Tag: castle
Kokura Castle, Kitakyushu, Japan
Nestled in the middle of Kitakyushu, a small city on the northern coast of Kyushu sits Kokura Castle. Kokura Castle, which dates back to the start of the Edo period (finished in 1608), was the seat of the Kokura domain in Kyushu. At the time, it was separate from Fukuoka (which didn’t exist yet as […]
Matsumoto Castle Grand Taiko Festival – Japanese Drumming
Picture this: you are studying Japanese intensively at a language school in Japan. It is the end of July and you have a couple of weeks off. What do you do? Where do you go? Well one possibility is the Matsumoto Castle Grand Taiko Festival. The best part (apart from the drumming) – it is […]
Visiting Matsumoto Castle (松本城), Japan
Matsumoto Castle in Matsumoto, Japan, is one of the most impressive castles in Japan. If you search for Japanese castles, it is likely that you will find images of Matsumoto Castle (along with places like Osaka Castle) and you can find it in many lists of the top castles to visit in Japan. It is […]
Eltz Castle, Germany – A Living Castle
Eltz Castle is a majestic little castle. It sits on a rock in a small wooded valley in Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) in Germany. Although definitely among the lesser-known castles (unlike Hohenzollern or Neuschwanstein), it is extremely appropriate for its location and has a few unique features, both physically and as well as features of its history. […]
The Gardens of Versailles, France – Living Like Kings
While I have to admit that I usually cannot pass up seeing a garden when I travel (case in point: Parc del laberinth d’Horta in Barcelona), there are those that stand out from the rest. An example that I highly recommend is the Gardens of Versailles. History Much like the palace, Louis XIV expanded and […]
Laxenburg, Austria – The play park of emperors
Laxenburg is a town in the federal state of Lower Austria /Niederösterreich located to the south of the capital city, Vienna. Laxenburg is well known for its castles. It has three: the Altes Schloss (old castle), the Blauer Hof (Blue Court) and Franzensburg Castle. For a small town of under 3000 people, this is quite […]
Loarre Castle, Spain – The final defence
Loarre Castle is quite a special place due to its history; it is not only one of the oldest castles in Spain, but also a fortified abbey. Originally built as the line of last defence in northern Huesca (Aragon) against the Moorish invaders. Then it became a fortified religious site and expanded over the next […]
Balzers, Liechtenstein – On the valley floor
Balzers is a small town in Liechtenstein that is located in the south-west portion of the country, across the border (and the Rhein River, which is the border) from the Swiss town of Sargans. Balzers (like all places in Liechtenstein) is a small town a few thousand inhabitants. What sets it apart is the castle, […]
Vianden Castle, Luxembourg – The birthplace of the lowlands
After visiting Luxembourg City, our next stop was Vianden and its famous castle. Vianden lies in a valley along the German–Luxembourg border where the river Our passes through. The town is located on both sides of the river and has grown along it rather than up the steep sides. It is also partially located in […]
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg – A European capital
Luxembourg City, the capital of Luxembourg, is a truly remarkable city in which you can see wonderful architecture, picturesque views and astonishing places. It holds the world’s top spot for personal safety and ranks high for quality of life; Luxembourg the country has the second-highest GDP in the world! If you are looking to move […]
Urspelt, Luxembourg – A hidden castle
After Aachen and Maastricht, we drove to northern Luxembourg where we were staying in the Chateau d’Urspelt (Ischpelt in Luxemburgisch) which has a huge population of 100 people. The Chateau d’Urspelt (Urspelt Castle) is a complex that dates back to at least the 11th Century. This is suggested by a well that dates back to […]
Castell Ddinas, Wales – Ancient defences
Castell Ddinas was the highest castle in England and Wales. It dates back to the Iron Age, which in Britain was between 600BC and 50AD. Along with many castles in Wales, such as Caerphilly Castle, the Normals built the now ruins during their conquest of Wales in the early 1070s. A Norman castle The Norman […]
Caerphilly Castle, Wales – A Staple of BBC shows and documentaries
The largest castle, Caerphilly Castle, in Wales (and the second largest in Britain) has quite a long and bloody history reaching back almost 800 years. A multitude of families have held the castle over the years. It has been both loyal and rebel to the country, and has set a few records in its time. […]
Mainau, Germany – Germany’s Garden
Today I would like to present for your viewing pleasure the wonderful island of Mainau in the Bodensee (Lake Constance), Germany. Mainau, like the rest of the Bodensee, is only a stone through away from the Swiss border. Mainau has a very long history of being a place of human settlement. The Celts, the Romans, […]
Ruine Hochburg, Germany – Defending the entrance to the Black Forest
As I promised those who follow this blog on Instagram, this blog post is on the Ruine Hochburg (High Castle Ruins). The Ruine Hochburg is located in Baden-Württemberg, Germany near Freiburg im Breisgau between the villages of Emmendingen (where I used to live) and Sexau. Originally “Hachberg”, the Emmendingen family built the castle in the […]
