Castles and Fortresses Travel Vacation

As civilizations grew and expanded, it became very important to protect the lands they had conquered, so nobody else could get their hands on them. Castles and fortresses have been built for thousands of years, from Masada in Israel and the Alhambra in Spain to the Boer forts of South Africa and the World War II encampments on the New Zealand coastline. Today, as much of the world knows peace and not war, castles are built in a historicist and romanticist manner. Below you will find over 90 examples of the most fascinating castles and fortresses in the world, with spotlights on those that are particularly noteworthy.

Castles and Fortresses in the Americas

Below you will find 20 examples of castles and fortresses in the Americas. Some you may know already for their roles in safeguarding American sovereignty, like Fort McHenry and Fort Sumter. Others you know as opulent palaces, like The Breakers and the Biltmore Estate. Still others are defenses built as the Spanish Empire conquered Latin America. Take note: When exploring the following pages, keep in mind you can choose to tackle these locations on your own, or try using the Activities link where you may find guided tours!

Castillo de San Marcos,
St. Augustine, Florida

One of America‘s most famous residences is perhaps the largest château in the country! Of course we’re talking about the Biltmore Estate (pictured), located in Buncombe County, North Carolina, near Asheville. George Washington Vanderbilt II wanted to build a mountain retreat for himself and his family on a grand scale; he was perhaps a little jealous of the East Coast mansions his siblings already owned. The name Biltmore comes from “De Bilt”, where the Vanderbilts originally lived in the Netherlands before coming to the U.S., and “more”, the Anglo-Saxon predecessor to the term “moor”, as in a wide open space. Over six years (1889-95), the estate was built with over 1,000 workers involved in construction. To ensure maximum authenticity, Vanderbilt traveled to Europe to buy many items that would be incorporated into the house décor. By 1930, the home was opened to the public, and over 90 years later, the Biltmore welcomes 1.5 million visitors a year. Visitors are enthralled by the spacious 135,000-square foot château, with its 35 bedrooms and 43 bathrooms.

Mexico became a very heavily fortified region in the three centuries that Spain administered it as a colony (1521-1821). Some of the oldest fortifications in the country are “presidios”, which were originally used in the Chichimeco War of the late 16th century. Those presidios can be found in the states of Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, and Zacatecas, just to name a few. Durango was home to eight presidios during the 17th-century Northern Indian Revolts, which were staffed through the mid-18th century. Toward the end of colonization, numerous presidios were opened in Sonora and Chihuahua states. The most famous castle or fortress in Mexico, however, is Chapultepec Castle (pictured), built on a 200-foot high hill overlooking downtown Mexico City. Construction started during the colonial era (1783), but was not completely finished until 1866, at which time it was used as Mexico’s Presidential Palace. Each President of Mexico lived here from 1866 until 1939. It is now open to the public as the Museo Nacional de Historia. (The current admission fee is 85 Mexican pesos, or between $4-5 USD.)

Castles and Fortresses in Europe

The first castle was built in Europe around 950 CE. Since then, tens of thousands of castles and fortresses were built across the continent, many of which you can still visit today. From Ireland to Russia, here are 25 examples of some of the most fascinating castles and fortresses in Europe. Remember, you can explore many of our suggestions independently, but use the Activities links where you may find expert-led tours which can enrich your understanding and appreciation for these unique places!

The Alhambra is one of the most beautiful fortified palace complexes in the world. It is located in Granada, a city situated in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Andalucía in Spain. It was built in the 13th century by Muhammad I Ibn al-Ahmar, the first Nasrid emir, at a time when Christian influence was growing in Spain. While the Moors were eventually expelled from Spain in 1492, the Alhambra’s legacy did not stop there. King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile made their home court here, and it was from here that Christopher Columbus was received when he returned from the New World. The Alhambra is known for its well-maintained buildings which are some of the best examples of Islamic architecture in Europe. Unlike other popular examples in Europe, such as the Mezquita in Córdoba, Byzantine influence on construction motifs was kept to an absolute minimum. In addition to buildings designed by the Nasrids, Ferdinand and Isabella also added to the massive complex in the form of extra royal palaces, fortifications, and gardens. While many gardens and palaces of the Alhambra are open to tourists at no cost, the general entrance to the complex does have an admission fee of €15.

