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It's funny how I remember things... I remember Brent saying "There's this castle I want to go to" and me hanging my head. Hanging my head not because I didn't want to see the castle, but because it cut into my plans of being an introvert and doing nothing. Because now I had to plan a trip. Because now I had to reserve hotels and figure out what to pack. Because now we had to sit in the car for an undisclosed period of time with two young children.
I seriously cannot explain my feelings on this without sounding insane. Because while I hung my head and dreaded a lot of the particulars, these trips are some of the best memories of my expat life. While I fretted about booking hotels and/or being in a car with toddlers, those times brought our family close and gave us all experiences we will never forget. While we sometimes had to walk or hike to the castle, we were able to see impressive structures with beautiful gardens and fascinating histories. While I didn't like for my life to be upended, I loved the resulting effect. On these trips, I discovered my love for travel and for organizing the daily agendas for the trips. I discovered my love for exploring new places and imagining how life was/is for others. And every time I hung my head, I knew of this love, which is why I went along with it all. As Brent has discovered himself, I need to hang my head for a bit and once the idea settles I'm in full force. Because while we are overseas, it's all about traveling. And while we were in Europe, it was all about the castles. ;)
We have seen over 180 castles and fortresses in Europe. Some of those we just drove to or saw from a river boat along the Rhein, but a lot of them we actually went inside or climbed around what was left of them. What's crazy is that I remember each and every one. I have at least one vivid memory about the castle itself, the trip to get to the castle, the kids at the castle, the weather on that day, or my state of mind while we were there. That's a lot of memories, and I wanted to record my favorites here.
I wish I could just do a Top 10 Favorite Castles post, but there was no way I could cut it down that much. So here are the Top 55 (totally not kidding), in alphabetical order. At the end I may be able to let you in on what would be included in my Top 10. ;)
Albrechtsburg
Location: Meißen, Germany
Date Visited: May 2007
Point of Interest: It is adjacent to the Meißen Cathedral, creating quite a combined effect.
Memory: My mom and aunt were with us when we toured this castle. It provides a great view of the town and river below, and is the location of one of the first title pictures for my personal blog (a picture of Brent, Rachel and I overlooking the river from the castle). We also took Brent's parents by to see it, but it was too late in the day (see above picture) to go inside.
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The castle overlooks the town.
Château d'Amboise
Location: Amboise, FranceDate Visited: December 2010
Point of Interest: It is where Leonardo da Vinci is buried.
Memory: Rachel made faces in a series of "family shots" (family selfies) on the castle grounds that had me rolling.
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Blarney Castle
Location: Blarney, Ireland
Date Visited: May 2012
Point of Interest: It is where people hang upside down to kiss the Blarney Stone, an act that supposedly gives them the gift of eloquence.
Memory: It was a rainy day and the gardens were a gorgeous green. I remember being astounded by the ease of getting through the castle and how "safe" it was compared to castles in the rest of Europe. English was also appreciated.
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Bratislava Castle
Location: Bratislava, Slovakia
Date Visited: October 2011
Point of Interest: It is closed on Mondays.
Memory: Even though it was closed, we enjoyed walking around the castle and the kids enjoyed the playground that was on the grounds. While we were at the playground, a school group showed up and it made me smile to think that this was a field trip location.
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Buda Castle
Location: Budapest, Hungary
Date Visited: October 2011
Point of Interest: It is on the Danube River.
Memory: Our first views of it were from the river, on a boat where I also gave Simon a suppository for his constipation.
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Rock of Cashel
Location: Cashel, Ireland
Date Visited: May 2012
Point of Interest: It was the seat of the kings of Munster.
Memory: It was a really cloudy and wet morning, but it just felt so Irish with all the sheep and green around.
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Schloss Cecilienhof
Location: Potsdam, Germany
Date Visited: Several times between 2006 and 2009, but we toured it in March 2007
Point of Interest: It was the location of the Potsdam Conference in 1945, which decided how to deal with Germany as well as many other issues after WWII.
Memory: We came here every time visitors came into town, but we toured it as a family soon after we moved to Berlin. It remains the same way it looked during the Conference. I will always remember baby Rachel toddling around the beautiful grounds. I will also always remember the kind people who worked there who allowed me to go on the next tour after I had to leave the tour we were on with Brent because of a certain disruptive toddler.
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Château de Chambord
Location: Chambord, France
Date Visited: December 2010
Point of Interest: It is the largest château in the Loire Valley.
