When we think of castles, the first things that spring to mind are things like London, England’s Royal Palace, or something out of The Lord of the Rings movies. While the majority of castles throughout both modern and ancient history fit this description quite well, there are some which stand out among the rest as being weird, crazy or just completely unnecessary. Whether it be castles occupying an entire island, castles partially built into a cave or castles so big the inhabitants themselves might get lost from time to time, many powerful people throughout history saw their home as a way to project how powerful they truly were, rather than a place of comfort, storage and practicality. Maybe the power got to their heads or maybe they were trying to impress a lover, or perhaps they had more wealth than they knew what to do with. Either way, here are twenty of the craziest castles ever built.
1. Hunyad Castle
Hunyad Castle literally looks like something taken right out of a horror movie. The castle was prison to Vlad the Impaler (otherwise known as Dracula, as if Vlad the Impaler didn’t raise enough red flags) who was born into a noble family in Transylvania. Whether the castle happens to look like something from a horror movie, or if the castles in the movies were based off of this one is unknown. It is likely the latter, as stories of Dracula originated from the man residing as prisoner in Hunyad Castle. Creepy decor and evil nobles aside; however, the castle is certainly a beautiful sight, something which should be seen by anyone traveling through the area – horror fans or otherwise. The history behind the castle and its influence on medieval myths and modern pop-culture (we’ve all seen a vampire movie or two) is fascinating, and seeing it in person is magical.
2. Predjamski Castle
Predjamski Castle is only partially visible from the outside looking in. Why, you ask? Because part of it is a cave. Built into what looks like the wall of a mountain, upon entering the castle one can reach the mountain’s cave system, which is part of the residence for those who live in the castle. While quite small in stature relative to other castles (though still large, it is still a castle, after all), the fact that it is part castle, part cave is what sets it apart from others. Oddly enough, the castle is said to have began undergoing construction in the 13th century and didn’t stop until the 20th century. While it may not have been a continuous work in progress, the castle’s many owners throughout the years kept expanding on it through adding new wings, rooms and corridors.
3. Leap Castle
Creepy. If I had to describe this castle in one word, that’s exactly the word I’d use. Whoever thought it a good idea to build a castle which would later go on to resemble something you’d see in Paranormal Activity or the like certainly has some different tastes is beyond me. The outside of the castle looks like a dungeon, the crawlspace looks like a dungeon, the rooms look like dungeons. You see where I’m going with this. As if all this wasn’t enough, the two brothers whom inhabited the castle had a bit of a falling out when one killed the other by way of the sword. And, despite the entire castle already looking like a giant dungeon, it actually had a dungeon within it where subjects would be pushed off a ledge, fall down an eight foot hole and land on some spikes at the bottom. Very different tastes indeed.
4. Guaita Fortress
Guaita Fortress just seems like an accident waiting to happen. Built on the upper side of a cliff, it’s certainly not the place to be for those with a fear of heights. While it looks beautiful from both the bottom of the cliff as well as in the castle (the view of the city it overlooks just can’t be beat), it looks about ready to fall off in one mighty avalanche at any moment. As if that weren’t bad enough, even the road up to the castle is dangerous. On a narrow road filled with twists and turns leading up to the castle itself, it can be nerve racking just getting there, let alone actually making it to the top. Still, it’s been standing in place since the 11th century when it was first build to serve as a prison. It is said to be the oldest of the towers constructed in Monte Titano.
5. Mont Saint-Michel
Built right off of the Normandy coast, Mont Saint-Michel occupies an entire island to itself. Unlike many castles on this list, this particular castle’s former monastery status makes it seem less vain, though the unnecessary amount of space and luxury is still there. Once home to monks, Mont Saint-Michel is now a tourist attraction where people can actually drive up to it across a causeway and check things out. Oddly enough, a few deaths have taken place here as of late due to drowning deaths occurring from the quickly-rising tide. Of all the castles on this list, this is the only one causing deaths to this very day. The castle itself actually attracts more tourists than many entire cities throughout France and rakes in millions of tourists a year. Constantly featured in different types of media and pop-culture, this is easily one of the most famous castles in modern times. Surrounded by the ocean; however, you really can’t deny that view.
6. Coral Castle
The odd thing about this castle is that it was built in the 1900s; this is a strange sight to behold being that castles began dying out a century or two before that. Even more odd is that nobody even knows how it was built. How could that be being that it was constructed so recently throughout human history? Well, the maker of the castle wasn’t exactly your typical kind of guy. He moved to Florida in the 1900s to cure his tuberculosis – which already makes no sense – and then claimed that magnets in Florida cured his disease, which makes even less sense. When he moved to Florida he began building a castle without letting anyone watch him work, so nobody really knows how it came to be. Its garden is filled with nonsensical sculptures, something you’d expect from a 1600s artist with a nasty opium habit. This guy certainly had one too few marbles.
