi in the south of Transylvania, in the modern Romanian city of Hunedoara. Initially, the fortress had an oval shape, and the only defensive tower was located in the northern wing, while on the southern side it was covered by a stone wall.

In 1441-1446, under the governor Janos Hunyadi, seven towers were built, and in 1446-1453. They founded the chapel, built the main halls and the southern wing with utility rooms. As a result, the appearance of the castle combines elements of late Gothic and early Renaissance.

In 1974, the castle was opened to visitors as a museum. Tourists are taken to the castle over a gigantic bridge, they are shown a vast hall for knightly feasts and two towers, one of which bears the name of the monk John Capistran, and the second has the romantic name “Do not be afraid.”

They also say that it was in this castle of Hunyadi that Dracula, who was overthrown from the throne of Vlad the Impaler, was kept for 7 years.

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Liechtenstein Castle, Austria (12th century)

One of the most unusual castles in architecture (German - Burg Liechtenstein) is located on the edge Vienna Woods. The castle was built in the 12th century, but was destroyed twice by the Ottomans in 1529 and 1683. In 1884 the castle was restored. Further damage was caused to the castle during the Second World War. Finally, in the 1950s, the castle was restored by the efforts of the townspeople. Since 2007, the castle, like more than 800 years ago, is under the jurisdiction of relatives of its founders - the princely family of Liechtenstein.

The modern popularity of Liechtenstein Castle is associated with the Johann Nestroy Theater Festival held here in the summer. The castle is open to visitors.

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Chillon Castle (French: Château de Chillon) is located near Lake Geneva, 3 km from the city of Montreux, and is a complex of 25 elements from different eras of construction. The peculiarities of the location and construction allowed the owners of the castle to completely control the strategically important road that ran between the lake and mountains. For a certain period of time, the road to the Saint Bernard Pass served as the only transport route from Northern Europe to Southern Europe. The depth of the lake ensured safety: an attack from this side was simply impossible. The stone wall of the castle facing the road is fortified with three towers. The opposite side of the castle is residential.

Like most castles, Chillon Castle also served as a prison. Louis the Pious held Abbot Vala of Corvey prisoner here. In the middle of the 14th century, during the plague epidemic, Jews who were accused of poisoning water sources were kept and tortured in the castle.

George Byron's poem "The Prisoner of Chillon" takes place in Chillon Castle. The historical basis for the poem was the imprisonment in the castle by order of Charles III of Savoy François Bonivard in the years 1530–1536. The image of the castle was romanticized in the works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Percy Shelley, Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas.

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Hohenzollern Castle, Germany (XIII century)

Hohenzollern Castle (German: Burg Hohenzollern) is located in Baden-Württemberg, 50 km south of Stuttgart, on the top of Mount Hohenzollern at an altitude of 855 meters. Over the years of its existence, the castle was destroyed several times.

Some of the most famous relics kept in the museum are the crown of the Prussian kings and the uniform that belonged to Frederick the Great. From 1952 to 1991, the remains of Frederick I and Frederick the Great rested in the castle museum. After the reunification of East and West Germany in 1991, the ashes of the Prussian kings were returned to Potsdam.

Currently, the castle belongs 2/3 to the Brandenburg-Prussian Hohenzollern line and 1/3 to the Swabian-Catholic line. About 300 thousand tourists visit it annually.

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Castle Walsen, Belgium (11th century)

Schaaken was first mentioned in the chronicle of the Teutonic Order in 1258, when, according to an agreement on the division of territories between the Order and the Samland bishop Heinrich von Strittberg, the area around Schaaken remained with the Order. The wooden fortress began to be built in 1261, about 4 km from the Curonian Lagoon. For construction, the Shaaken River (now Bolshaya Moryana) was dammed, and a defensive fortification was built on the marshy marshy soil. The castle was used during the Order's campaigns deep into Prussian territories into Nadravia, Sudavia and further to Shalavia. It was also intended to defend the coast of the Curonian Lagoon, along the ice of which the Prussian tribes of the Skalovs, and later the Litvins, often carried out their raids.

