Castle Sights
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Qasr al-Tuba
Easily the most impressive of the lesser-known castles, Tuba is located approximately 75km southeast of Amman in the absolute middle of nowhere. This is precisely why it’s worth making an expedition out here – with little to no surrounding development, Tuba captures the original essence of ‘luxury in the desert’ that drove the Umayyads to launch their massive building campaign. Tuba was erected by Caliph Walid II in about AD 743, though like Qasr al-Mushatta, it was left to waste following his sudden assassination. Despite its seemingly remote location, however, the castle was probably going to be a caravanserai, which would have served as a vital staging post on the…
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Špilberk Castle
Brno's dramatic hilltop castle is considered the city's most important landmark, and is home to the Brno City Museum. You can also visit the casemates (small rooms within the castle walls) and climb the lookout tower. Buy a combined entry ticket for all sights or purchase separate tickets; see the website for a full menu.
The two most popular exhibitions at the museum are From Castle to Fortress, about the castle's history, and Prison of Nations, on the role Špilberk played in the 18th and 19th centuries. Other exhibitions of the focus on the history, art and architecture of Brno. A combined ticket (adult/child 120/60Kč) gives access to all displays.
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Castle
Despite its relatively friendly façade, the 14th-century Castle has a grim history. It was rebuilt as a prison in the 1820s and remained so until 1954. During WWII, more than 100,000 people suffered here at the hands of Nazi occupiers before being transported on to extermination camps. Hundreds of Jewish and Polish political prisoners had survived here until July 1944, only to be shot mere hours before the Red Army liberated the city.
Since 1957, the castle has housed the Lublin Museum with a collection ranging from silverware and porcelain to woodcarvings and weaponry. The particularly impressive art includes big names (such as Jacek Malczewski) and big pictures, such…
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El Morro
From El Morro you also get a good look at the hamlets of La Socapa and Cayo Granma across the bay, both accessible by ferry from Punta Gorda or Ciudamar. In La Socapa you can hike uphill to the ruins of an old Spanish battery where five cannons, designed to create crossfire with the castle, still stand guard. The only shooting nowadays is by photographers taking in the excellent castle views; for some private beach time, you can explore west along the deserted coast.
Cayo Granma is a little fantasy island of red-roofed dwellings tucked in a crook of the Bahía de Santiago de Cuba. A short uphill hike to its highest point brings you to the Iglesia de San Rafael.…
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Qusayr Amra
One of the best-preserved desert buildings of the Umayyads, the Unesco World Heritage Site of Qusayr Amra is the highlight of any trip out into the Eastern Desert. Part of a much greater complex that served as a caravanserai, bathhouse and hunting lodge, the qusayr (little castle) is famous for its hedonistic (and somewhat risqué) 8th-century frescoes of wine, women and wild good times. According to some historians, only out here in the isolated wilds of the desert did the caliphs feel comfortable about flouting Islam’s edicts. Qusayr Amra seems to rise incongruously from the parched, dry desert plains, though in ancient times the site was adjacent to a lush wadi…
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Summer Palace
One of Beijing's most visited sights, the immense park of the Summer Palace requires at least half a day. Nowadays teeming with tour groups from China and beyond, this dominion of palace temples, gardens, pavilions, and lakes was once a playground for the imperial court. Royalty came here to elude the insufferable summer heat that roasted the Forbidden City.
The Summer Palace with its cool features - water, gardens and hills - was the palace of choice for vacationing emperors and Dowager Empresses. It was badly damaged by Anglo-French troops during the Second Opium War (1860) and its restoration became a pet project of Empress Dowager Cixi, the last of the Qing dynasty…
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Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes
The mother of all Szczecin monuments is the Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes . This vast, blocky building looms over the Old Town, but the square central courtyard and simple Renaissance-style decoration atop the walls has a certain understated grace (spot the repeated circular pattern that resembles the Yin and Yang symbol).
The castle was originally built in the mid-14th century and grew into its current form by 1577, but was destroyed by Allied carpet bombing in 1944 before being extensively restored.
Admire the colourful historic clockface from the courtyard, with its jester figure chiming in each new hour, then climb to the top of the 58.6m bell tower for a view of the…
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Tavira
The Rio Gilão runs through Tavira's centre, reflecting elegant houses and inspiring tourist brochures to call it the Venice of the Algarve. Topped by castle ruins and packed with 16th- to 18th-century buildings and 37 churches, Tavira is the Algarve's most genteel town. It's 3km (1.8mi) from the coast, and near beautiful, unspoilt beaches on Ilha de Tavira.
Built in the 1540s, the Igreja da Misericórdia (Rua da Galeria; admission free; 10:00-13:00 Mon, Wed & Fri) is the Algarve's most important Renaissance monument, with a magnificent carved, arched doorway topped by statues.