Memory: This castle is huge and has no internal heating. There were fires lit in various rooms where we all huddled to get warm. The kids loved to copy the adults' mannerisms when putting their hands and feet by the fires.
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From behind the castle.
From in front of the castle, and including the Christmas Market.
Schloss Charlottenburg
Location: Berlin, Germany
Date Visited: Several times between 2006 and 2011
Point of Interest: It is the largest surviving royal palace in Berlin and was commissioned by the wife of King Frederick I of Prussia (Hohenzollern dynasty), Sophia Charlotte.
Memory: This was our favorite photo backdrop in Berlin. We have various pictures of the kids taken there throughout our posted stay. We also visited its Christmas Market on more than one occasion.
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Location: Chenonceau, France
Date Visited: December 2010
Point of Interest: It spans over a river. It was also influenced by many women, as it was the home of a series of wives and mistresses.
Memory: The atmosphere. With a cold fog surrounding the place and the fires in the fireplaces, it had such a romantic feel. It was also decorated for Christmas and the smell of licorice filled the kitchen.
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Château de Chillon
Location: Veytaux (near Geneva), Switzerland
Date Visited: June 2014
Point of Interest: It is one of the most visited castles in Europe.
Memory: The children were given a kids' guide, from which the kids were given questions to answer in each room of the castle. Rachel ate that up. There were also people swimming on a small beach near the castle. Brent was extremely tempted to go swimming to capture pictures of the castle from a different angle.
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Castle of the Mazovian Dukes (Ciechanów)
Location: Ciechanów, Poland
Date Visited: December 2009
Point of Interest: It was built in the 14th century.
Memory: It was freezing that day. It was pretty much deserted, and we were able to climb up and all around the ruins.
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The castle is on the hill overlooking the town.
Location: Cochem, Germany
Date Visited: April 2009
Point of Interest: It is from the 1100s.
Memory: The views of the Mosul River and the cute town of Cochem from this castle were spectacular. We had to hike up a hill to get to it, and we barely got to go in before it closed.
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Burg Eltz
Location: Wierschem, Germany
Date Visited: April 2009
Point of Interest: It is one of the few castles along the Rhein that was never destroyed.
Memory: When we first approached the castle, it was very foggy, which made Brent upset that he wouldn't get his "perfect shot." After a great tour and lunch, we walked away from the castle to discover a clear day and a great picture. I also remember Simon falling asleep in the backpack carrier on the walk back to the car, but Rachel walked the entire way on her own. This is also probably the only castle we ever had to walk down to.
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Château de Gruyères
Location: Gruyères, Switzerland
Date Visited: June 2014
Point of Interest: It was built in the 1200s.
Memory: Gruyères is such a cute place. We stayed at the foot of the hill so we were able to walk up to the castle. The views were awesome and the dinner of fondue we had right outside the castle was amazing.
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The castle is in the upper part of the picture, overlooking the town.
Location: Heidelberg, Germany
Date Visited: December 2006
Point of Interest: It is one of the world's most famous castle ruins and one of the most visited ones in Germany.
Memory: We visited the Christmas Market in the town below the castle. The entire scene was magical.
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Herrenchiemsee
Location: Herreninsel (island in the lake Chiemsee), Germany
Date Visited: April 2009
Point of Interest: It is the largest of King Ludwig II's three castles. It was modeled after Versailles and remains unfinished as Ludwig died before it was completed.
Memory: It was an absolutely gorgeous day. We had to take a boat to get there, which thrilled Rachel and provided fabulous views of the lake.
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The fortress is in the upper right, overlooking the town.
Festung Hohensalzburg
Location: Salzburg, Austria
Date Visited: April 2007
Point of Interest: It is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe.
Memory: On the way up to the fortress, there was a man performing Mozart in the city square. It was the perfect atmosphere!
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The castle as seen from Neuschwantein.
Schloss Hohenschwangau
Location: Hohenschwangau, Germany
Date Visited: Several times between 2006 and 2009, but we toured it in December 2006
Point of Interest: It was the childhood home of King Ludwig II, who envisioned building a castle on the mountain beside it (which came to life as Neuschwanstein).
Memory: We toured this castle the same day as we did Neuschwanstein and I found it to be much more intimate and "livable".
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Burg Hohenzollern
Location: Mount Hohenzollern, Germany
Date Visited: December 2007
Point of Interest: It is the ancestral seat of the Hohenzollern family, who eventually became German Emperors.
Memory: We had to hike up to the top of the mount to get to the castle and Rachel walked a lot of it herself. As you can imagine, the views from up there were spectacular.