Construction of the stone castle began in 1328. By that time, the Order had developed its own tradition of building castles. As a rule, these were quadrangular castles with from one to four wings with a bergfried and high defensive walls. These castles necessarily had pre-castle fortifications (forburgs). Castle Schaaken, unlike most castles of the Order, had an almost circular perimeter, since due to urgency, the construction of the stone fortress wall was carried out along the old perimeter of the ramparts surrounding it.

After the secularization of the Teutonic Order in 1525, Schaaken Castle briefly fell into the hands of rebel peasants. Since 1526, the castle housed the ducal chamber of justice, and since the mid-16th century, the Samland Land Office.

The ancient fortress was destroyed by a strong fire in 1606. In 1684, the castle began to be restored; during this work, serious architectural changes were made to the appearance of the interior of the castle.

In 1697, part of the Great Russian Embassy, ​​en route to Western Europe, arrived in Schaaken. And on November 11, 1711, Peter I and Catherine stopped for the night in Schaaken on the way to Russia.

In 1815-1819 Schaaken was the seat of the village administration. Probably during this period the main building, through which the gate passed during the Order's time, was rebuilt. After the reconstruction, the gates were blocked and a new gate was built on the western side of the ancient wall.

The castle was not damaged during the fighting in 1945. On its territory there was a collective farm stable, which existed until the early 1960s. Then the castle was given over to housing, and the outbuildings were used for household needs. In the 1980s, only one family lived in the castle, using the rooms that were still habitable. Lack of timely repairs led to the destruction of the ceiling and walls. Now the castle building and the remaining buildings have turned into ruins. A private museum is organized on the territory of Schaaken Castle.

2 Tapiau Castle (Gvardeysk, Kaliningrad region)

Tapiau Castle was first mentioned in 1258 as the possession of the Prussian noble Zapelle, who converted to the Christian faith and swore allegiance to the Teutonic Order. In 1262, a small wooden and earthen order fortress was built on the banks of the Deima. In 1265 it was captured and destroyed by the Lithuanian army. In the same 1265, the Master of the Teutonic Order Arno von Zangershausen ordered the foundation of a fortress on the northern bank of the Pregel River.

In 1275, the Tapiau fortress was stormed by the Litvin army. The fortress survived, but its position on the ground did not seem entirely favorable to the defenders. It was decided to move it to another place. In 1280-1290, under the leadership of commander Ulrich von Bauer, a new wooden fortress was built on the eastern bank of the Deima. In 1340-1351, under the leadership of Marshal of the Order Siegfried von Danenfelde, a stone two-story castle with four wings and a foreburg, protected by a horseshoe-shaped moat and an earthen rampart, was built in the Pregel bend. This fortification has survived to this day in its rebuilt form.

In the middle of the 16th century, by order of the Duke of Prussia Albrecht of Brandenburg-Ansbach, a large-scale reconstruction was carried out at Tapiau Castle.

During the reign of King Frederick William III, starting in 1786, a shelter for the poor operated in Tapiau Castle, and in 1793 the house of contempt received the first decrepit, wretched, sick and orphans. During these years, three wings of the castle were demolished. In 1879, during the restoration of Tapiau Castle, two floors were added, the top floor housed a house church, after which the castle began to be used as an administrative building.

In 1902, a complex of red brick buildings was built on the castle grounds. During the Weimar Republic and under the Nazis, Tapiau Castle housed a prison. Since April 1945, the castle housed a pre-trial detention center for war criminals, and later again a prison.

3 Waldau Castle (Nizovye village, Kaliningrad region)

The first order wooden-earth fortification in Waldau was built in 1258-1264. The expansion of the territory controlled by the Teutonic Order led to the fact that Waldau Castle lost its defensive significance.

In 1457, the old fortifications were rebuilt, after which the castle began to be used as summer residence Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order. After the secularization of the Order in 1525, Waldau Castle became a ducal domain.

