Europe has lots of castles that have been converted to serve as luxury accommodation, and we’ve handpicked some of the best castle hotels for your royal and romantic trip.

England

England is the home to a number of stunningly beautiful castles, and a number of them have been successfully converted into modern day accommodation.

Swinton Park – Masham

Swinton Park was once the home to the Cunliffe-Lister family. These days, however, it serves as a luxury castle hotel with 30 bedrooms for guests to choose from.

This beautiful English castle includes everything you would expect from a castle; long corridors, huge staircases, turrets and of course big beautiful bedrooms fit for a king.

Swinton park castle is the epitome of English country living and it’s easy to see why so many tourists choose to stay here. Prices for a room start around $260 a night, which is incredibly reasonable given the high quality of the accommodation.

Swinton Park Hotel, England by Michael King

Amberley Castle – West Sussex

Amberley Castle is an incredibly old fashioned castle; however the accommodation is both modern and incredibly luxurious.

On the outside, Amberley Castle appears almost ancient. A dated portcullis guards the gateway; but be brave, step through and you’ll be greeted with incredible architecture and beautiful landscaped gardens.

Inside the castle hotel you’ll find 19 luxurious and lavish bedrooms that contain relaxing features such as whirlpool bathrooms and beautiful four poster beds. All of this luxury starts at $375 a night; which may seem expensive but the experience is worth every cent.

There are lots of other castles in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland that you may want to consider, including:

• Ashford Castle – Ireland – Prices start from $488 per night
• Ruthin Castle – Wales – Prices start from $107 per night
• Fenton Tower – Scotland – Prices start from $244 per night
• Balfour Castle – Scotland – Prices start from $320 per night

Amberley Castle, England by Steve Winton

France

Like the English, the French have a long and strong bond with their ancestral monarchy, and over the centuries a number of castles have been built throughout France.

Hôtel de la Cité – Carcassonne

The Hôtel de la Cité is a romantic castle hotel that serves Michelin-starred food accompanied with the finest wine.

This picturesque castle will have you feeling like royalty, and the castle now resides within the protected boundaries of the UNESCO heritage site.

During the day you can expect to share the grounds with tourists and daytrippers, but by night the grounds will be void of people, expect of course for you and your partner.

The Hôtel de la Cité offers some amazing views, and you can be sure that the experience of a stay at this castle hotel will be unforgettable. Prices start from $465 per night.

Hôtel de la Cité – Carcassonne, France by elPadawan

Château de Bagnols

Some people have a very visual expectation of a castle’s features, and when they visit a castle they expect the ‘whole hog’; a drawbridge with a moat, defensive towers and of course defensive arrow holes.

The Château de Bagnols is a French castle hotel that meets and even exceeds even the most picturesque perceptions of a castle. If you’re keen to avoid the contemporary design of modern hotels then you’ll fully appreciate the traditional and lavish décor of the Château de Bagnols.

Antiques and works of art are used to decorate the exquisite and luxurious 21 rooms and apartments, but these incredibly high standards come at a price, as rooms start from more than $500 per night.

Château de Bagnols, France by Corona Mejora Tu Vida

If France doesn’t take your fancy, you can also visit baltictravelcompany to have nice view of castles in Eastern Europe. Also, last but not least some of the European castle hotels appealing to you and your partner:

• Schlosshotel Igls – Austria – Prices start from $231 per night
• Castel Porrona – Italy – Prices start from $193 per night
• Burg Wernberg – Germany – Prices start from $257 per night

Author Bio: Jason Phillips is a travel writer and loves to explore different places in the world. He also works for some travel sites.

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As one of the most prestigious vineyard areas of France, Languedoc has many estates that offer a taste of the finest wines the country has to offer.

Which wine?

Many well-known grape varieties are perfectly suited to growing in the Languedoc region. The prominent red grape varieties of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are popular in the area, along with Rhone grapes like the Grenache.

The most common white grape grown in the area is Chardonnay, which is used in the most popular wine from the region – Vin de Pays d’Oc. Chardonnay grapes are also used to make the deliciously sparkling Cremant de Limoux in the same way as champagne, with a second fermentation in the bottle to trap the carbon dioxide that gives the wine its fizz.

