See the stone monoliths built to withstand war.
The violence of medieval times necessitated the construction of fortresses and castles designed to defend against invasion. Many of them still stand today and are just as intimidating now as when they were first erected. Mont-Saint-Michel is protected by rising tides, Castel del Monte by a stone octagon, and Predjama Castle is built inside of a gargantuan cave.
See where the elite of olden times lived and insulated themselves from danger.
1
Castel del Monte, Italy
A mysterious 13th-century octagonal fortress in a remote part of Apulia—more symbolic than practical.
2
Burg Kreuzenstein, Austria
A reconstructed medieval fortress on a hilltop
3
Château de Montségur, France
Accessible only via steep hike
4
Matsumoto Castle, Japan
A rare flatland Japanese fortress with wide moats and black walls
5
Alhambra, Spain
A lavish Nasrid palace-fortress complex on a hill above Granada
6
Fort Saint-Elme, France
An imposing star-shaped fortress high above the Mediterranean coast
7
Château de Quéribus, France
Another sky-high Cathar castle, sitting on a jagged mountain in the Pyrenees
8
Gravensteen, Belgium
A medieval castle right in Ghent, protected by a moat and walls
9
Castle Stalker, Scotland
A small tower house on an islet, accessible only by boat
10
Conwy Castle, Wales
A coastal fortress with massive walls and towers, surrounded by water on three sides
11
Krak des Chevaliers, Syria
A Crusader fortress once called “the greatest castle in the world”
12
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
Built in the 19th century surrounded by mountains
13
Horse Sand Fort, England
A sea fort in the Solent off Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
14
Château de Peyrepertuse, France
A ruined Cathar stronghold that clings to a limestone ridge
15
Himeji Castle, Japan
A perfectly preserved hilltop fortress known as the “White Heron,” dating back to 1333.
16
Predjama Castle, Slovenia
Built into a cliffside cave
17
Eltz Castle, Germany
Deep in a forested valley, untouched by war for 800 years
18
Bran Castle, Romania
Built on the side of a cliff
19
Hohenwerfen Castle, Austria
Perched high above the Salzach Valley, surrounded by the Alps
20
Mont-Saint-Michel, France
A tidal island fortress rising from the sea off Normandy, accessible only at low tide