On May 17-18, 1697, the main part of the Great Russian Embassy, ​​headed by Admiral Franz Yakovlevich Lefort, stayed at Waldau Castle, and Tsar Peter I visited the castle on May 17. Since 1720, Waldau Castle was rented out by the royal government of Prussia.

In 1858, an agricultural school was located in the castle. In the 1860s, the building was thoroughly rebuilt, the towers and fortress walls were finally dismantled. Since 1945, the castle building was under the jurisdiction of the agricultural school (SPTU No. 20). The left wing has been used as an agricultural school dormitory since 1947. Currently, there is a museum in the western wing.

4 Lauken Castle (Saranskoye village, Kaliningrad region)

Around 1260, in the town of Lovka, on the site of the future castle, order rampart fortifications were built. Since 1270, the Lauken fortress served as a bridgehead on the right bank of the Laba for the onslaught of the Teutonic Order on Nadrovia.

In 1327 a stone castle was built. Lauken was mentioned in 1466 in the documents of the II Peace of Thorn and the Treaty of Krakow in 1525. During the time of Duke Albrecht, the castle was used as a hunting lodge. At the direction of Duke Georg Friedrich, Lauken was rebuilt by the architect Blasius Berwart in 1581-1584. After this, the castle received the name Friedrichsburg. Soon after perestroika, Georg Friedrich gave an audience to the Swedish ambassador in the castle.

In subsequent years, the castle, becoming a knight's estate, was rebuilt several times. At the end of the 19th century, Lauken became the property of the von Biberstein family, the last owner being Ludwig von Biberstein.

After the end of World War II, the castle building remained in good condition. In the first post-war years it was converted into a school, and later another building was added to the north side. The building remained in this form until the beginning of the 21st century. The cellars from the order's times have been preserved.

5 Georgenburg (Chernyakhovsk, Kaliningrad region)

In 1264, on the high northern bank of the Inster, on the site of the old Prussian fortification of Kapzowin, the knight of the German Order Hartmann von Grumbach built a fortification, named Georgenburg in honor of St. George. In 1337, a castle was founded here; in 1351, by order of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Winrich von Kniprode, its reconstruction in stone began.

In 1364 and 1376 the castle was destroyed by the Lithuanians, in 1385-1390 it was restored, and later a forburg was added on the western side. In 1403, Georgenburg was taken by the Lithuanian army led by Prince Vytautas. In 1657, the castle was severely damaged during a Tatar raid, and in 1679 it was occupied by the Swedes.

Since 1709, the castle and the estate were rented out. From 1752 to 1799, the von Koidell family began breeding horses here. Last owner Georgenburg Castle, since 1937, was Dr. Martin Gehling.

In 1994-1995, Georgenburg was leased by the Russian Insurance Bank for 99 years to create a cultural and entertainment center. Archaeological excavations were carried out on its territory until the 1997 crisis, when the bank abandoned this project. Currently the castle is on the verge of destruction.

6 Vyborg Castle (Vyborg, Leningrad region)

Vyborg Castle was founded in 1293 during the third Swedish crusade. The Swedes landed on the coast of the Gulf of Finland in the area of ​​​​present-day Vyborg and destroyed the Karelian settlement and the Karelian outpost on a small island. The Swedes founded a castle on the island and named it Vyborg (translated from Old Swedish as “Holy Fortress”). A stone wall was built around the central high part of the island. And in the center of the island, a quadrangular stone tower-donjon was erected. The Swedes named it St. Olaf's Tower in honor of King Olaf II Haraldsson, who established Christianity in Norway.

The castle became the residence of the viceroy of the Swedish king. For many years, Vyborg Castle was the main border fortress of Sweden in the east and the administrative center of Vyborg County. Vyborg Castle reached its greatest prosperity in the middle of the 15th century, during the years of the governorship of Karl Knutsson Bunde, who later became King Charles VIII of Sweden. At this time it was rebuilt main building, where the governor’s chambers and apartments were located, in which kings and high-ranking officials stayed during their visits to Vyborg. In front of the main building and St. Olaf's Tower, a southern defensive wall was built with four towers: New, Guard, Fire and Prison. The Shoemaker's Tower was erected on the northeastern side of the island, and the Paradise Tower on the southeast. The main gate was installed in the passage arch of the Fire Tower.