In addition, the fortified wines produced in Languedoc are a real treat. Sweet dessert wines like the indulgent Muscat de Frontignan and Muscat de St-Jean are perfect with some of the fine charcuterie and cheeses also available in the region.

Photo of Bottle & Glass of St. Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux, France by Agne27

Which producer?

There are several wine producers in the region that allow visitors to their vineyards to see the process of wine-making in action.

Domaine O’Vineyards, now run by two American expats in France, overlooks the castle ramparts at Carcassonne and offers tours to learn about the vineyard, the grapes and wine-making. A full-day tour is offered to small groups and gives the opportunity to wander amongst the vines with a glass of the vineyard’s finest in your hand, learning about how the wine goes from vine to bottle. The owners welcome you to their own table as family and lay on a delicious lunch that best compliments the wine that they produce while answering all your questions about the production of the wine and their experiences of the local area.

Vineyard in Languedoc, France by Kafeole

Another vineyard tour run by an Anglophone is Chateau de Combebelle near Villespassans. The tour gives visitors the opportunity to walk amongst the grapes and also see the cellars where the wine is stored in vats for its maturation. Once you’ve learned more about the vines and the making of the wine, you have the opportunity to sample some of the local product and buy some bottles – or maybe even a magnum – to take home with you.

If you’d like to see a number of vineyards to compare and contrast, there are several winery tour operators that offer the chance to have a guided expedition around several in one day. Vin En Vacances and Vindage Wine Tours are two such operators that you could check out to see if they have something that takes your fancy.

Something to go with it?

Once you have your wine, it would be nice to have some food to complement the flavours of your chosen domaine. There are fantastic Saturday markets in Pezenas, Ceret, Arles and Carcassonne where you can find a fabulous array of locally grown fruit and vegetables along with fresh fish and excellent cheeses and charcuterie. It’s certainly no chore to visit any of these to find provisions to stock your villa’s larder for a week of fine dining and excellent wines.

Conclusion

Although it may not be the best known of the winery regions of France, Languedoc has a great deal to recommend it. Visit Janu Villas to select a local villa, you have excellent vineyards and fabulous fresh food on your doorstep and just waiting to be discovered.

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City of Carcassonne lies on the river Aude in the southern part of France. Carcassonne has a long history, there was oppidum already in the Iron Age, which was later transformed to the Roman city in the 1st century BC, and in the 11th century AD this Roman city was the strongest one in the county. Because the city was not controlled by church, Carcassonne soon became a haven for medieval intellectual elite.

Carcassonne was very open and tolerant city until 1659, when was conquered by the French and lost its position. Thus began the decline of the city, people left and Carcassonne deteriorated.

The medieval city centre is situated on a hill above the river. In times of decline of this old town there had grown a new town under the hill along a river.

The city centre was saved in the 19th century thanks to the reconstruction led by Viollet le Duc. This controversial architect reconstructed also Cathedral Notre Dame in Paris, which was his first work. Some people admire him for his extensive reconstructions which ensured France a lot of curious tourists that are coming here just to see his work. On the other hand, others disagree with the method of his work. Viollet le Duc just found an original fragment, and repeated it over and over again. The result is that the buildings are far away from the original form. Although the sights have typical signs, but those are not completely correct or at least not in such combination (e.g. respecting the original architect’s intent). But finally it is something unusual and tourists just love it.

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The city centre is surrounded by walls, within which you can find a church, castle, museum and a labyrinth of medieval streets with shops and restaurants.

Sweet France offers visitors lots of different attractions and sights. One of the places worth visiting is the medieval city of Carcassonne. If you are going to the south of France or you are heading for the Pyrenees, do not miss this place, because here you can really feel the Middle Ages.

Once you are around Carcassone do not miss the Canal du Midi. It is a remarkable technical monument, which connects the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The canal was built to ensure fast and safe transport of goods between ports in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. The project dates from 1662 and its author was Paul Riquet. The canal was completed in less than twenty years after approval of the project and its construction employed 120 000 workers.

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