
What a Lego®-like castle! But Hohenzollern Castle in Heiligendamm is more a guest residence than a castle. Grand Duke Paul Friedrich commissioned the building to accommodate his noble guests. [German]
You only see what you know (Goethe)

What a Lego®-like castle! But Hohenzollern Castle in Heiligendamm is more a guest residence than a castle. Grand Duke Paul Friedrich commissioned the building to accommodate his noble guests. [German]

At the foot of Lamberg Castle, a Gothic archway blocks the way to the former palace. People call it Unteres Burgtor (Lower Castle Gate). A fresco depicting two emperors and a medieval view of the town adorns the structure. [German]

Ambras Castle (Schloss Ambras) in Innsbruck offers an intriguing Chamber of Art and Wonders. One exhibit is a portrait of Count Vlad III Dracul Tzepesch. He is considered the inspiration for Dracula, a novel by Bram Stoker. [German]

Vischering Castle (Burg Vischering) is a fine place to start a tour along the moated castles of Münsterland. You find the Münsterland Museum inside its walls, telling all about the castles and palaces of the region.

While passing the municipality of Stainach-Pürgg by train, I took this pic of Trautenfels Castle (Schloss Trautenfels). It houses collections about the Styrian regions of Ennstal and Ausseerland. The striking mountain behind the castle is known as Grimming.

Hochosterwitz Castle (Burg Hochosterwitz) stands on a 170-metre-high Dolomite rock near St. Georgen am Längsee. Wannabe conquerers had to pass 14 fortified gates to get to the top.

View of Seggau Castle (Schloss Seggau) taken from the nearby Frauenberg Hill. On the walls of the central building, you find an extensive compilation of ancient Roman tombstones.

Nordkirchen Castle (Schloss Nordkirchen) is one of the most magnificent moated castles in the region of Münster. As it is considered the most representative Baroque residence in Westphalia, the complex is also named “Westphalian Versailles”. [German]

Liechtenstein Castle (Burg Liechtenstein) is the ancestral seat of the ruling house of the European state Liechtenstein. The castle was destroyed during the Ottoman wars and rebuilt in the 19th century. [German]

Lichtenwalde Castle in Saxony is best known for its park. The garden stretches high above the Zschopau Valley. Numerous water features and winding paths invite you to discover the grounds of this Baroque castle. [German]

Seeschloss Ort impresses with its location on a tiny island in the Upper Austrian Traunsee Lake. The castle became known through a TV series and the mysterious disappearance of one of its owners. Today, it houses a restaurant visitors reach by a bridge. [German]

On a sunny spring day, I took this photo of Bratislava Castle (Bratislavský hrad) on board a hydrofoil craft cruising the Danube River. Several companies are passing the castle by boat. One of them is the modern Twin City Liner serving the line Vienna – Bratislava.