In 1555, King Gustav I Vasa visited Vyborg Castle and personally inspected royal castles Sweden. Dissatisfied with the state of the fortifications and towers, the king ordered a large-scale reconstruction of the fortress, which was poorly suited for artillery defense. Work began in 1559. New supporting walls were built on Castle Island, the castle towers and its main building were rebuilt. The reconstruction of the castle donjon began in 1561 and lasted four years. St. Olaf's Tower was dismantled to the level of the second tier, and then built on with brick: the third and fourth tiers were tetrahedral, the top three were octagonal in shape. The height of the tower (without roof) was 38 meters. Large-caliber cannons were installed at the loopholes on the upper floors. In the 1580s, the southern defensive wall underwent reconstruction. In 1582, construction began on a stone outer wall, which encircled the island in an arc from the west and north. In 1606-1608, the Fire Tower and the gate house at the entrance to the island were rebuilt and combined into one building - the Governor's House, which later became the residence of the Vyborg governor.

In 1710, during the siege of Vyborg by the troops of Peter I, the walls and buildings of the fortress were significantly damaged by Russian artillery. Throughout the 18th century, the castle buildings were repeatedly repaired and rebuilt. During this period, the buildings of the Barracks building and arsenals appeared. In 1834 and 1856, two devastating fires occurred at the Vyborg Castle. In 1891-1894, the castle was restored by the Vyborg fortress military engineering department.

From 1944 to 1964, Vyborg Castle was used by the Soviet military. The 71st separate guards communications battalion and the 49th separate guards engineer battalion of the 45th guards division were stationed in the castle. Military families lived in the castle premises. In 1964, the USSR Ministry of Defense transferred the Vyborg Castle to the State Inspectorate for the Protection of Monuments. In 1970, the first exhibitions of the Vyborg Local Lore Museum opened here.

7 Preussisch-Eylau Castle (Bagrationovsk, Kaliningrad region)

In 1325, by order of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Werner von Orseln, master Arnold von Eulenstein began construction of a fortified house on a hill surrounded by swamps and a river, on the site of the Prussian fortress of Sutvirt, which was called Ile Castle. The Order built a dam with a mill on the river, the water level rose and the castle ended up on an island. By 1330, a square-shaped stone fortification was built, surrounded by a moat, with a drawbridge and a portcullised gate. A forburg was added to the fortification on the eastern side.

In historical documents, the first mention of the castle dates back to 1326, where it is called “Ile”, in the records of 1342 - “Iladiya”, in 1400 - “Prusche Ilov” (Preussisch-Eylau). Until 1347, Preussisch-Eylau was the residence of the order's pfleger, then it housed the administration of the Kammerat, which was part of the command of Balga.

In February 1454, during the Thirteen Years' War, Preussisch-Eylau Castle was captured by the rebel population and partially damaged. The Order organized active resistance, and most of the cities of Natangia again came under its rule. Preussisch-Eylau was occupied by the order's garrison, which consisted of several knights and 60 militia, and all damage was repaired. In 1455 and 1456, Prussian troops tried to take possession of the castle, but they failed.

After the reformation in 1525, the order's castle became the seat of the departmental estate of Hauptmann Preussisch-Eylau. In 1814, the estate was bought by Heinrich Sigismund Valentini. In 1817 it was named Henriettenhof after the owner's wife. The estate was located on the territory of an old forburg, which was still well preserved. Due to the lack of a roof, the castle was actively being destroyed. It was unpleasant to live next to the ruins, and soon a castle was built a kilometer northwest of the castle new home. Almost the entire farm was transferred there.

