Castles

[Ralf]

To while the winter time away, I thought about posting a thread with pictures of castles we've seen during our motorcycle travels.

I'll start with Castle Hohenzollern in Baden-Württemberg near Stuttgart. Built initially in the 13th century, it was destroyed several times with subsequent reconstruction and was also the seat of the Prussian Hohenzollern family that ruled much of Germany over the centuries. It is currently a museum, although German nobility still lives in one of the wings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohenzollern_Castle

[Loki]

Oh yea,

we were there in 07. we actually saw the Princess. They had just opened up a new part of the lower areas, where the soldiers used to live, back in the 1700's.

Absolutely one of the "have to see" places in the world..


Thanks for the memory. Your post card shot, the last one, is my background at work..

P;

[Global Rider]

Taken in 1997 from Mirabelgarten...

Over 900 years old and featured on The Great Castles of Europe.

Hohensalzburg...




The view from the balcony of my B&B...

Burg Heimfels...

[FJR-UK]

We once made a special trip to see Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria. I got a vague shot of the base of the structure as the whole of Bavaria was socked in fog. All the rest of my shots seem to be from castles rather than of castles, like this shot of Jaen Cathedral:

[Ant]

If there is one thing we Europeans knew how to do well, it is castles

[Smurfslayer]

Ok, I'm in:

This one's a bit big for putting in stream - http://www.bighammer.net/images/Euro08/Schwangau029.jpg

Another Neuschanstein


Hohenschwangau


Interlaken (more conservative)



Hunegg (near Interlaken)


Thun is too big and my Oberhofen pictures aren't that spectacular...

From Ireland:
Slade castle



Dunbroddy abbey (the cows were fascinated by the rented GS)



Blackwater castle ( great place to stay near Cork )



Not a castle, but every bit as important:



Malahide:


Swords:


Rathfarnam:


Trim:


I've got a few more from my last summer trip at www.bighammer.net/euro08.html & on the Ireland page.

[Orson]

Castello di Baldi



Torrechiara Castle


 
Remains of a Moorish castle overlooking Sintra, Portugal.

[Daniel Kalal]

I'll add a few (always with a nearby Guzzi):

Flums


Schaffhausen


Balsthal


Sforza


Bardi


Volterra


Lugo


Castelfranco


Elzenbaum

[Gritty_Kitty]

Ohh YEAH!

I've been planning my June 09 trip of passes and castles for my wife and some of these are already on my list.

[Mr Sunshine]

We once made a special trip to see Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria. I got a vague shot of the base of the structure as the whole of Bavaria was socked in fog. All the rest of my shots seem to be from castles rather than of castles, like this shot of Jaen Cathedral:

When I was there this past summer it was a wonderful day.  I hiked up the hill in my motorcycle boots and shorts.  Yo should have seen the looks.  

[Martin Barrett]

I used to do the http://www.roundbritainrally.co.uk/ a photographic motorcycle and landmark rally. Due to my OCD a couple of nice rides outs and minor detours on the way to events rapidly turned into doing the whole lot for 05 and 06 a combinations of events: pressure from SWMBO to spend more quality time; not being able to get the time off work to go to Guzzi events and the cost has meant I've had to let it go (for now)

Some of the landmarks were castles so here they are


Carn Brea castle nr Redruth - now contains a restaurant, up a dirty track in the cloud/rain - furthest point in a day trip from Hertfordshire.


Maiden Castle - iron age earth works, same trip as above. rain had stopped but losing the light.


Holt, welsh borders, closest I could get the Guzzi to it, but shows I was there on the motorcycle so qualifies


This one I couldn't get to the actual castle.


There behind the tree


You can actually see this one


more a pele tower but it's a castle


This is more like it.

So a collection of fairly rubbish photos. Taken to serve the purpose to show the landmark, my motorcycle and the control card.
I went to lots of intresting places, learning about them whilst doing my research so I could find them, a castle is a fairly easy thing to find.
However I saw very little as just rushing about the countryside concentrating on the vanishing point, racking up huge daily mileages ie 720 around the highlands of Scotland

[Orson]

Good to hear from you Martin  

hadn't seen you online much lately and was wondering where you were

Good to see that you're still out & about  

[Ralf]

Some good pictures in this thread!

Some more:

The small moated castle Kalteneck in Holzgerlingen/Böblingen district near Stuttgart

Always thought it would be the ideal sized place for me  


My favorite castle is Predjama Castle in Slovenia, which is built into a cliff
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predjama_Castle

Located in the foothills of the Slovenian Alps and close to the Adriatic Sea

[Orson]

Oswestry, Wales



Richmond Castle, Yorkshire

[Orson]

Peel Castle, Isle of Man

[yotes65]

I must apologize for having nothing to add... posting so I may know when new items are added... A few friends & I are planning to make it over to Europe for a Bike Tour in the next 5 to 8 years... if not sooner.