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Jagdschloss Grunewald
Location: Berlin, Germany
Date Visited: Several times between 2006 and 2009
Point of Interest: It is the oldest surviving palace in Berlin.
Memory: It may not look impressive, but it was pretty much in my backyard when we lived in Berlin so I had to include it. It was the first castle we saw after our move overseas, on a walk we took into the forest (Grunewald) behind our house. Another favorite memory is when I walked with an almost-3-year-old Rachel and an infant Simon (in the baby Bjorn) to the Christmas Market there ALL BY MYSELF.
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The ruins can be seen in the foreground to the left. It is overlooking the town.
Location: Kazimierz Dolny, Poland
Date Visited: March 2010
Point of Interest: It is from the 14th century.
Memory: It was so cold that day. We walked around the ruins a bit before walking around the adorable town. I tried to imagine how lively the place is when it wasn't below freezing.
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The fortress is located on the mountain to the right.
Location: Klis, Croatia
Date Visited: October 2011
Point of Interest: It was built into the rocky mass, which makes it hard to discern from the mountain and helped in the crucial defense of the area.
Memory: Croatia is beautiful. Gorgeous. And this fortress was yet another place from which to view it. The kids had fun climbing around the ruins, and by kids I mean all three of them.
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Krzyżtopór
Location: Ujazd, Poland
Date Visited: September 2010
Point of Interest: It once had 365 windows (as many as days of the year), 52 rooms (as many as weeks of the year) and 12 ballrooms (as many as months of the year).
Memory: Brent's parents were with us when we visited. It is a superb place to take pictures. It's basically a shell and there were several levels to explore. Brent and the kids had a great time hiding around corners and Brent got a great shot of Rachel as he scared her coming around one.
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Książ Castle
Location: Wałbrzych, Poland
Date Visited: May 2011
Point of Interest: There are underground tunnels that were dug out when the Nazis wanted to turn the castle into a headquarters for Hitler (Project Riese).
Memory: We were there on May 1, which was probably the busiest day of the year as there was a festival there going on for the holiday. We were not used to visiting a castle with so many people around, I mean, we actually had to wait in line to buy tickets (usually we visited castles during off-peak times or ones that were less well known). We walked all around this mountain, from the place where the above picture was taken, all the way to the castle, and the walk included tons of booths set up for the festival.
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Kwidzyn Castle
Location: Kwidzyn, Poland
Date Visited: March 2012
Point of Interest: It is a Teutonic Knight castle founded in the 1200s.
Memory: This was the weekend we did 6 castles in 2 days. I was most impressed by this castle and the tour inside was impressive as well. I also remember that there was a track at the foot of the castle where Brent and the kids raced; I was most shocked that Simon made it the whole way around without stopping even though he was well behind the other two.
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Łazienki Palace
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Date Visited: Several times between 2009 and 2012
Point of Interest: It is also called the Palace on the Water and it began as a bathhouse for the owner of a nearby castle. The Germans drilled holes in it during WWII, but thankfully never got around to blowing it up.
Memory: Oh, I have a ton of memories here. It is right down the street from the US Embassy, so I would bring the kids to Łazienki Park all the time. We tried to take pictures of the kids in their Easter outfits here one year, but that didn't turn out as I intended. We came here while it was snowing one day after church and had a great time trudging through the white stuff. We brought many a visitor to see the castle and its peacocks. It is such a beautiful place and one of my favorites in Warsaw.
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Schloss Lichtenstein
Location: Lichtenstein, Germany
Date Visited: April 2009
Point of Interest: The current castle was built in 1840 and was inspired by the novel Lichtenstein.
Memory: Umm... look at this place. It is amazing. When I asked Brent which of the castles we have visited were his favorite, Mister Not One to Answer These Types of Questions mentioned this one first. Besides it being amazing on the outside, the tour was also very nice. It was in German, of course, but Brent translated for me. I remember it being a gorgeous day and getting some great pics of Rachel on the castle grounds. I also remember being able to drive right up to this castle and not needing to hike up to it. And there was a playground there.
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Schloss Linderhof
Location: Ettal, Germany
Date Visited: April 2007
Point of Interest: It is the second of Ludwig II's three castles on this list, it is his smallest, and it is the only one he lived to see completed.
Memory: This castle is very ornate and it was really neat to go through it as well as the grounds. Rachel toddled her way up and down stairs and all over the place.
