As a little girl, I was obsessed with princess-themed things. If I could have snapped my fingers and woken up in a stunning castle with a wardrobe full of pretty, princess-y dresses I would have done it. Unfortunately, the closest I’ve ever come to real-life royalty is visiting Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World, so I’ve had to settle for exploring the world’s castles on Google Earth.
In case you share my enthusiasm for houses fit for kings and queens, I put together this list on Google Earth Voyager of medieval fortresses and fairytale-esque towers that are recommended by our fellow Local Guides.
Get a sneak peek below and see the full list of stunning spots and why Local Guides recommend them on Google Earth Voyager.
Built in the 14th century, this stunning castle was the residence of King Shō Hashi when he united the three principalities of Okinawa to create the Ryukyu Kingdom. The castle has burned down several times and was last rebuilt in 1992 before becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
Dating back to the 9th century but not completed until 1929, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records. Today, it houses the office of the president as well as a secret room where the Bohemian Crown Jewels are kept.
This striking castle, built in the 13th century by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, is featured on the Italian version of the one cent Euro coin. It has a unique octagonal design with octagonal towers at each corner and was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
Which castle would you like to live in? Tell us in the comments below!
Thank you for the great share! I am pretty sure that I would love to live in a castle as well.
I had the opportunity to visit Warwick Castle when I was younger and it was the first castle I ever saw. Naturally, I was extremely impressed by the gardens, the building itself and its decorations. It is close to London and Birmingham which makes it perfect for family weekend getaways.
There are a lot of games for the entertainment of the kids and the adults, too. There is even a souvenir shop from where I bought several stuff which I still keep.
In Germany maybe the most popular castle is Neuschwanstein. But I like to recommend Burg Eltz in Rheinland-Pfalz next to Mosel river (684P+3J Wierschem). It is a well preserved medieval castle lying in beautiful landscape. Check out the website for further information: https://www.burg-eltz.de/de/
The Prague Castle is stunning, they were cleaning part of the facade when I went so I imagine it will look even better when they are finished (if they aren’t already)
It’s silly but I would like to live in the Lichtenstein Castle, in Lichtenstein, Germany. It’s small but beautiful but I mostly would want to live there because of how similar the name is to my last name, it’s probably how my last name was spelled before my greatparents came to Argentina.
Of all the Beautiful Castles you shared with us, my favorite would be the Octagonal Castle in Andira, Italy. I visited one of the most beautiful Castles of Disney World, Hongkong around 8 years back.
Yet, never have I dreamt of living in a castle probably because somehow I feel they’re spooky.
