St. Michael’s Mount, Cornwall

Sitting atop a tidal island of the same name, St. Michael’s Mount is a great place to visit for anyone staying at campsites in Cornwall. As you can see from the pictures, it bears more than a slight resemblance to Mont St. Michel in Normandy, France because of its remote location. However, it is linked with the coastal village of Marazion by a narrow causeway composed of granite, much like the island itself. The castle is where Lord St Levan currently resides.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Gilles Messian

Stokesay Castle, Shropshire

For anyone wanting to go camping in the uninterrupted beauty of rural Shropshire, a visit to Stokesay Castle is well worth doing. Its origins as a dairy farm go back all the way to the 12th century, and it’s has the honour of being the oldest manor house in the whole of England. If you thought that there was very little to do in Shropshire, this castle will prove you wrong.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Chris Walsh

Skipton Castle, Skipton, North Yorkshire

Within a short distance of many top campsites in the nearby Yorkshire Dales, this castle lies within the popular market town of Skipton. Built in 1090 by Norman baron Robert de Romille, it has stood for over 900 years and remains in great condition. Having been under the ownership of the Clifford family from the 14th century all the way until 1676, today it’s a popular tourist destination as well as a private residence, which can be put down to the immaculate way in which it has been maintained.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Afshin Darian

Leeds Castle, Kent

Although you’d think it was in the large Yorkshire city, Leeds Castle actually lies just to the east of the small village of Leeds in Kent. It dates back to 1119, having previously been the site of a manor house as early as the 9th century. Leeds Castle enjoys a good reputation as a local tourist attraction, which is largely down to its striking looks.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Marc Evans

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The first castle on this place was built around the year of 1280 by Count Floris to secure the mouth of the river Vecht. In 1296 the Count was kidnapped, held captive and later killed, the castle was destroyed. A new castle here was built on the ruins by Duke Albrecht in 1370. At this time Muiden Castle was used as an aristocratic residence, served also as a court and state prison.

At the beginning of the 19th century the castle fell into disrepair, and for a while it seemed like the castle will be demolished and sold out for building material. But King Willem eventually didn’t allow demolition, and the castle was restored in 1895. In the years 1948-1972 Muiden Castle underwent reconstruction, which repaired some previous inadequate treatment. Today the castle serves as a national museum and a venue of many cultural events.

Pieter Hooft Corneliszoon
The most famous inhabitant of the castle was known Dutch writer, poet and historian Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft, who lived at the castle in the years 1609-1647. He was also a Knight in the Order of Saint Michael. Hooft used to invite other well-known artists here with whom he enjoyed and worked. The interiors of the castle are just surviving from this period. At the end of the 17th century Muiden Castle was integrated into a new and enlarged earthwork fortress .

The castle is now open to the public all year round with guided tours only. From April to November it is open from monday till saturday from 10:00 till 17:00. On Sundays from 13:00 till 17:00. Then from November till April only on weekends from 13:00 till 16:00. No photography is allowed inside the castle.

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Just in 1885, the ruins of the castle has been bought by the city of Ghent and started a renovation project. Despite the criticism of people that Gravensteen Castle is not worth repairing, the reconstruction was finally completed. The newly built houses were removed and the walls and dungeon were restored to their original condition.

Currently, this monument attracts more and more tourists each year.

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Orava Castle, Slovakia by Wojsyl

The Castle itself was constructed at the site were an old wooden fort had once stood during the Mongol invasion. The old Fort unfortunately did not survive the invasion, and soon after was replaced with the Orava Castle, which stands today. And while the Castle has undergone a number of reconstructions throughout the centuries, the most extensive reconstruction occurred back in 1611.

Unfortunately, as the centuries went on the Castle eventually fell into disrepair until the early 1800s when it was burnt to the ground completely. However, thanks to the extensive efforts of the government as well as locals, another major reconstruction effort began shortly after the end of World War II.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects about the Orava Castle is that of the entrance to the Castle. There are three levels of the Castle, which includes lower, central as well as upper parts. As a result, anyone who enters the Castle will have to walk through a tunnel under which the Castle’s dungeon can clearly be seen beneath. The highest part is on a steep rocky limestone cliff 112 m above the Orava river. Middle part consists of medieval buildings – Corvinus Palace and the Palace of Ján from Dubová village. The lower castle is particularly Thurzo Palace and the castle church where some members of Thurzo family are buried, the older tower and terrace. On this terrace there was a summer theatre for several years.

Today the Castle itself serves as a Museum to not just the Castle, but also to the archaeology of the region, the history of the settlements along the Orava River as well as the nation. There are countless exhibits that can be found throughout the Castle including a regular theatre and street performers. One of the most interesting aspects about visiting the Orava Castle is that it is open in the night-time to allow visitors to have a truly enchanted experience.

The basic admission is €5 – €6 and often include also the fencing duel or several music concerts from the previous periods. If you are planning your trip to Slovakia, do not forget to visit Orava castle, you will be surprised how nice it is.

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