AWESOME WATER CASTLES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

I find it amazing to think that one can travel around the world and visit such wonderfully preserved water castles today.

Wikipedia definition ~ A water castle (German): Wasserburg or Wasserschloss) is a castle or stately home whose site is entirely surrounded by moats or natural water bodies. Topographically water castles are a type of lowland castle.

I created the following video for you
and posted it on YouTube ~ I hope you enjoy it.

Best watched in full screen mode to appreciate the incredible photography.

The remarkable choice of sites, the remarkable French and Italian renaissance architectural style of the buildings, the remarkable artistic landscaping of the adjacent Baroque style formal gardens, and the remarkable use of surrounding water all add up to a fabulous trip back in time when these castles were a vibrant and functioning force within the various countrysides.

The stories behind the origins of various water castles are in themselves a most interesting history lesson and the photos a treasure trove of unsurpassed beauty.

Some of my favorites are:

Chambord Castle, France ~This castle was originally commissioned by Francois I, so that he could be closer to his mistress. But when the affair was over, the castle was mostly forgotten. The Chateau – with its giant hallways and ornate decorations – was picked apart and left to crumble until the Post WWII-era, when it was finally restored.

Frederiksborg Castle, Denmark ~ Frederiksborg Castle is a water castle in Hillerød on the Danish island of Zealand . It is the largest and most important building of the Northern Renaissance and today houses the Danish National Museum.

Chenonceau Castle (France) ~ Chateau Chenonceau was under the direction of Diane de Poitiers who was the king’s mistress at the time. But when the king passed away, his widow, Catherine de Medici, forced out the mistress and made the Chateau her own place of residence. During World War II, the castle served as a barrier between the German-controlled puppet government in France and the actual free world.

Trakai Island Castle (Lithuania) ~ Trakai Island Castle is exactly what its name suggests: an entire island. The castle was made with thick, brick walls, firing galleries galore and is surrounded by a series of locking gates. The castle currently serves as a prominent tourist magnet.

Mont Saint-Michel (France) ~ Mont Saint-Michel is a rocky tidal island and a commune in Normandy, France. It is located approximately one kilometre (just over half a mile) off the country’s north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches. The population of the island is 41, as of 2006. The island has been a strategic point holding fortifications since ancient times, and since the 8th century AD it became the seat of the Saint-Michel monastery, from which it draws the name.

Links ~

http://thumbpress.com/20-amazing-castles-from-around-the-world/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_castle

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