7. Castello di Zena
Situated in one of the more scenic, nature-centric areas of Italy, Castello di Zena has been long abandoned and, for some reason, nobody feels like claiming it. It has served well as of late; however, as a great point of research for historians on both a cultural and architectural level. What makes this castle so odd is that it doesn’t look like a castle at all. In fact, it simply looks like a giant, brick house (save for its tower) situated in the middle of nowhere. While a distant city can be seen from the peak of the mountain it sits upon, one could only assume acquiring simple resources such as food and water would have been a somewhat troublesome ordeal. Either way, Castello di Zena has helped us gain much understanding of Italy’s past cultural heritage.
8. Eltz Castle
Eltz Castle has a beautiful yet creepy vibe to it. At first glance, while looking from the outside in, the German castle seems relatively normal. In fact, the way it goes about simply rising above a vast forest is actually quite pretty. And the inside of the castle is also very nice, not much to report here. So, what’s so crazy about it? It’s when you see what’s around the castle – nothing. Peering out from the top of the castle, all one will notice is forest as far as the eye can see. Built in the 12th century, the castle originally served as a home in the middle of nowhere. It later became a monstrous fortress through constant expansions. It wasn’t until the 14th century that it was actually completed. Believe it or not, after all these hundreds of years, the castle is still owned b the same family and has been owned by them for over 30 generations. You have to wonder what they were doing in there; however, considering how far removed from civilization it was and is.
9. Neuschwanstein Castle
This looks like something taken out of a children’s book or a Disney movie. When you think magical castles, this is what should come to mind immediately. The castle’s white color scheme coupled with the fact that it resides in a land of snow makes for some gorgeous scenery; you don’t even need to step foot inside to appreciate its beauty. Unlike many large castles (this one is very, very large), this one actually comes with some semblance of practicality. Although it was built in the 1800s, it came equipped with running water, automatically flushing toilets and a central heating system of sorts. It essentially has every basic piece of technology found in the houses you or I may reside in. Clearly the builders weren’t just showing off (they definitely were showing off though, at least a bit), but actually wanted a nice, comfortable place to reside.
10. Postman’s Palace
Much like a previous castle on this list, Postman’s Palace was built under strange circumstances. Often shunned by his peers for his wacky and less-than-appropriate antics, one Frenchman decided it a good idea to single-handedly build his own castle from scratch. Littered with sculptures and seemingly impossible architectural feats, the castle took only 33 years to build from start to finish. Did he truly construct an entire palace by himself, or was something else going on? No one really knows at this point. He did; however, manage to win the praise of his peers upon completion of the castle, when he was hailed an architectural genius by all of France. The castle has a very eccentric look about it, with nonsensical patterns lining the walls and an entry way that almost resembles a maze. One thing is for sure though, this man sure had ambition.
11. Berwartstein Castle
Berwartstein Castle was, for quite some time, inhabited by bandits, thieves and thugs. Imagine that, a group of criminals got together and claimed their own castle. While the castle looks seemingly normal on the outside (as far as castles go, that is), it’s what’s inside that mixes things up a bit. A huge portion of the castle resides underground. We’re not talking about a two story basement here. There Berwartstein Castle has a vast array of underground tunnels. These tunnels weren’t dug by the thieves who later took up its residence, which is what strikes as rather strange. In a castle bigger than any five mansions put together, why on Earth would anyone need so much underground space. And of that underground space, why does so much of it consist of eerie underground tunnels as opposed to just an over sized basement?
12. Palacio da Pena
The Palacio da Pena – the rough Portuguese translation for “The Feather Palace” – is one of the most nonsensical castles out there. While it may not have any crazy designs on the walls, a dark story or rooms with odd uses, the castle itself is more of a city than a castle. Where on Earth the main entrance is, is beyond me. Rather than exhibiting features typical of a traditional castle, it is made up of a jumble of loosely connected buildings, gardens, courtyards and roads. Perhaps the cause of this jumble of this and that being thrown around was the cultural roots in which its architecture was based – everything. It’s not English, it’s not French, nor is it Portuguese, it’s truly a blend of everything. You’d almost think the makers of the castle kept changing their minds and blueprints throughout its construction. Of all the castles on this list, this one definitely has to be the best sight to behold.
13. Löwenburg Castle
Situated in Germany, Löwenburg Castle has to be the most extravagant, albeit unnecessary castle of all time. It’s been referred to as the Disneyland of its time; and for good reason. Stepping onto the castle grounds, you get the immediate sense that you’ve walked into a modern-day, historically-themed amusement park. This is one of those castles who’s purpose had to have been merely to project its owner’s wealth, power and extravagance. If someone said that the owner hadn’t even seen the whole castle, that would be easy to believe. The castle consists of a barrage of towers and other buildings connected together in a way that, from a distance, would have people thinking it was its own city and not just one big building. Löwenburg Castle is one of the most relevant castles in the whole world to historians and architects alike. This castle is worth making a trip to Germany just to see.
