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Europe is a land of stories some in books, others in stone.  Nowhere is this more evident than in its castles. Sited on craggy hilltops, guarding river crossings, or hidden in forests, Europe's castles represent centuries of history, romance, and legend.  They range from medieval fortresses built for protection to lavishly ornamented palaces built to dazzle. To go to these castles is almost to enter another time, one in which knights roamed, queens plotted, and stories that now read like fairytales were once everyday life.  This guide takes a tour of Europe's most interesting castles, dividing those built for war from those built for magic. The Allure of Europe's Castles: Castles in Europe are not static monuments but living history.  Some are perfectly preserved while others lie in atmospheric ruin, their shattered walls still reiterating the stories of yesterday.  Often they were multi-functional: military fortresses, royal palaces, and displays of power and w...

  Perched atop the Bavarian Alps, appearing like a talebook fantasy, stands Neuschwanstein Castle one of the world's most identifiable and mythologized castles.  With its spire-form towers, mist-shrouded setting, and fortress-like vistas of lakes and forests, Neuschwanstein appears to have been born from a fantasy or dream.  And in very real terms, it was.  The castle is as much a work of architecture as it is a reflection of the inner existence of its enigmatic designer Bavarian King Ludwig II. Most commonly known as the "Fairytale King," Ludwig was a man of artistic vision and personal isolation perhaps mad.  Neuschwanstein was his most complicated project, an operatic fantasy fable more driven by legend and opera than politics or prudence.  Today a breathtaking fortress attracting over 1.4 million visitors annually, it is a reminder of what human imagination can achieve as well as of that fine line between genius and madness. Here we examine the fascinat...