The 13th-century Gothic Igreja de Santa Maria do Castelo (admission free; 09:30-12:00 &…
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Qasr al-Azraq
This imposing fort is where TE Lawrence and Sharif Hussein bin Ali based themselves in the winter of 1917–18 during the Arab Revolt against the Turks. Lawrence set up his quarters in the room above the southern entrance, while his loyal followers braved the elements in other areas of the fort. They were holed up here for several months in crowded conditions with little shelter from the intense cold – gaping holes in the roof were patched up with nothing but palm branches and clay. Despite the hardships endured during his stay at Azraq, TE Lawrence writes fondly about the time spent with his men at arms. In the evenings everyone would assemble before a great fire in the…
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Kolossi Castle
Less of a castle and more a fortified tower house, Kolossi Castle perches incongruously between the vineyards and houses of the village of the same name. It is an interesting reminder of the rule of the Knights of St John in the 13th century, who started producing wine and processing sugar cane at a commandery that stood on this land. The famous Cypriot wine, Commandaria, took its name from here.
However, the Mameluke raids of 1425-26 compromised the knights' prosperity and no doubt damaged the infrastructure. The current structure dates from 1454 and was probably built over the older fortified building. The castle is accessible by a short drawbridge that was originally…
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Dover Castle
Occupying top spot, literally and figuratively, on the Dovorian townscape, this most impressive of castles was built to bolster the country's weakest point at this, the shortest sea-crossing to mainland Europe. It sprawls across the city's hilltop, commanding a tremendous view of the English Channel as far as the French coastline. There's lots to see here, so allow yourself at least three hours.
The site has been in use for as many as 2000 years. On the vast grounds are the remains of a Roman lighthouse, which date from AD 50 and may be the oldest standing building in Britain. Beside it lies a the restored Saxon church of St Mary in Castro.
The robust 12th-century Great…
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Lemesos Medieval Castle
The city's most popular tourist attraction is Lemesos Medieval Castle, and its alluring gardens, on the west side of the Old City, are a shady haven in the summer heat. The structure, built in the 14th century over the remains of a Byzantine castle, has been used and plundered by many throughout Cyprus' exciting history. The Venetians vandalised it; the Ottomans gave it a face-lift for military use; and the Brits used it as a prison during their colonial rule. Inside is the Lemesos Medieval Museum, this building is an intriguing collection of vaults and air shafts, and its artefacts, transferred from the original Lefkosia Medieval Museum in 1974, are often fascinating.
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Beiteddine Palace
Beiteddine (House of Faith) is the name of both the village and the magnificent palace complex that lies within. The palace, perched on a steep elevation, rises from the surrounding landscape like a fairytale vision, a Scheherazadean delight rendered with Italianate flair (in fact, the architects were Italian).
Work began on the palace in 1788 but wasn't completed for another 30 years, during which time Emir Bashir, the Ottoman-appointed governor, oversaw the building of a monument that would reflect the power and glory of his reign.
Visitors to Beiteddine have to be grateful for the Ottoman's streak of egomania. The result is one of the finest remaining examples of…
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Matsuyama-jō
Perched on top of Mt Katsuyama in the centre of town, the castle dominates the city, as it has for centuries. Matsuyama-jō is one of Japan's finest surviving castles, and one of the very few with anything interesting to look at inside: there are excellent English-language displays.
A ropeway (one way/return ¥260/500) is on hand to whisk you up the hill, though there is a pleasant pathway if you prefer to walk. It's worth walking down via the back slopes of the castle and stopping off at Ninomaru Shiseki Tei-enin the outer citadel of the fort, consisting of old gardens and modern water features.
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Sea Castle
Built by the Crusaders in 1228, the Sea Castle, connected to the mainland by a fortified Arab stone causeway, sits around 80m offshore on a small island that was formerly the site of a temple to Melkart, the Phoenician version of Hercules. One of many coastal castles built by the Crusaders, it was largely destroyed by the Mamluks to prevent the Crusaders from returning to the region, but its renovation was ordered by Fakhreddine in the 17th century.
The building consists of two towers joined together by a wall. The rectangular west tower, to the left of the entrance, is the best preserved, measuring 21m by 17m, and has a large vaulted room scattered with old carved…
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Alexandra Park & Palace
Built in 1873 as North London’s answer to Crystal Palace, Alexandra Palace suffered the ignoble fate of burning to the ground only 16 days after opening. Encouraged by attendance figures, investors decided to rebuild and it reopened just two years later. Although it boasted a theatre, museum, lecture hall, library and Great Hall with one of the world’s largest organs, it was no match for Crystal Palace. It housed German prisoners of war during WWI and in 1936 was the scene of the world’s first TV transmission – a variety show called Here’s Looking at You. The palace burned down again in 1980 but was rebuilt for the third time and opened in 1988. Today ‘Ally…
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Akershus Slott og Festning
A visit to Oslo is incomplete without taking in the medieval Akershus Castle and Fortress. As you wander around the castle you'll find tiny rooms where outcast nobles were kept, in stark contrast to the far more elaborate dining halls and staterooms on the upper floors.
