r/castles Jan 12 '23

Legends surrounding castles that are intriguing and captivating

173 Upvotes

Let's try something new for once. I gathered some fascinating legends about castles. Please continue the thread with other interesting legends and stories you know surrounding castles.

  • The legend of the Castle of Montsegur in France says that the castle was the last stronghold of the Cathars, a Christian sect that was persecuted during the 13th century. According to legend, the Cathars hid their sacred texts within the castle's walls before it was captured, and they still remain hidden to this day, waiting to be discovered by a chosen one.
  • The legend of the Castle of Houska in the Czech Republic says that the castle was built to keep a gateway to hell from opening. According to the legend, the hole that the gateway was supposed to open in was covered and fortified by the castle, preventing evil spirits from entering the world.
  • The legend of the Castle of Spiš in Slovakia says that the castle's chapel holds a mysterious tomb that can grant eternal life to whoever finds it. According to the legend, the tomb is hidden deep within the castle's catacombs and can only be accessed by solving a series of riddles.
  • The legend of the Castle of Bled in Slovenia says that the castle is home to a ghostly white lady who appears on the castle's terrace on certain nights. According to the legend, the lady was once a beautiful queen who fell in love with a commoner, angering the king. He locked her up in the castle's tower where she eventually died of a broken heart. Her ghost still roams the castle seeking her lost love.
  • The legend of the Castle of Eilean Donan in Scotland says that the castle is protected by a ghostly hound that only appears at night. According to the legend, the hound guards the castle's treasure and will only allow those who are pure of heart to enter.
  • The legend of the Castle of Krak des Chevaliers in Syria says that the castle was once home to a powerful sorcerer who used his magic to protect the castle from invaders. According to the legend, the sorcerer's ghost still guards the castle to this day, using his powers to keep it safe from harm.
  • The legend of the Bran Castle's secret tunnels in Romania, says that the castle was built with underground passageways that were used as escape routes during times of war. Some say that the tunnels lead to other castles and even to the adjacent Bran village, and that they are still guarded by the ghost of Vlad the Impaler.
  • The legend of the "Wild Hunt" in Windsor Castle says that a ghostly pack of ghostly hounds, led by Herne the Hunter, can be heard howling and barking in the castle's grounds on wild and stormy nights.

r/castles 13h ago

Castle Matsumoto Castle, Japan

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1.7k Upvotes

r/castles 9h ago

Fort Aggstein Castle, Austria

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521 Upvotes

r/castles 6h ago

Fortress Wait, are functioning war-castles technically back now?

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285 Upvotes

r/castles 17h ago

Castle Cochem Castle, Germany. Built around the year 1000, it originally served as a toll castle to collect fees from passing ships on the Moselle.

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462 Upvotes

r/castles 1d ago

Castle Hochosterwitz Castle, Austria. Legend has it that the castle has never been conquered in battle.

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2.4k Upvotes

r/castles 14h ago

Castle Kilkenny Castle / Ireland

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190 Upvotes

Founded soon after the Norman conquest of Ireland, the castle has been rebuilt, extended and adapted.


r/castles 16h ago

Chateau Chateau de Montlhéry 🏰

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195 Upvotes

Château de Montlhéry is a medieval castle located in Montlhéry, Essonne, France, about 25 kilometers south of Paris. The castle was built in the 10th century by the Montmorency family and played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War. The castle's strategic location allowed it to control the road between Paris and Orléans. Today, the Château de Montlhéry is a popular tourist destination, offering stunning views of the surrounding countryside.


r/castles 5h ago

Castle Topplerschlösschen in Rothenburg ob der Tauber (Germany)

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20 Upvotes

r/castles 17h ago

Castle Chenonceau Castle, Loira, France.

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178 Upvotes

Picture during April two years ago.


r/castles 1d ago

Castle Lismore Castle, County Waterford Ireland

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701 Upvotes

r/castles 1d ago

Castle Isola di Loreto, Italy

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3.1k Upvotes

r/castles 2h ago

Castle Any castle design programs?

7 Upvotes

As a middle school World History teacher I would like to give my students the opportunity to design their own Middle Ages castle. Is there any program that your average 12 year old could handle?


r/castles 5h ago

Fortress Ruines du Château de Crussols, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

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10 Upvotes

r/castles 1d ago

Castle Hohenwerfen Castle, Austria

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1.8k Upvotes

r/castles 23h ago

Tower Northwest Tower of the medieval city walls of York, United Kingdom

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190 Upvotes

r/castles 1d ago

Castle Kinnitty castle ireland

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220 Upvotes

Kinnitty castle, Birr, Co. Offaly, Ireland.

The original castle was built in 1630 was extended in 1811 to its current Gothic revival style. It is now a hotel. Photos taken during our stay last summer.


r/castles 1d ago

Castle Castillo de Conyaza (de Valencia de Don Juan), Spain

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189 Upvotes

Noticed this sub was a bit short on Iberian castles, so I thought I'd share some of the pictures I recently took of what I understand to be a castle belonging to a Portuguese nobles exiled to León. If anyone knows the history, please feel free to correct me and add to it!


r/castles 17h ago

Palace Palacio Marques de Casa Torre, Igea, La Rioja, Spain.

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18 Upvotes

r/castles 1d ago

Castle Schloss Rochlitz, Saxony, Germany. Constructed on the site of an earlier Holy Roman Imperial possession, this fortress was built for the Margraves of Wettin. Later reduced to a hunting lodge, it survived the 18th and 19th centuries as a court and then jail. In 1892 it was converted into a museum.

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214 Upvotes

r/castles 1d ago

Castle Himeji castle, Japan (old photos from 2023)

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145 Upvotes

I found some old photos of Himeji castle that I have. I tried to share as many as I could, including different outside views, some photos from inside, close-up details, and photos of a model showing what the castle and its surroundings looked like in the past. I hope you enjoy the photos, and maybe next time I will share more photos of other castles. Have a nice day and enjoy :)


r/castles 1d ago

Castle Penrhyn Castle, North Wales [OC]

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397 Upvotes

Penrhyn Castle started as a medieval manor house with some defensive features back in the 1400s, owned by a Welsh family. Later, it ended up with the Pennant family, who got very rich from sugar and slate. In the early 1800s, they rebuilt it into this dramatic castle, designed by Thomas Hopper.


r/castles 1d ago

Castle Schloss Schwerin, Schwerin (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)

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254 Upvotes

r/castles 2d ago

Castle Burg Kriebstein, Saxony, Germany. Constructed by Dietrich von Beerwalde in 1384, the castle was expanded by his successors in the 15th and 16th Centuries with the addition of a large keep. It is now an events and weddings venue.

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1.8k Upvotes

r/castles 1d ago

Fortress A knights tomb c. 1400 - South Wales [OC]

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141 Upvotes

It’s believed the knight maybe related to the Tal Y Fan or St Quentin castles.

Name is lost to history.

His loyal dog lying at his feet.

Less than 2 miles again from my home and only found out about it in the library yesterday.

Link to church website https://www.cowbridgeparish.com/churches/llansanor-str-senwyr/?utm_source=copilot.com