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PHOTO GALLERY
Castle Hotels
Do you long to spend the night in an authentic castle? Check out these Dream Sleeps. Believe it or not, they come in a broad price range and include everything from a B&B to five-star luxury.
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1. Ashford Castle, in Cong, Ireland. One of the finest and most luxurious castle hotels in Ireland, this dates back to the 13th century. Public rooms are fitted with wood-coffered ceilings, Waterford chandeliers, huge Chippendale mirrors, period furniture, fine art objects, and warming fireplaces.
Photographed by Carole Terwilliger Meyers, Travels with Carole
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2. These are the stone steps leading up to Castello di Compiano, which sits on a hilltop in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It is one of many Medieval and Renaissance castles in the area located around Parma and Piacenza where people can spend the night or stop for a meal. I loved walking up the winding interior staircase to my room and looking out at views of the Taro Valley below. I also enjoyed tasting the regional delicacy, panigaccia, served in the informal restaurant within the castle walls.
Photographed by Irene S. Levine, More TIme To Travel
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3. Ask my husband where his favorite place to travel was and he will unhesitatingly reply that it was Ireland and, more specifically, Dromoland Castle. We spent a memorable Halloween there a couple of years ago and, although there were no ghosts to be seen, we truly enjoyed visiting this authentic castle which has been converted into a luxurious 5 star hotel. From the suit of armor in the front lobby to the large fireplaces and family portraits, along with wonderful dining and large, comfortable rooms and a full spa, this is the ultimate castle getaway.
Photographed by Jan Ross, Wanderlust Wonder
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4. Langley Castle is in Hexham, Northumberland, England. Though this small 14th-century castle is a delight, I was disappointed to have to stay in a “Castle View” room, number 13 no less!, which was not actually in the castle but did have a view of it. Buyer beware.
Postcard collected by Carole Terwilliger Meyers, Travels with Carole
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5. Amberley Castle in England’s West Sussex countryside is reachable via a short train ride from London. It is hopelessly romantic.
Photographed by Carole Terwilliger Meyers, Travels with Carole
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6. Schloss Rheinfels in Schlossberg, Germany dates to 1245. There is this ruins as well as a totally modern section with French-style furnishings and white walls, and the fitness room is in the former torture chamber.
Photographed by Carole Terwilliger Meyers, Travels with Carole
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7. Located deep in a forest, off the main road in Sababurg, Germany, the isolated, twin-turreted, 600-year-old Dornroschenschloss Sababurg, or Sleeping Beauty's castle, is surrounded by an impenetrable hedge of thorns added in the late 1500s to act as a corral for horses and cattle. In 1765, the castle was turned into a hunting lodge, which the Brothers Grimm frequently visited.
Photographed by Carole Terwilliger Meyers, Travels with Carole
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8. Built in 1430 , Borthwick Castle Hotel is situated in a pastoral valley in North Middleton, Midlothia, Scotland, about 12 miles south of Edinburgh. Mary Queen of Scots sought refuge here in 1567. Guest rooms include the Mary Queen of Scots room featuring a bed covered with blood-red fabric.
Photographed by Carole Terwilliger Meyers, Travels with Carole
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9. Located in Bonnyrigg, Scotland, 8 miles south of Edinburgh, Dalhousie Castle dates to the 13th-century . I loved taking a walk to the watchtower ruin and having a pre-candlelit-dinner-in-the-dungeon drink in the magnificent wood-panneled library with a bar hidden behind a false bookcase door.
Photographed by Carole Terwilliger Meyers, Travels with Carole
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10. Years ago, I stumbled on an image of a castle in ruins. A massive tree was growing up through the center of the castle–marking the passage of time since it was inhabited. Later, I discovered the castle had actually been painstakingly restored and turned into a luxury castle hotel. The result is Lough Eske Castle in County Donegal, Ireland.
Photographed by Laura and Lance Longwell, Travel Addicts
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11. When we imagine a castle hotel, Markree Castle is what comes to mind. Situated on a vast 500 acre property in Sligo, Ireland, Markree is just as it was hundreds of years ago. For 10 generations, this castle has been in the Cooper family. Today, it is still run by the family with a minimum of modifications.
Photographed by Laura and Lance Longwell, Travel Addicts
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12. Certaldo is a small medieval town in the heart of Tuscany, Italy. At the top of the hill sits the true gem of the small commune, the castle of Certaldo Alto. The rooms in the castle are all privately owned, but there are several up for rent to the fortunate few! You may even be able to get a room with your own private turret to take in the surrounding hills of Italy's famous Chianti region. Hardly an hour away from all of the major cities of the renaissance, Certaldo is a must for any Italy vacation.
Photographed by Chris Dowin, The Nomadic Lifestyle
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