In 1932, in an old mansion located near the walls of the former order castle, a district district was opened local history museum. During World War II, the castle grounds were not badly damaged. After the war, the living quarters of the former mansion gradually fell into complete disrepair and by the early 1960s were no longer in use. The territory of the castle and the foreburg was transferred on November 27, 1961, according to an act of the Bagrationovskaya office of the regional consumer union, after which the basements of the castle and the buildings of the forburg were used as warehouses.

In the surviving forburg building, the roof began to collapse due to rotten rafters, and by 1989, holes appeared in the roof. In August 1990, the middle section of the building burned down. In the early 1990s, a decision was made to carry out minor excavations and convert the foreburg into a hotel with a bar. But in the final stages the foreburg was abandoned.

Situated among the green hills of Baden-Württemberg and crowned by the old medieval city Heidelberg, Heidelberg medieval castle, is one of Germany's most wonderful romantic attractions. The first mention of the castle dates back to 1225. The ruins of the castle are one of the most important structures of the Renaissance tonorth of the Alps. For many years Heidelberg Castle wasresidence of the countsPalatine, who were answerable only to the emperor.

2. Hohensalzburg Castle (Austria)

One of the largest medieval castles in Europe, located on Mount Festung, at an altitude of 120 meters, near Salzburg. During its existence, Hohensalzburg Castle was repeatedly rebuilt and fortified, gradually turning into a powerful, impregnable fortress. In the 19th century, the castle was used as a warehouse, military barracks and prison. The first mentions of the castle date back to the 10th century.

3. Bran Castle (Romania)

Located almost in the center of Romania, this medieval castle gained its worldwide fame thanks to Hollywood, it is believed that Count Dracula lived in this castle. Lock is a national monument and a major tourist attractionRomania. The first mentions of the castle date back to the 13th century.

4. Segovia Castle (Spain)

This majestic stone fortress is located near the city of Segovia in Spain and is one of the most famous castles Iberian Peninsula. It was its special shape that inspired Walt Disney to recreate Cinderella's castle in his cartoon. The Alcazar (castle) was originally built as a fortress, but served in quality royal palace, prison, royal artillery school and military academy. Currently used as museum and storage locations for Spanish military archives. The first mention of the castle dates back to 1120; it was built during the reign of the Berber dynasty.

5. Dunstanborough Castle (England)

The castle was built by the CountThomas Lancasterbetween 1313 and 1322 at a time when relations between King Edward II and his vassal, Baron Thomas of Lancaster, became openly hostile. In 1362 Dunstanborough took over John of Ghent , fourth son of the king Edward III , who significantly rebuilt the castle. During Wars of the Roses The Lancastrian stronghold came under fire, resulting in the castle being destroyed.

6. Cardiff Castle (Wales)

Situated in the heart of the city of Cardiff, this medieval castle is one of the Welsh capital's most defining monuments. The castle was built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century on the site of a former 3rd century Roman Empire fort.

This medieval castle dominates the skylineEdinburgh, capital of Scotland. Historical origin of the formidable Edinburgh Castle The rock is shrouded in mystery, it is mentioned in 6th century epics, appearing in chronicles before finally coming to the fore in Scottish history when Edinburgh established itself as a seat of monarchical power in the 12th century.

One of the most visited sites in southern Ireland, it is also one of the most intact examples of medieval fortification in the world. Blarney Castle is the third fortress built on this site. The first building was wooden and dates back to the 10th century. Around 1210, a stone fortress was built instead. It was subsequently destroyed and in 1446 Dermot McCarthy, the ruler of Munster, built a third castle on this site, which has survived to this day.

The medieval castle of Castel Nuovo was built first king of Naples, Charles I of Anjou, Castel Nuovois one of the city's most famous landmarks.With its thick walls, majestic towers and the impressive triumphal arch make it the quintessential medieval castle.

10. Conwy Castle (England)

The castle is a magnificent example of 13th-century architecture and was built by order of King Edward I of England. Surrounded by a stone wall with eight round towers. Only the walls of the castle have survived to this day, but they look very impressive. Many huge fireplaces were used to heat the castle.