Situated high above the Bavarian village of Hohenschwangau, you will find one of Germany‘s most iconic landmarks. Neuschwanstein Castle was built on the orders of King Ludwig II, who planned to live in the castle once it was completed. The massive castle was built over 18 years, during which time King Ludwig died. While it was still incomplete at this point, it was opened to the public as a tourist attraction shortly after his 1886 death. One interesting fact about this castle is King Ludwig’s fascination — some might say obsession — with the composer Richard Wagner. Many rooms inside Neuschwanstein Castle are decorated as scenes from Wagner’s operas. In fact, one of the most famous rooms is called “Hall of the Singers”! While over 200 decorated rooms were planned for the castle, only about 15 or so were completed before the King’s death. (One of the incomplete floors is now a gift shop and café!) To learn more about the palace, you must take a guided tour! Tours are offered in English and take approximately 30 minutes. You can buy your ticket online (€15-€17.50) by clicking here.

Castles and Fortresses in Africa and the Middle East

Africa and the Middle East were heavily colonized in the 19th and early 20th centuries in a land grab that was popularly called a “colonization race”. The forts in these regions were built by a number of different groups: Arabs, British, Dutch, Portuguese, and Ottoman, just to name a few. Below you will see the varied castles and forts of beautiful Africa and the charming Middle East. Pro Tip: Use the Activities link from the following island/region pages to explore what tours may be available in each of these Unique Places.

Fort Frederick,
Port Elizabeth, South Africa

The forts of Pretoria, the modern-day capital of South Africa, were built at a time when the Dutch-descended Boers were getting tired of British meddling and influence in what they believed was “their sphere”. With the help of a German architectural firm, the Boers built three forts: Fort Schanskop was finished first, in April 1897, followed by Fort Wonderboompoort five months later and Fort Klapperkop (pictured) at the beginning of 1898. These forts were joined by another fort, this time built by the French, in late 1898 and was called Fort Daspoortrand. They were built just in time to protect Pretoria from the British advance, but ironically enough, the forts did not serve their intended purpose. In June 1900, British forces conquered Pretoria after two days of fighting, during which they were met with very little resistance. Today the forts are open to the public as museums, except for Fort Daspoortrand, which was used as a leper colony and abandoned. Admission to each fort is paid on a per-fort basis and prices range from 25 rand (~$1.75) to 60 rand (~$4). Pretoria is located an hour north of South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg.

Masada (Hebrew for “fortress”) might be one of the oldest fortified complexes on this page! It was built overlooking the Dead Sea by the Hasmoneans of Judea and was improved upon by Herod the Great, the Roman-approved King of Judea, in the first century BCE. In the Bible, Masada was named as the place where David took refuge after fleeing from King Saul. Masada featured heavily into the first Jewish-Roman War, which lasted for eight years and culminated in the Siege of Masada (73 and 74 CE). The Romans conquered Masada, but when they arrived, they saw much of the compound had been torched and all of the Jewish soldiers were dead. They had killed each other (Judaism prohibits the act of suicide) instead of living down ignominy of being captured by the Romans. Today this siege is considered integral to the plight of the Jewish people, as it is an example of “the pride of the last stand”, and it eventually helped the modern-day nation of Israel form a strong national identity from this historic event. Today, Masada is a national park, and is open to the public for a fee of 59 shekels (~$20).

Castles and Fortresses on the Indian Subcontinent

British India was the “jewel of the crown”, and included not just modern-day India but also Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Sri Lanka was its own closely-aligned colony, named Ceylon. Many of these forts predate the British, but in the end it was the Empire where the sun never set that seized them all. Don’t forget, you can always choose to explore these beautiful sights on your own, but the Activities link found on the island/city pages can help you book a guided tour (where available)!

Jaipur, in India‘s Rajasthan state, is known first and foremost for its military history. The city was built in 1727 by the ruler of Amer, Jai Singh II, making it one of the first planned cities in India. Amer Fort, one of Jaipur’s most popular tourist attractions, was built by the Amer rulers in the 10th century, and before 1727 the Kingdom of Amer had its nucleus situated inside this fort. Jaipur was built to ensure the kingdom’s access to fresh water, which was drying up in Amer in the 18th century. The original city was planned across nine sectors, with two sectors given to the kingdom for palaces and government buildings, and seven given to the people. By the turn of the 19th century, such palatial buildings as the Jal Mahal (built on Man Sagar Lake) and the Hawa Mahal (pictured) were either freshly built or completely renovated. The Hawa Mahal’s pink sandstone is partly why Jaipur is called “The Pink City“. Many other buildings were painted pink in the late 19th century as an homage to the Prince of Wales who visited Jaipur. Even after all these years, the pink paint and sandstone have endured in Jaipur.

