Famous Castles: Alnwick Castle, Scotland

Alnwick Castle is on the east coast of Scotland and was first built following the Norman conquest.  The castle guards a road crossing the Aln River.
 

History and Virtual Tour of the Castle 

Some stunning aerial views of the castle:

The castle in a painting by J. M. W. Turner:

 

The layout of the castle and how it has been changed over the centuries:

The official visitor's map of the castle as it is today:

We explore the castle starting at the...

Greenwell Gate

If you turn around at the Greenwell Gate and walk the other way, you will come to the magnificent 
Alnwick Garden and can stroll all through it:

Or alternately you can start your garden stroll at the...

Main Gate to the Alnwick Garden

Famous Castles: Citadel of Qaitbay, Alexandria

The majestic Citadel of Quaitbay in Alexandria was said to have been built on the foundations of the legendary Lighthouse (or Pharos) of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  The Lighthouse was finally destroyed by a series of earthquakes:

MEGAPROJECTS Documentary on the Lighthouse of Alexandria

An excellent video overview of the citadel:

Cleopatra Tours History Page on the Citadel

We begin our exploration of the citadel by going through the entry gate and ascending to the ...

Outer Ramparts

Famous Castles: Chittorgarh Fort, India

The magnificent Chittorgarh Fort is considered to be the largest castle in India.

A stunning video overview of the castle:

Some history of the castle:

There is also a legendary princess Rani Padmini (also known as Padmavati) who appears in Indian literature as a Helen of Troy figure, renowned for her beauty who became Queen of Chittorgarh. You can read her exciting story in an English translation, free to download at the Internet Archive:

Padmavati - An Epic Poem by Malik Muammad Jais

(English Translation by Shirreff A. G.)

 

A map of the immense castle layout:

We begin our exploration at this magnificent entrance through which we can see the Samadhisvar Temple:

East Sati Gate

Famous Castles: Mehrangarh Fort, India

Mehrangarh Fort is in northern India overlooking the city of Jodhpur.   For some reason when the British Colonial Government in India began cataloguing castles, they decided to call them all forts:  Forts in India.  The suffix -garh is actually the Hindi word for castle.  This usage of the term fort may give one the impression that India has no great stone castles dating back to medieval times, whereas it has many fine examples:  Castles of India

A spectacular aerial view:

Some history:

The Official Mehrangarh Website features some history as well as a wealth of other information:

 
And we begin our exploration at...

 The Main Gate

Famous Castles: Craigdarroch Castle, Victoria, British Columbia

Craigdarroch Castle is located in the city of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada:

The story of Craigdarroch Castle. 

Produced by The Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society.

The castle consistently makes the lists of...

 The Most Haunted Places in Canada

Fly over of the Castle

Is It Haunted ??? | Canada's Best Castle | The Most historic Castle In Victoria

We start our exploration of the castle in...

The Front Hall

Haunting Christmas Flash Mob!
 

Augmented Reality Tour of the Castle

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Famous Castles: Kronborg Castle, Denmark

Kronborg Castle is located in Denmark, north of Copenhagen and is best known by its anglicized name:  Elsinore (from Helsingør, the city), the home of Prince Hamlet.

A spectacular drone fly over:

There are many trails to explore in and around the castle:

We begin our tour at the mysterious: 

Kronborg Castle Dark Gate

Or take a stroll along the...

Scenic shoreline trail

 

The castle is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site:

The Kronborg Castle Official Website provides an excellent way to further...

Explore Kronborg Castle

Famous Castles: Warwick Castle

Warwick Castle is a 12th century stone castle on the river Avon in the very heart of England:

There are many trails in and around the castle to explore through Google Street View:

We start our trek by entering through the main gatehouse and barbican on the east side:

Or wander through the beautiful gardens:

Or view one of the largest trebuchets in the world:

And even see this huge trebuchet in action:

A European medieval re-enactment group, the Outlaw Dogs built and fire a similar giant trebuchet:

Walk around the castle walls starting at a good viewing point of Guy's Tower:

The official Warwick Castle website has an excellent page on the...

Towers and Battlements

Famous Castles: Château des Baux

 In Provence in the south of France, on a high outcrop of stone stands the famed Château des Baux.

In the museum on site you can see a model of what the castle would have looked like in all its medieval glory:

They also provide an orientation map of the castle's foremost features:

Overview map of the trails to trek at the castle:

We approach the castle from the north, along a dirt track:
 

Trailhead:  Dirt Track to Château des Baux

Visit the fascinating display of trebuchets, the powerful medieval sling weapon:

 

And you can join in firing the largest trebuchet in Europe!

An excellent fly over of the area

 

The official website of the castle has lots of fascinating information on the castle's construction and history.  A good place to start is at... 

The Keep