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Liw Castle
Location: Liw, Poland
Date Visited: April 2012
Point of Interest: The Germans wanted to tear down the castle during WWII in order to use its bricks, but a local Polish man convinced them that it was a Teutonic castle (which it isn't) so they would treat it respectfully.
Memory: I remember it was a beautiful day after another long winter and how nice it was to enjoy a castle without freezing. The kids had a blast running around the castle grounds and climbing on the ruins.
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The castle is at the top of the hill overlooking the city.
Ljubljana Castle
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Date Visited: October 2011
Point of Interest: Since it was not home to any important family or had any defensive use after the 19th century, it had various uses throughout the years; for example, it was used to house poor families in the early 1900s.
Memory: Ljubljana is a beautiful city. So much of Eastern Europe is not appreciated. We had to take a funicular to get to the castle and then enjoyed the wonderful view of the city.
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Lovrijenac Fortress
Location: Dubrovnik, Croatia
Date Visited: October 2011
Point of Interest: It is now very famous as being a location where Game of Thrones is filmed.
Memory: Dubrovnik is a pretty remarkable place. Not only did this fort give us a different view of the city, its beautiful stone made its own impressive impression on me. Just beautiful.
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Lutsk High Castle
Location: Lutsk, Ukraine
Date Visited: May 2010
Point of Interest: It was built in the 1340s. Over 1,000 Jews were killed within its walls in 1941.
Memory: There were some old weapons in the interior courtyard of the castle that the kids had a blast playing with. It was a beautiful day and we had a delicious lunch at a restaurant right outside the castle (you can actually see the restaurant in the lower right hand corner of the picture above).
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Malbork Castle
Location: Malbork, Poland
Date Visited: May 2010
Point of Interest: It is a Teutonic castle and the largest brick castle in the world.
Memory: We loved exploring this huge castle. Rachel carried around the castle map with her everywhere and I got Simon a knight outfit to commemorate the visit.
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The fortress overlooks the city.
Festung Marienberg
Location: Würzburg, Germany
Date Visited: October 2006
Point of Interest: It was significantly destroyed during WWII and it took from 1950 to 1990 to rebuilt it.
Memory: Würzburg was the destination of our first weekend roadtrip in Germany (not counting trips to the base). Looking back, I can determine that it was on this trip that I first truly fell in love with the country and realized that this living abroad thing may not be so bad. This fortress is perched on a hill above the city and river, and the views it provided of a German town in the autumn is downright charming.
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Schloss Neuschwanstein
Location: Hohenschwangau, Germany
Date Visited: Several times between 2006 and 2009, but we toured it in December 2006
Point of Interest: It is King Ludwig II's most famous castle and the most photographed place in all of Germany. It is the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty castle. It was not complete when Ludwig died and he only slept 11 nights in it. While the king wanted this as his private hideaway, the palace was almost immediately opened to the public not too long after his death.
Memory: Wow... I have a lot of memories of this place. First, this is the place Brent wanted to see more than anything after moving to Berlin. Second, we first discovered the passion Asians have of taking pictures of cute little white babies. Rachel was not quite one-year-old when we toured it and so Brent carried her in the baby Bjorn. Not only did they take pictures from their carriage as they were being transported up the hill to the castle (we walked up), but I remember coming out of the bathroom once we reached to top to find them posing with Rachel (and Brent). Third, the castle tour was quite fascinating and the views of the surrounding area was phenomenal. Fourth, the amount of visits, the amount of pictures, and the length to which Brent would get those pictures is pretty crazy. The first time we visited, it was cold and snowy, but Brent went past a "closed" sign on an icy path on the mountain opposite the castle to get the first picture I posted above. It was taken from Marienbrücke (Mary's Bridge as Ludwig named it after his mother), a bridge that was built opposite the castle to provide this fantastic view of the structure. The second picture above is from our last visit to the castle in April 2009, when Brent was positive he was going to get the perfect shot but was extremely disappointed to find the castle under construction on that side (he didn't discover this until he had already made most of the climb). He did proceed to climb higher than before though to get the shot. We also drove by it at night to try and get a shot of it all lit up, but none of them really came out. It was a beautiful site no matter what time of the day you saw it.
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Niedzica Castle
Location: Niedzica, Poland
Date Visited: October 2011
Point of Interest: It is on the cover of Poland's Eyewitness Travel Guide.