King Håkon V began construction of the earthen walled Akershus Festning (Akershus Fortress) in 1299. It is strategically positioned on the eastern side of the harbour and the parklike grounds offer excellent views of the city and Oslofjord. The grounds are the venue for a host of concerts, dances and theatrical productions during summer. The Akershus Festning Information Centre recounts the building of the…
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Terra Nova
What remains of Namur's once-mighty Citadelle De Namur is slung high above the town on a rocky outcrop. Due to centuries of military expansion, it covers a huge area, though only towers, tunnels and much of the outer walls exist today. Visitors are free to wander around, and access is possible by car, bike, foot or minibus. The latter depart regularly from the tourist office and stop at Terra Nova.
To reach the citadel on foot, head up from the path on Pl St Hilaire; by car or bike follow the Rte Merveilleuse.
The best place to start is the new information point, Terra Nova. Oddly, it's not signposted as such - instead, look out for the sign 'Domaine fortifié'. Attractions…
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Kolossi Castle
Less a castle and more a fortified tower house, Kolossi Castle perches incongruously between the vineyards and houses of the village of the same name. It is an interesting reminder of the rule of the Knights of St John in the 13th century, who started producing wine and processing sugar cane at a commandery that stood on this land.
The Mameluke raids of 1425-26 compromised the knights' prosperity and no doubt damaged the infrastructure. The current structure dates from 1454 and was probably built over the older fortified building.
The castle is accessible by a short drawbridge that was originally defended by a parapet high above, through which defenders would pour molten…
reviewed
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Gyeongbokgung
The grandest palace in Seoul, Gyeongbokgung lay in ruins for nearly 300 years until Heungseon Daewongun, regent and father of King Gojong, began to rebuild it in 1865. King Gojong moved in during 1868. Despite damage during Japanese colonial rule, the majesty of surviving buildings like the 48-columned Gyeonghoeru pavilion easily warrants a visit.
This was the country's principal royal residence until the palace was destroyed in 1592 during the Imjaewaran war with Japan. But it was not the Japanese that razed the palace. The citizens of Seoul did that dirty deed. As the Japanese marched across the country, the King and yangban (aristocrats) abandoned Seoul to save their…
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Matsumoto-Jō Castle
Even if you spend only a couple of hours in Matsumoto, visit Matsumoto-Jō Castle, Japan's oldest wooden castle and one of four castles designated National Treasures - the others are Hikone, Himeji and Inuyama.
The magnificent three-turreted donjon was built c 1595, in contrasting black-and-white, leading to the nickname Karasu-jō (Crow Castle). Steep steps lead up six storeys, with impressive views from each level. Lower floors display guns, bombs and gadgets with which to storm castles, and a delightful tsukimi yagura (moon-viewing pavilion). It has a tranquil moat full of carp, with the occasional swan gliding beneath the red bridges. The basics are explained over…
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Krak des Chevaliers (Qala'at al-Hosn)
Author Paul Theroux described Krak des Chevaliers as epitomising the dream castle of childhood fantasies. TE Lawrence simply called it 'the finest castle in the world'. Trust them. This remarkably well-preserved Crusader castle looks almost exactly as it would have 800 years ago.
Guarding the only major pass between Antakya in Turkey and Beirut in Lebanon, it was built and expanded between 1150 and 1250, and eventually housed a garrison of 2000. The castle held out against several attacks, but was lost to the Mamluk Sultan Beybar in 1271.
The castle has two parts: an outside wall with 13 towers and an inside wall and keep. The two are separated by a moat which was used to…
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Château de Chambord
The Loire Valley was the playground of French nobility, who used the nation's wealth to transform the area with many earnestly extravagant chateaux. The largest and most lavish is the Château de Chambord (1519). It was built by King François I, a rapacious lunatic who was fanatically dishonest with his subjects' money.
Begun in 1519, its Renaissance flourishes may have been inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, who lived nearby from 1516 until his death three years later. Construction of the chateau, during which François unsuccessfully suggested the rerouting of the Loire River so it would be nearer to his new abode, took 15 years and several thousand workers, although the…
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Toledo
Toledo is known as La Ciudad Imperial (the Imperial City) for a reason; this is Iberia's Rome with a cultural slug of mosques, synagogues, churches and museums. Toledo's labyrinthine narrow streets, plazas and inner patios are reminiscent of the medinas of Damascus and Cairo. Stay until dusk, if you can, when the streets take on a moody, other-worldly air.
The dominant Alcázar has been the scene of military battles from the Middle Ages right through to the 20th century. Other attractions include the city's two synagogues, the Iglesia de Santo Tomé (which contains El Greco's greatest masterpiece, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz) and the Museo de Santa Cruz.…
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Castle & Park
The castle in the village of Krasiczyn (krah-shee-chin), just 11km southwest of Przemyśl, is called 'the gem of the Polish Renaissance'. It's in a landscaped 14-hectare park with almost 100 different species of plants and trees.
Designed by Italian architect Galleazzo Appiani and built between 1592 and 1618 for the wealthy Krasicki family, the castle is more or less square and built around a spacious, partly arcaded courtyard, with four different cylindrical corner towers. The towers were meant to reflect the social order of the period and were named (clockwise from the southeastern corner) after God, the pope, the king and the nobility. The God Tower (Baszta Bosca),…
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