[BossBob]

A few friends & I are planning to make it over to Europe for a Bike Tour in the next 5 to 8 years... if not sooner.

I'd make it sooner ........ we might not survive 5-8 years  

[Smurfslayer]

I had quite a few ... uh... hiccups on my 1st mainland outing, but will definitely be back.  Despite that accursed brand b's abs / brake failure, it was still the best trip my wife  & I have ever been on.  

Don't wait.  My only regret - not getting to Andermatt fast enough ;-)

[Daniel Kalal]

time to add a few more recent ones seen along the road...

portugal


spain



France

[notarian]

Scotland

Dunnotter Castle


Urquhart Castle


Eilean Donan Castle


Stalker Castle


Carbisdale Castle (Now a Scottish National Youth Hostel!)


Crathes Castle


Kildrummy Castle


Inverarry Castle


Ireland


Tuscany




Lazio


France

Colmar Walled Fortress


Vernon




Carcassonne

[Orson]

Fort de la Latte, Brittany:



Laugharne Castle, South Wales

[Ralf]

Nice to see this old thread revived   The weather in Germany is pretty inclement at the moment, so no current pictures, but here a couple of older ones...

Castle Hellenstein in Heidenheim


Use to live about 50 meters aways from this small castle in Deufringen


This is castle Solitude on the outskirts of Stuttgart

[yotes65]

From a Trip to Spain in March 2010, the Manzanares El Real Castle

[dtor]

[FJR-UK]

Good one! I hope they got a crenelation permit for that?...

 

[Orson]

My sucky picture of Eilean Donan Castle. Not as nice as the Eilean Donan pictures on the previous page but, bonus points for Guzzi content  

[dtor]

Good one! I hope they got a crenelation permit for that?...

 

Absolutely. And, it's the only castle so far where boiling oil is still handy.

[sweeney todd]

Larochette in Luxembourg from last year's tour on the old Bugly;

[FJR-UK]

Heidelberg Castle overlooking the Old Bridge (2003).

I worked in Heidelberg for 2.5 years and walked across this bridge to work each day. I recommend Heidelberg for a visit. It is very popular with tourists, yet still a proper, working German university town. Interesting places nearby to visit and a beautiful location in the Neckar Valley. Excellent restaurants and brew pubs.

[notarian]

Heidelberg Castle overlooking the Old Bridge (2003).

I worked in Heidelberg for 2.5 years and walked across this bridge to work each day. I recommend Heidelberg for a visit. It is very popular with tourists, yet still a proper, working German university town. Interesting places nearby to visit and a beautiful location in the Neckar Valley. Excellent restaurants and brew pubs.

What a brilliant town. Stunning.

[Orson]

Staying in Germany...Cochem on the Mosel River

[Ralf]

Castle Hochosterwitz in Kärnten, Austria yesterday



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hochosterwitz_Castle

[Papa Lazarou]

Caernafon, North Wales. Excuse the thumb.


Beaumaris, Anglesey-possibly the most technically advanced (and expensive) castle ever built:

[bubba zanetti]

Fort de la Latte, Brittany:

Famous also for being used as Aella's Castle in the final scenes of the Kirk Douglas epic ... "The Vikings"

[Orson]

Famous also for being used as Aella's Castle in the final scenes of the Kirk Douglas epic ... "The Vikings"

 

That's how I learned about it   I saw the movie then looked up the location on IMD

[zzrwood]

Here's the story - our first time on a motorcycle in Europe (2007 - shipped our bike from Australia).  We had pre-booked a hotel room for one of our first nights (early May) in the town of Bouillon in the Ardennes.

The room was old, but comfortable enough, and this was the view out the window in the afternoon:



and then when it got dark:



Bloody magical!

Cheers from Oz

[throttlemeister]

Bratislava Castle, Hungary


Castle Dracula, Romania


Unknown castle, Croatia


Castle Bourscheid, Luxembourg


Toll Castle, Germany


Castle Cochem, Germany

[Daniel Kalal]

Cilgerran Castle (Wales)


Forte di Bard in the Valle d'Aosta, Italy

[Papa Lazarou]

Cilgerran Castle (Wales)

Feck me-a late Welsh castle actually built by the Welsh! A friend of mine did the archaelogical dig on Cilgerran. Fascinating place.

[DrD]

Dilapidated castle north of Florence, IT (as opposed to Florence, SC)

[Daniel Kalal]

Fort de Parciola, Vivario Corsica.


Castello di Serravalle above Bosa, Sardinia

[spnorm]

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