Fun castles for kids

The Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria was apparently Walt Disney's inspiration for his Cinderella Castles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle

I've never been there - but I'm sure you'll find someone here who has.

Yes Neuschwanstein for sure - surprise at every turn on the tour. In Fussen, Germany and an easy day trip from Munich or a great smaller town with lots of cozy guest house accommodations.

One castle that i took my then 10-yr old son to and that he loved was Carcassonne in southern France - it is an awesome looking citadel of high ramparts circling the whole Cite Medieval. The fortress of your dreams (though not really an individual stand-alone castle) - we walked thru the moats, etc.

Wow, you're fast! Wonderful suggestions!

Hi DD,

Frederiksborg Slot
(http://wictor.dk/wictor/frederiksborg/frbSlotGB.html)

Linderhoff
(http://www.schloesser-bayern.de/englisch/palace/uebers/linderho.htm)

Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau
(http://www.schwangau.de/hohenschwangau-castle-627.html)

Beynac and Castelnaud
(http://www.casteland.com/puk/castle/aquitaine/dordogne/beynac/beynac.htm

Cardiff Castle
(http://www.cardiffcastle.com/)

Balmoral
(http://www.balmoralcastle.com/)

Blenheim
(http://www.blenheimpalace.com/)

In the UK, with kids in mind, I would add Warwick Castle, warwick-castle.co.uk

Neuschwanstein is the cutsyest - but is only about 150 yers old.

For a real castle - with an authentic dungeone and everything else you could want - Warwick in the UK is best. Also - Edinburgh Castle is fantastic - and old/authentic.

It really depends on if you're looking for fairy tales or history.

And Blenheim insn't a castle - it's a palace (a pleasure palace like the chateeuax of the Loire) - rather than a military fortification.

To me Windsor Castle, near London, is as dreamy looking on the outside as any castle and for kids the Doll House thing may be of interest - easy to get to by train.

For castles in England:
http://www.castlexplorer.co.uk/

We have found that we actually prefer ruins more than "restored" castles. We spent a few hours at Hever Castle only to be disappointed that so much of it was restored and remodeled by Waldorf.

So -- our two favorites that nobody ever mentions:
Portchester Castle: Perfect place for little ones to run and run and run.
Donnington: There isn't much left of this one, but it's nearby. We used to take popsicles up there in the summer and have it all to ourselves. We call it "our castle."

I really appreciate all the answers. You've given me a great starting point

Scotland has the most impressive castles IMO. Glamis looks very much like a storybook castle--also Blair, Cawdor, Brodie do not disappoint.

My daughter (7 yrs old at the time) loved the Chateau d'Usse in the Loire Valley. It is the castle that inspired Charles Perrault to write Sleeping Beauty. There are even wax figures of Sleeping Beauty and the prince up in one of the towers. I think any little girl would love this castle as well as the others in the Loire Valley.

Here is a website I found some time ago. It might provide some information.

http://www.castles.org/index.htm

My favorite castle for kids is Warwick. Your daughter would love all the scheduled children's activities.

Hi,

In addition to the other posts:

Along the Mosel by Cochem is my favorite castle, Burg Eltz.

www.burg-eltz.de

Along the Rhine, Marksburg Castle.

www.marksburg.de/english/frame.htm

In the Sud Tirol (Italy) south of Innsbruck, Churburg Castle, Castle Tirolo.

www.churburg.com

www.schlosstirol.it


Paul

We started our son's trips to Europe when he was 10, with a trip that included the Loire chateaux. We included visits to earlier and later castles, and one of his favorites was one of the oldest, Fougere, which was built as a defensive castle, rather than as a palace (chateau).

Thus, our next trip included older castles, the much older "Cathar" castles in the Languedoc (southwestern France) (1300s and earlier, I think), such as Peyrepertuse, and those in the Dordogne area of France (1400s). He liked Beynac and an older, more ruinous castle, Chateau Commarque. One thing about the older, more ruined castle, is that you can climb around on them.

On our last trip, to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, we also visited many older castles. There are a lot, especially in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Show your daughter pictures and information about the various palaces and castles, and see what interests her the most.

If you and she decide that she wants to see more Cinderalla-like castles, use the words "chateau" or "palace" in your searches. The more elaborate structures were constructed later, in the 1700s and 1800s. A term you might see that describes chateaux of this period are is "Baroque."

Once you narrow down a region to visit, you will find many websites devoted to castles/palaces - many people are devoted to "collecting" castle visits.

Muiderslot near Amsterdam is fun for kids. Not a fairy tale castle as per Neuschwanstein, but a real castle.

Windsor Castle also has the Queens dolls house which may appeal to a 9 year old.
A perfect, but ruined, castle is Bodiam in Sussex.

Another Scottish castle with a fairy tale aspect is Dunrobin, north of Inverness a bit. It is a bit out of the way, though

Scottish castles are the best - I have been to over 150 castles in Europe and none seem to compare! They are oozing with atmosphere and just beg to be explored. Many have exciting dungeons and torture chambers that can really appeal to kids! You don't have to line up for ages to get in and you can explore as much as you want, unlike some castles in Germany, for example.

Welsh castles are wonderful, too, like Caerphilly, Harlech, Chepstow, etc.

