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Bolsover Castle and its grand view over Bolsover town and the surrounding landscape. Source: Matthew / Adobe Stock

Bolsover Castle: 11th Century Fort Bloomed Into Stunning Residence

Bolsover Castle is a famous and unusual castle in Derbyshire, a county in England’s East Midlands. Although the current building was constructed during the 17th century, the history of Bolsover...
Carlisle Castle is known as the most besieged castle in Britain. Source: stocksolutions

Carlisle Castle: The Most Besieged Castle in Britain

Said to be “the most besieged place in the British Isles,” Carlisle Castle was built towards the end of the 11th century in the border city of Carlisle in the north of England. The site has seen a...
Nottingham Castle.

Why Have Centuries-Old Monkey Bones Just Been Found inside Nottingham Castle?

Once a proud symbol of the British Middle Ages, Nottingham Castle was closed for redevelopment and refurbishment in 2018. In the midst of the excavations, the BBC reports that archaeologists came...
Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle - One of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine

Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle - One of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine

The Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle is a fortress located in the city of Kamianets-Podilskyi, in the western part of Ukraine. According to written sources, the city existed as early as the 12th century,...
Caernarfon Castle Dig Reveals More Ancient Secrets

Caernarfon Castle Dig Reveals More Ancient Secrets

In January 2019, a team of archaeologists from the University of Salford launched a large-scale excavation at Caernarfon Castle, one of Wales’s most famous historical sites. This grand and...
King John: The Worst Monarch in English History?

King John: The Worst Monarch in English History?

When it comes to Kings (and Queens) of England, there is strong competition as to who can claim the title of being the worst in the nation’s long history. There is Ethelred the Unready , whose...
The famous German Neuschwanstein Castle looks straight out of a fairytale

A Storybook Setting: The Famous German Fairytale Castle of Neuschwanstein

Neuschwanstein Castle is a grand castle in Bavaria, Germany that was built during the 19th century by Ludwig II, the King of Bavaria. During that century, castles were no longer the formidable...
Saving the Forgotten Castle of Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers

Saving the Forgotten Castle of Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers

There are castles and then there are chateau castles and France is the winner in this category. The Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers is a castle located in the west-central part of France. The castle...
10 Must-Visit Sites in Cappadocia

10 Must-Visit Sites in Cappadocia

The Cappadocia region in central Turkey has one of the most spectacular landscapes in the world. The deep valleys and soaring rock formations are dotted with numerous archaeological wonders. There...
Vaison-La-Romaine Whispers History Around Every Ancient Corner

Vaison-La-Romaine Whispers History Around Every Ancient Corner

The historic French region of Provence is famed for its beauty, culture, and relaxed lifestyle. One of the most beautiful and ancient towns is Vaison-la-Romain e, with both Roman and Medieval...
The Crooked House of Windsor. Left: From the Front. Right: From the Back

A House with a Twist: The Crooked House of Windsor’s Colorful History

The Crooked House of Windsor, also known as the Market Cross House, is a 16th century building located in the market town of Windsor, in the southeastern English county of Berkshire. As its name...
Dumbarton Castle, overlooking the River Clyde          Source: Richard Johnson / Adobe Stock.

Dumbarton Castle: Ancient Stronghold and Symbol of Scottish Defiance

The wild and diverse landscapes of Scotland are filled with remnants of its rich and proud history that spans many centuries. From the Hebrides islands, to the border regions and all the way to the...
King Arthur. Detail. Charles Ernest Butler, 1903.

Archaeologists May Have Discovered the Birthplace of King Arthur: Legends Come to Life?

The discovery of 1500-year-old ruins at Tintagel in south-west England made headlines around the world. What appear to the be the walls of a Dark Age palace have been found in the exact place, and...
One of the famous and still largely unexplored tunnels of Château de Brézé. (Marc Ryckaert / CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Underground Mysteries of Château de Brézé

Pretty and charming on the outside, but deeply enigmatic and ancient down below: Château de Brézé is a place of many mysteries. Located in the scenic Loire Valley in France, this castle and the...
The eerie mansion that is today known as Loftus Hall.

Loftus Hall: Most Haunted House in Ireland Has Not Revealed All Its Dark Secrets

Driving along the isolated road that runs down the scenic Hook Peninsula in Ireland’s Ancient East, it is easy to spot the mansion that has earned itself the reputation as the most haunted house in...
Oil painting of Caernarfon Castle in 1846 by Hugh Hughes, from the National Library of Wales. Photo source: Public domain.

Caernarfon Castle: The Imposing Welsh Constantinople

Caernarfon Castle (often anglicized as Carnarvon or Caernarvon) is a castle in Caernarfon, in the northern Welsh county of Gwynedd, that was built during the Middle Ages. The castle is closely...
It may not seem like it today, but Harlech Castle is Wales has witnessed Welsh rebellions, the Wars of the Roses and the English Civil War. Source: Darren Tennant / Flickr

Harlech Castle: Wales’ Most Formidable Fortress

Harlech Castle is a medieval castle located in Harlech, in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. The castle was built during the 13 th century by the English king, Edward I, as part of an ‘iron ring’ of...
Aerial view of the construction site. Source: Dom Eko

Massive Polish Fort Walls Over 100 Feet Wide Indicate Medieval Capital

The discovery of three rings of fortification walls have provided archaeologists with startling new information on Medieval Poland. The find of the massive Polish fort walls suggests that Poznań was...
Restormel castle in Cornwall             Source: Richard Croft / CC BY SA 2.0

Restormel Castle, What the English Call ‘A Romantic Scene’

Restormel Castle is one of the four principal Norman castles of Cornwall and among the most notable in Britain for its circular design. Built in the 13th century, it was a luxurious residence and...
Donnington Castle near Newbury in West Berkshire   Source: Piotr / Adobe Stock

Donnington Castle, Proud Survivor of Parliamentary Guns

There are various types of castles in Britain built by conquerors, rightful kings and wealthy supporters of the monarchs. One of the most distinctive is that of Donnington Castle (not to be confused...
Aerial view of Frankenstein Castle in southern Hesse, Germany          Source: Iurii / Adobe Stock

Witches, Monsters and Dragons, All at Frankenstein Castle

Castles are often associated with the supernatural and gruesome events and none more so than one of the most famous castles in all of Germany, Frankenstein Castle. This ruined fortress is synonymous...
Trials of Germany’s Impregnable Königstein Fortress

Trials of Germany’s Impregnable Königstein Fortress

Due to its turbulent history, Germany has many impressive military fortresses. One of the best known and most spectacular is the Königstein Fortress, located in the free state of Saxony Switzerland...
Representation of life in medieval Europe at a vineyard. Source: ruskpp /Adobe Stock

How Bad was Life in Medieval Europe Really?

When we think about the life in medieval Europe, we tend to conjure up grim and dismal images of war, poverty, sickness, and the Dark Ages . But was it truly so dark? Is there more to it, or are we...
Clan Campbell seal matrix of Sir John Campbell of Cawdor.    Source: Sarah Lambert-Gates & Darko Maricevic ̌ / Antiquity Publications Ltd

Lost Clan Campbell Seal Reveals Clues to Scottish Feud

Archaeologists in Scotland excavating a castle on the western isles have discovered a seal matrix forged in a time of great struggle between the clan Campbell and clan MacDonald. In the early 17th-...

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