Castles, Palaces, & FortressesLists about those impossibly beautiful, enormous, impenetrable homes and military safehouses all Americans gotsta see while on vacation, because we sure don't have them here.
Updated September 23, 2021 11.8k votes 2.2k voters 171.7k views
Voting Rules
Vote up the storybook castles you'd like to call home.
British comedian Eddie Izzard once joked that all Americans think British people live in castles. That's not an unfair assessment. With its stately manors, foggy moors, and the fact that its royal family owns more than 1.4% of the country, England seems like a storybook land from a long distant era. Is it that much of a leap to imagine British folks are still practicing chivalry and luxuriating in fortified keeps?
The funny thing is, there are a surprising number of historic castles still in use today. These medieval castles are not only still standing, they remain private residences (at least in part) to families that can trace their lineage back through the centuries. One of them even ranks among the most beautiful castles in Europe.
If you ever wondered, "Are castles still used today? Like, as a house?" - check out the fantastic estates below.
Dunrobin Castle, located in Sutherland, Scotland, dates back to the 1300s, and is "one of the oldest continuously inhabited houses" in the United Kingdom.
The land the castle is built on was first acquired by Hugh, Lord of Duffus, in the 13th century. It is the largest house in the Northern Highlands (boasting 189 rooms), and is home to the Dukes of Sutherland.
Construction on Arundel Castle began in 1068, at the order of William the Conqueror. Today, it is more than 950 years old, and "one of the largest inhabited and complete castles in England." The castle, open to the public, is the principal seat of the Dukes of Norfolk.
Because work began on Inveraray Castle in the 18th century, it is technically not a medieval castle. However, it is built on the grounds of an earlier, 15th century castle that also belonged to Clan Campbell, and has been the seat of the Dukes of Argyll since the medieval era.
The Rutland family has lived on the grounds of Leicestershire's Belvoir Castle for nearly 1,000 years. The land was first gifted to the family's ancestor, Robert de Todeni, by William the Conqueror in the 11th century.
Following the Wars of the Roses, the first version of the castle was reduced to ruins by 1464. The second was destroyed in 1649, during the English Civil War. The third castle was completed in 1668, and the fourth and current castle was completed in 1832.
First constructed as a fortified stronghold in the 11th century, the Château d'Ussé is located in France above the Indre Valley, and may have inspired the tale of Sleeping Beauty.
According to the castle's website, the chateau is still used as a private residence for the Duke of Blacas and his family.
Located in what is today Wierschem, Germany, Eltz Castle has belonged to the Eltz family for more than 860 years. The land was first deeded to Rudolf von Eltz in 1157 by the Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa.
Now a popular tourist destination, the castle remains a private residence for three branches of the Eltz family: the Rodendorfs, the Rubenachs, and the Kempeniches.