Memory: We visited this castle at the very end of our two-week road trip through Central Europe. Needless to say, we were pretty tired and wanted to get home, but this castle was definitely worth the time. Besides being a great place to tour, it is quite picturesque and Brent was able to get some good shots of it from the nearby dam (including the one that matches the cover of the travel guide, which is why we had to visit it in the first place). And on the dam's roadway, someone had painted 3D art that looked like a waterfall from one side and a canyon from the other, which thrilled the kids.
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Prague Castle
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Date Visited: August 2008
Point of Interest: It is the largest ancient castle in the world.
Memory: I was seven months pregnant with Simon when we toured Prague, but since we were there several days, I'm happy to say we were able to take things slow. The castle took up most of one day. There are a bunch of stairs leading up to it and we were able to catch the changing of the guards. There is a room inside the castle that is big enough to hold jousting tournaments and the gardens are beautiful.
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Burg Rheinstein
Location: Trechtingshausen (along the Rhein), Germany
Date Visted: April 2009
Point of Interest: It used to be on the cover of Germany's Eyewitness Travel Guide.
Memory: The first time we saw it was from our river cruise along the Rhein. But we had to see it up close because Brent was determined to get the exact same picture as was on the travel guide. He was successful (not the picture above). But on the hike from the castle to the watchtower where the picture was taken (you can see the watchtower in the picture above, it's that rocky thing sticking out on the left side of the picture even with the castle), Rachel told me she had to go potty. So, I pulled her pants down, picked her up and held her so she was squatting and waited for her to go. To my surprise, she started clenching and making grunt noises. "Are you POOPING?" Yes... yes, she was. My girl had no problem pooping on a path in the middle of the forest. I was off the path a bit, so I guess it would be just like letting a dog poop while walking him. No one else was around to witness this loveliness, but I will never forget it. One of my favorite stories.
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Ross Castle
Location: Killarney, Ireland
Date Visited: April 2012
Point of Interest: It is a 15th century tower house.
Memory: This was a very cool castle to tour. This was the first place we visited on our Ireland trip from Poland, so it was quite refreshing to hear a tour in English. I can remember really trying to picture myself living here in its heyday. And it was a fair prospect for sure.
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Schloss Sanssouci
Location: Potsdam, Germany
Date Visited: Several times between 2006 and 2009, I can't remember when I toured it and I think I toured it more than once
Point of Interest: It was the summer home of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia.
Memory: We brought everyone who visited us in Berlin here. The gardens are absolutely gorgeous in the spring and summer. The castle itself is very small and intimate; I often said that this is the kind of castle I would want.
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Schwerin Palace
Location: Schwerin, Germany
Date Visited: November 2007
Point of Interest: It is nicknamed "Neuschwanstein of the North."
Memory: Well, my memory of this palace is not the happiest. We were here with Brent's parents, and while we were walking the grounds, Brent and I talked about whether or not to tell his parents I was pregnant. We did end up telling them before they left Germany, but I lost the baby the following month. On a brighter note, the palace and grounds are beautiful. I wish I could have seen them in the spring.
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Schloss Sigmaringen
Location: Sigmaringen, Germany
Date Visited: April 2009
Point of Interest: The French Nazi government kicked out the princely family and was exiled here at the end of WWII.
Memory: We saw this castle right after we visited Schloss Lichtenstein, so it was pretty much the best castle day ever. The tour was really good and afterwards we enjoyed some chocolate ice cream in the town. This is memorable because Rachel ruined her beautifully-mint-colored shirt by dripping chocolate all over it. And while the picture above was being taken, I was dealing with yet another Rachel-pooping-by-a-tree episode. Because poop stories are always enduring.
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Toruń Castle
Location: Toruń, Poland
Date Visited: May 2010
Point of Interest: It is a 13th century castle that was the Teutonic Knight's capital before it moved to Malbork.
Memory: It was a rainy day, but the kids had a blast climbing around the ruins. There were a lot of nooks and crannies for little people to enjoy.
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The walls and gate surrounding the castle.
The White Tower housed the king's rooms.
Tower of London
Location: London, England
Date Visited: May 2007 as a family (didn't go inside), and I toured it in June 2011 with Simon
Point of Interest: It was built in 1078 and has been a huge part of England's history since then.
Memory: We did not have time to tour it when we were in London for a day in 2007, but when I was there with Simon on a medivac, he and I were able to explore it thoroughly. Being an anglophile, I loved every minute of it and am so happy to have the memories of sharing it with Simon.
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The castle is located on the hill to the right.
Trenčín Castle
Location: Trenčín, Slovakia
Date Visited: October 2011
Point of Interest: The castle dates back to the Roman Empire.