I live in Scotland near Aberdeen, where there is a wealth of "castles". I wouldn't want you to get the impression that many of these castles look like palaces or fortresses. Many have been lived in for hundreds of years, and as tastes in furnishings changed, so did the interiors of these castles. So many of the castles, when inside, look quite like very nice manor houses, not as you would expect a "castle" to look. However, the nicest that I like in this area is Glamis Castle, where the late Queen Mum grew up, and the ruins of Dunnotar Castle. It has an incredible view over the North Sea and a stunning history, including its own ghost in the bakery area.

Most definitely Warwick Castle, an easy trip from London (but what isn't in England) and very well preserved and presented.

I agree with Linda_Hoagland, Scotland has some great castles ranging from cliff top ruins (eg Tantallon)to really great places like Dunrobin Castle which has an entrance way like Hogwarts school from Harry Potter films. Dunrobin also has falconry displays with owls so it really is a bit like something from Harry Potter.

We did a Scotland Tour a few years ago and our favourites were Castle Fraser near Aberdeen, Dunrobin north of Inverness, Doune Castle near Stirling (lots of corridors and spiral stairs for the kids to explore) and Traquair House near Peebles because it has a great sense of unspoilt history.

The website that we found most useful was www.secret-scotland.com and we followed one of their itineraries for a tour route.

The Loire Valley in France also has some great chateaus, but they are usually empty of furniture and don't have the dungeons, spiral staircases and canons that appeal to kids. If going to France, I'd suggest Chenonceau. Its the one that stands on arches above a lake.

The best castle is Neuschwanstein and there are two more in the nearby areas - Lindenhof and Herrnchemsee(? spelling). Also it is a beautiful area near the Alps.

A half-day drive from Neuschwanstein will get you to Bolzano (Italy), where you can visit nearby Runkelstein Castle.

It is more ruins than restored, but it is very climbable-around-in and the walls are covered with frescos from the Tristan and Isolde story (think Guenivere and Lancelot). You could also visit the Bolzano museum where the Iceman is housed -- the Bronze-age man found frozen in a glacier a some years ago.

Just to add to capxxx... on the way to Bolzano and Runkelstein Castle, there's Reifenstein Castle, right outside Sterzing/Vipetino. You need 4 people or the lady who lives there won't give you the tour (didn't let us.) It's right off the autostrada.

Paul

I would look at North Wales: Caernarfon, Conwy and Harlech are close to each other and amazing. Lots of ruins, to climb on, in the vicinity too, Rhuddlan and Denbigh. In France check out the Loire. A favourite is Chateau de Saint Paterne that you can stay at and there are LOTS of fairy tale castles to visit close by and you eat well too. Forget Warwick in England- too touristy. Neuschwanstein is in a class of its own but depends on what else you want to do. Scotland has a wealth of real castles too.

Before this list gets too long, what do us frequent travelers know about the person we're trying to help?
If DD9 stand for a 9 year old girl, with fantasies of Cinderella and similar stories, and she has mom and dad in tow, then there are endless possibilities; the following could be added to the above posts:

- coastal Spain has lots of fancy fortresses associated with medieval folklore; who wouldn't like Grenada?
- not just fortified castles, but big medieval houses in old towns: like the hill-towns of Tuscany; including twisted alleys, gorgeous architecture, good restaurants, lots of toy stores, and that famous Italian ice cream
- would you be familiar with the BMG Classical Kids music + story series? After listening to Vivaldi's Mystery Tour you've got to take her to Venice; or Mozart's Magic Fantasy + Salzburg
- why not try some Greek mythological fantasies, combined with walking the twisted alleys of Athens' Plaka district (with stray cats and dogs everywhere), Santorini's volcano rim, or one of the many medieval castles on the islands (in between going to the beaches); your daughter may love one of the many tiny chapels, especially if she finds one bearing her name
- switch from Cinderella to Romeo and Juliet, and head for Verona
- after a few Shirley Temple oldies, or The Sound of Music, why not look for the real stuff in the Austrian Alps?
- if she likes scary torture stuff, then try The Tower of London, or Dracula's Castle in Transylvania
- if biblical stories are in, then Rome's Vatican and catacombs, or the cave dwellings of Matera in southern Italy; or retrace the adventures in "The Da Vinci Code"
- any chance that she has read the French historical adventure stories of Jules Verne or Alexandre Dumas?
- finally, she may be happiest going to Legoland in Holland, or to Niki de Saint Phalle's Tarot Garden in Tuscany

I like a lot of the suggestions here but if you want to see what you'll be viewing go to my web site at
www.ilovecastels.com

I have personally visited almost every castle listed and they are marvelous. Loire Valley castles in France are the Fairy Tale castles you speak of and Germany has quite a few.
Take a look around my site and if you think you'd like to take in England instead you can check out my blog for extensive information on North England:
http://castlelady.spaces.live.com
The Castle Lady ; )

Sorry. A typo

it's
www.ilovecastles.com

It pains me to say anything nice about the land of leeks and sheep, but Wales has by far the best castles.

The places mentioned in the UK are great for kids -- Warwick, for example, but I would also include places like Hampton Court Palace as well. Scotland has many beautiful castles and ruins of castles which could be good depending on the age of the kids. Some of the maps you get have icons for castle locations and it's fun to plan itineraries around castle itineraries.

Hampton Court for sure! Kids would love the Tudor kitchen, the haunted gallery, etc.

Schloss Waldeck would be an excellent choice - they offer an evening tour including the witches dungeon. Just the right amount of spookiness for kids - and the parents will be rewarded with a schnapps after the tour.

BTW, Schloss Waldeck is an excellent hotel with pool etc.