Calling all history buffs, architecture fans, and art lovers.

Stanislav Georgiev/Adobe Stock

The appeal of visiting a castle is multifaceted.

For many travelers, its all about the royal or military history.

Beautiful courtyard on a sunny day

Courtyard and garden of Alhambra.Credit:Stanislav Georgiev/Adobe Stock

They want to walk in the footsteps of those who resided in these structures hundreds of years ago.

Others are intrigued by the long-lasting architecturethe walls, the keeps, and the towers.

Its also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one he says is iconic, historic, and geometrically pure.

Balmoral Scottish Royal Scots baronial revival style castle and grounds in summer; Europe Great Britain, Scotland, Aberdeenshire, the Balmoral castle, summer residence of the British Royal Family

Balmoral Castle in Ballater, Scotland.adfoto/Adobe Stock

Plus, he adds, the views are spectacular.

Gradara Castle: Gradara, Italy

dudlajzov/Adobe Stock

Camerlenghi saysGradara Castlehas interested him since his childhood.

Upon his mysterious death in 1886, Neuschwanstein Castle was opened to the public.

Italy, Castel del Monte, UNESCO heritage site, 13th century fortress

13th Century Castel del Monte in Italy.benny/Adobe Stock

Awe-inspiring and oddly beautiful, it also illustrates the impact of these places on their location.

Here, the whole town was effectively part of the castle complex.

In its present era, its part museum, archive, urban park, and architectural wonder.

A large castle next to cherry blossoms.

Matsumoto Castle in Japan.Phattana/Adobe Stock

The castle also houses several famous artworks.

It is an assertion of power: a solid, imposing statement of wealth and political control.

But its gorgeous rooms are a reminder that it was also a place of comfort and even luxurious living.

Famous medieval castle Château de Chambord, France

Chambord Castle in France.robertdering/Adobe Stock

The castles original foundations are said to be Etruscan (between the 8th and 3rd centuries B.C.E.

), and it has lived many lives over the centuries.

Go there to learn about cheese, food, wine, and oil.

Dover, England, United Kingdom - May 10, 2021: View of Dover castle and harbour at sunset.

Aerial view of Dover Castle in England.Valerie2000/Adobe Stock

Go there to experience nature, beauty, and art… After being destroyed again in the early 1900s, it was restored once more in the 1990s.

When visiting, be sure to make time for the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, also on the property.

The largest elevated pavilion in Korea, its an amazing example of Joseon architecture.

Castello di Gradara overlooking foritified village beneath, Italy.

Castello di Gradara in Italy.dudlajzov/Adobe Stock

Not Castle Drogo, a family home commonly referred to as the the last castle built in England.

Castle Drogoshows how that search for castle life continued into the modern age, says Whyte.

The result is a distinctively 20th-century reimagining of an ancient tradition.

A white castle sits in the mountains

Famous Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany’s Bavaria.Michela Sieman/Adobe Stock

Art aficionados will also find a major reason to visit the castle.

Famous Conwy Castle in Wales, United Kingdom, series of Walesh castles

Conwy Castle in Wales, UK.Tomas Marek/Adobe Stock

Stark shadows inside the castle

Castello Sforzesco in Milan, Italy.Laura La Monaca/Travel + Leisure

Edinburgh castle sits up on a hill

Looking up to Edinburgh Castle.Michela Sieman/Travel + Leisure

Exterior of a very long castle

Exterior of the Palace of Versailles outside of Paris.Leopoldine Bauer/Travel + Leisure

Bran Castle of Dracula in Transylvania in Romania

Transylvania’s Bran Castle.pierrick/Adobe Stock

The famous Alcazar of Segovia, Castilla y Leon, Spain

The Alcazar of Segovia in Spain.mrks_v/Adobe Stock

Seggiano, Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy: landscape of the mountains with olive groves, vineyards and the ancient castle of Potentino, in the background the town Castel del Piano

View of Potentino castle among vineyards in Seggiano.ermess/Adobe Stock

Chillon Castle or Chateau de Chillon is an island castle located on Lake Geneva near Montreux town in Switzerland

Chillon Castle on Lake Geneva in Switzerland.saiko3p/Adobe Stock

Blarney Castle and Gardens at a distance on a cloudy day in July

Blarney Castle in Cork, Ireland.Sar__Eliz/Adobe Stock

Guards stand by a castle gate

Guards inside Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul.Don Eim/Travel + Leisure

Castle Drogo

Exterior of Castle Drogo in Devon, England.Alison/Adobe Stock

Castel Sant’Angelo, Rome, Italy

Bridge connected to Castel Sant’Angelo.horseman82/Adobe Stock

View of Alhambra on a hill during sunset

Sunset over Alhambra castle in Granada, Spain.Rory Fuller/Travel + Leisure