14.The Potala Palace
Located in Tibet, the Potala Palace took over 8,000 people to turn an idea into a castle. The building of the castle began in 1645 and didn’t become the castle we see standing today until 1694. Despite the thousands of people on the job, it wasn’t completely finished until 49 years after construction! While the original castle only took 4 years to build, constant expansions were being added on seemingly year-round. That alone should give you an idea of just how unnecessarily large this castle is. From a distance, all of the castle’s expansions appear to be a small city. The castle’s highest point reaches over 500 feet (152 meters) off the the ground. Not only that, the top of the hill which is was built upon is itself over 400 feet (122 meters) high. Clearly the Dalai Lama in power at the time (the castle’s then-owner) wasn’t afraid of heights.
15. Prague Castle
Prague Castle is, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, up there with the biggest castles in the world. It’s also considered an ‘ancient’ castle, meaning it has been standing since well before medieval times. While either one of these facts isn’t quite outstanding, it’s the two of them in conjunction that are really crazy. Much like the pyramids and the Stonehenge (though possibly to a lesser degree), it’s hard to dream up how ancient civilizations without the technology to move massive amounts of stone were able to build such a colossus of a building. While the building itself may not seem all that crazy at face value, when you look into its history, it’s hard to imagine how it came to be in the first place. It certainly belongs in the ancient mysteries pile.
16. Kelburn Castle
This castle is situated in Scotland and has been situated in Scotland since the 1200s. The castle has no crazy back story, nor does it have any crazy dimensions. It has no abundance of dungeon-esque decor, nor is it situated in an odd spot like atop a cliff or in a random forest. Kelburn Castle was, by all rights, just a normal, run of the mill castle up until recently. In 2007, it came to the attention of the castle’s owners that the damaged siding was going to need to be replaced, lest it face even more damage. So what did the proud castle owner do? Put graffiti all over the building, of coarse. Lord Glasgow, the castle’s owner, hired four well-known Brazilian graffiti artists to give the castle a makeover. Now instead of the dull gray seen on most castle walls, Kelburn Castle exhibits a bright array of pink, green, blue and orange among other colors. This is, without a doubt, the most easily recognizable castle on Earth.
17. Moosham Castle
Another castle with a creepy lack of surrounding objects. Situated atop a hill within a forest, Moonsham Castle is quite dreary looking and might not be somewhere you’d like to wind up after dark. The look of it is something you’d see in a horror movie, which doesn’t exactly help its case either. What really sets the tone; however, is its rich (and terrifying) history. Back in the dark ages, the Moonsham Castle Was responsible for many witch burnings and other vile persecutions. After an abundance of cattle mutilations in the area, many people were actually locked away in the castle on charges of being werewolves. While it is certainly a sight to see in this day and age, its dark past is projected through its daunting architecture and its eerily empty surrounding area. Still, it can’t hurt to drop by if you’re in the area.
18. Matsumoto Castle
Matsumoto Castle of japan has no crazy story about it; it wasn’t used to burn witches, nor was it built by some crazy guy with too much time on his hands. Matsumoto Castle was built much like any other castle. What makes this castle so unique is its architecture. You know that traditional Japanese architecture where every house seems to have several ‘layers’ of roof? This castle looks exactly like that, but on a way bigger scale. This castle consists of seven of those ‘layers’ easily making it the most unique castle in the world. It’s so unnecessarily large that it even has its own moon-viewing room. No, not for telescopes or astrology, just simply to sit back and stare at the moon. Imagine living somewhere so big that such a seemingly mundane activity would demand its own room. This is also a very culturally significant structure in Japan.
19. Malbork Castle
Malbork Castle is the largest brick castle in the entire world. It encompasses a large portion of the city which houses it and has a courtyard the size of a small farm. There are actually no known documents of recorded history related to the construction of the castle. Nobody knows how long it took to build, nor do they have any guesses as to how many people worked on its construction. The best information we have is through historians who were simply able to make educated guesses based on the castle’s architecture. It is now an attraction for tourists everywhere. While seeing the castle from the outside and even going inside are both amazing experiences, the true beauty lies in its courtyard. Either way, the size of this castle is absolutely insane and is a sight to behold. This is one of those castles that any castle fanatic has to see.
20. Chittorgarh Fort
This castle has no dark past or odd history, though the building itself is certainly a site to behold. Unlike many castles, which tend to be made up of smaller sections (often known as ‘wings’), the Chittorgarh Fort more or less resembles a fat tower. While no bigger in girth than four or five of the houses surrounding it nearby, it is many, many times higher. With no elevator to speak of, nobody really knows why the owner was so content climbing stairs in most of his free time, but that’s likely exactly what he did. It is certainly a beautiful site, both on its own and in conjunction with the other breathtaking architecture in the surrounding area, but it is quite odd as well. Perhaps it was merely pride that had the maker erect a fortress not great in overall size, but one that would tower over the rest of the city.