Castles and Fortresses in East Asia

Many people think of the castles of Japan and the fortresses of China when thinking about the defensive structures of East Asia. Much of this region knows about colonization, whether it was from the British, the Spanish, or the Portuguese. Many of the structures you see today are part of a legacy that honors a time that has long since passed. Don’t forget, you can always choose to explore these beautiful sights on your own, but the Activities link found on the island/city pages can help you book a guided tour (where available)!

**Tung Chung Fort, Lantau Island,**
**Hong Kong (China)**

Japan is well-known for its castles. Out of over 300 in existence across the country, over 100 are open to the public today. The rise of the castle to protect cities and lands came during the Sengoku period in the 15th and 16th centuries, when notable castles such as Himeji Castle (pictured) were built. Himeji Castle, located in Hyogo Prefecture near Kobe, is considered the most famous and best-known of all the Japanese castles. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Himeji Castle is in good company with other UNESCO World Heritage-listed castles like Shuri Castle in Okinawa Prefecture and Hara Castle in Nagasaki Prefecture. Inuyama Castle, in Aichi Prefecture, near Nagoya, is the oldest castle to survive in its original form, dating from the late 1580s. Five castles in central Japan have earned the highest conservation honor from the Japanese government, that of “National Treasure”: Matsue Castle in Shimane Prefecture, Hikone Castle in Shiga Prefecture, Matsumoto Castle in Nagano Prefecture (seen above in gallery), and the aforementioned Himeji and Inuyama Castles. For more information on Japanese castles, visit our Tripmasters page.

When the Spanish conquered Manila, the capital of what is now the Philippines, in the late 16th century, they wanted to build their new capital from scratch. Downriver from the original settlement on the Pasig River, Maynila, the Spanish built Intramuros (meaning “inside the walls”). Intramuros was a walled city which according to the Spanish at the time was the entirety of the city of Manila. Fort Santiago (pictured) was built as the defense for this walled city. This site was not new to defensive structures, having housed a fort generations before, built by a Muslim Tagalog rajah. Fort Santiago was built from stone, much like nearly all of Intramuros was. After three years, it was completed in 1593. Fort Santiago saw a number of battles, including the Battle of Manila in 1762 which led to a British occupation of Manila for nearly two years. The Japanese also conquered the fort during their Philippine Campaign in 1942. After World War II, it became part of a historical park which teaches visitors about the Spanish colonial legacy in Manila. The admission fee to this park is 75 pesos, or approximately $1.50.

Castles and Fortresses in Australia and New Zealand

One of the last parts of the world to be colonized by the British, the fortresses of Australia and New Zealand are typically in good condition as they are relatively young in age. The oldest fortresses in this region date from the 18th century, when Australia was just a fledgling colony and New Zealand, populated by the Māori, wasn’t even a colony yet. Don’t forget, you can always choose to explore these beautiful sights on your own, but the Activities link found on the island/city pages can help you book a guided tour (where available)!

**Fort Denison,**
**Sydney, New South Wales, Australia**

What is a pā? It’s the Māori term for “village“, although it typically is understood today to mean hillside fortresses. At one time, there were over 5,000 pā located throughout New Zealand. These pā were crucial during the New Zealand Wars (1845-72), when Māoris fought the British colonizers over access to their land. Many notable pā employed protection against cannons and gunfire, as the Māori learned quickly not to underestimate the might of the British Empire’s naval fleet. Ruapekapeka pā (pictured), in New Zealand’s Northland, is perhaps the best-known example of a gunfighting pā. Now pā were not relegated to just coastal defenses; many of them also existed inland. These pā are called “swamp pā” and these protected swamps and lakes, where a large number of fish and animals lived. It was important for the Māori to protect these lakes and swamps because that’s where a large portion of their food supply lived. Kaiapoi pā in Canterbury is a good example of a swamp pā.

For even more travel inspiration, be sure to check out a few more of our interest-driven curations by clicking on the pictures below.