Memory: Simon squatting on some rock outside the castle, needing to poop but not wanting to poop in his diaper.
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Trim Castle
Location: Trim, Ireland
Date Visited: April 2012
Point of Interest: It is the largest Norman castle in Ireland. It was also a filming location for the movie Braveheart.
Memory: The Irish man who led us around the castle was extremely proud of his heritage and that translated into a very knowledgeable and entertaining tour.
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The castle is up on the left overlooking the city.
Vaduz Castle
Location: Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Date Visited: December 2007
Point of Interest: It is still the official residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein and is therefore not open to the public.
Memory: It was freezing cold. I remember seeing frozen icicles dripping off of the mountain right next to the road as we drove to and from the castle. Even though we weren't able to go in, we walked around the outside for a bit. This was also part of our 4 countries in 1 day extravaganza... Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. I really wish we had had the GoPro on our dashboard for that trip, which was basically a trip through the Alps in the winter. Gorgeous.
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Château de Versailles
Location: Versailles, France
Date Visited: December 2010
Point of Interest: The Treaty of Versailles (ending WWI) was signed in the Hall of Mirrors.
Memory: While we didn't get to see the gardens due to the season, it was still pretty neat to see it all in the snow. The castle was warm and cozy and the tour was unbelievable. The Hall of Mirrors is everything people say it is. Rachel kept herself occupied with a children's magazine the castle offered for free, and by going ahead of us to hide behind doors and corners.
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Royal Castle in Warsaw
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Date Visited: Several times between 2009 and 2012, I can't remember when I toured it
Point of Interest: It was completely destroyed in WWII after the Warsaw Uprising, and rebuilt in the 1970s.
Memory: This castle is in Old Town Warsaw, so I cannot count the amount of times I walked by it. My favorite time was in the picture above... it was Christmas Eve and we were the only ones around (Christmas Eve is the huge holiday in Poland, when everyone is with their families). Another time, my mom and aunt were going to tour the castle but I was dealing with Simon, so Rachel went up to the ticket counter with them and helped them buy tickets using her Polish.
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Wartburg
Location: Eisenach, Germany
Date Visited: May 2008
Point of Interest: It is where Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German
Memory: I was fascinated by the room where Luther worked on his translation. It's just crazy to be in a place where something that important happened.
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Wawel Castle
Location: Kraków, Poland
Date Visited: December 2009 and September 2010
Point of Interest: It was the residence of the Nazi governor during WWII.
Memory: The first time we visited the castle, it was below freezing. The Vistula River was frozen and there was snow on the ground. The second time, Brent parents were with us and we were able to enjoy the beautiful place in some decent weather. The Polish president and his wife, who died in the tragic plane crash in April 2010, are buried in the Cathedral here and it was quite touching to see their sarcophagi. Rachel's favorite part of the castle was the dragon that blew fire every five minutes. Simon, however, was not too keen.
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Wilanów Palace
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Date Visited: Several times between 2010 and 2012, I can't remember when I toured it
Point of Interest: It survived both World Wars.
Memory: We walked around this palace many times and brought all of our visitors here. The gardens were under construction for quite a while, but we were able to see it in all its glory right before we moved. And I have a great memory of the kids rolling down a hill on the grounds.
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Windsor Castle
Location: Windsor, England
Date Visited: June 2011
Point of Interest: It is the longest occupied castle in Europe.
Memory: I went through this castle while on the medivac trip I took with Simon. It was a gorgeous day and I had so much fun going through a castle in one of my favorite countries with my boy. Simon was very good throughout, but he was quite disappointed he couldn't bring in the snails he collected while we were waiting to go in inside the castle.
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Zwinger
Location: Dresden, Germany
Date Visited: Several times between 2006 and 2008, we toured it in October 2006
Point of Interest: It was built in the early 1700s and was yet another castle designed in response to Versailles.
Memory: The first time we went to Dresden we were with our friends visiting from the States. It was a beautiful day and we had such a good time walking atop the outer wall looking out at the city and looking in at the gardens. I have a fun picture of one of my friends dangling baby Rachel upside down over one of those fountains.
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Top 5
1. Neuschwanstein - The quintessential castle of Germany. It's popular for a reason.
2. Lichtenstein - I mean, look at the place!
3. Chenonceau - Just about as romantic as you can get.
4. Tower of London - The history and its location make it one of my favorite places ever.
5. Gruyères - It's all about the fondue.
Rounding out the Top 10: Charlottenburg, Klis, Łazienki, Marienberg (Würzburg), and Sigmaringen.
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