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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Famous Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany’s Bavaria.Michela Sieman/Adobe Stock
Art aficionados will also find a major reason to visit the castle.
Conwy Castle in Wales, UK.Tomas Marek/Adobe Stock
Castello Sforzesco in Milan, Italy.Laura La Monaca/Travel + Leisure
Looking up to Edinburgh Castle.Michela Sieman/Travel + Leisure
Exterior of the Palace of Versailles outside of Paris.Leopoldine Bauer/Travel + Leisure
Transylvania’s Bran Castle.pierrick/Adobe Stock
The Alcazar of Segovia in Spain.mrks_v/Adobe Stock
View of Potentino castle among vineyards in Seggiano.ermess/Adobe Stock
Chillon Castle on Lake Geneva in Switzerland.saiko3p/Adobe Stock
Blarney Castle in Cork, Ireland.Sar__Eliz/Adobe Stock
Guards inside Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul.Don Eim/Travel + Leisure
Exterior of Castle Drogo in Devon, England.Alison/Adobe Stock
Bridge connected to Castel Sant’Angelo.horseman82/Adobe Stock
Sunset over Alhambra castle in Granada, Spain.Rory Fuller/Travel + Leisure
