Famous Castles: Hohenwerfen Castle, Austria

 

 

Hohenwerfen Castle is located in a picturesque area of the Austrian alps, south of Saltzburg.

 

 

Aerial Tour of the Castle

 

How the castle has changed over the ages:

 The castle is renowned for its falconry:

Some History of the Castle

The castle by night:

We begin our exploration of the castle at the...

Main Gate

Several floors of the castle museum can be explored and there are some wonderful scenic views from... 

 

The Fourth Floor

  

 

The other floors explore various subjects and change from time to time.  Below are some of the displays when the subject was Leonardo da Vinci.  The theme of the third floor is flight and includes some fascinating displays of...

  

 Leonardo's research into flight 

  

Famous Castles: Osaka Castle, Japan

 

 Osaka Castle features eight fascinating floors of art, history and vivid panoramas.

 

A Fly Over of Osaka City and Castle Area:

Some history of the castle:

 

Our exploration of the castle begins at the front entrance and proceeds through the eight floors:

 

Front Entrance to Osaka Castle

 On the eighth floor, we may walk around and take in magnificent vistas of the city and the grounds:

Eighth Floor Viewing Area

The seventh floor features some historical displays such as this one about the castle's violent past:

Osaka Castle's Violent History

The fifth floor features some historical panoramas such as this battle scene:

Fifth Floor Battle Panorama

 The fourth floor features some of the castle's art, such as this screen:

Fourth Floor Art

The third floor features more art as well as historical artifacts such as this...

 Battle Armour

 

Famous Castles: Malbork Castle, Poland

Malbork Castle in Poland is considered to be the largest castle in the world (as measured by land area) and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Layout of the Castle:

A flying overview of the castle:

UNESCO World Heritage Documentary on the Castle:

Another good documentary on the castle:

 
 
The Castles of Poland website provides some...

 History of Malbork Castle

Our exploration of Malbork Castle begins at the... 

 

Castle Gate and Portcullis   




We can also take a stroll in the moat...

 Outside the Castle Walls

The city of Malbork in northern Poland treasures its history. Each year for over a decade it has staged a re-enactment of a famed 1410 siege for its majestic red brick Malbork Castle. After the legendary victory of a Polish-Lithuanian army over the German Teutonic Knights at Grunwald earlier that year, troops of the Polish king Wladyslaw Jagiello tried but failed to seize the castle, then the European headquarters of the powerful Teutonic Order:

Famous Castles: Spiš Castle, Slovakia

Spiš Castle dates from the 12th century and is considered to be the largest castle complex in central Europe .  It is one of several magnificent castles in Slovakia:

 

Here is a time lapse reconstruction from the amazing Digital Reconstructions Website to show how the castle would have looked in its 12th century heyday:

 

 

Some stunning drone footage of the castle from on high and in the misty morning:

   

  History and Architecture of the Castle

We begin our exploration by walking up the steep...

 Road to the Main Keep

 

For some spectacular views you can...

Walk the Ramparts 

  

Or take in the view from the...

 Top of the Keep

  

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