Exceptional Castle Hotels, or unique Historic properties in Europe
 

A few years ago we stayed at the Castle Hotel Shoenburg in Oberwesal Germany. It was THE highlight of our France/ Germany trip for our two girls. Luxurious and unpretentious, and a real castle. Our bathroom was hidden behind the sliding bookcase!

We are in the process of starting to think about another great trip, and I am trying to come up with an equally wonderful surprise accomodation. I know this is general- but I am really looking for something extraordianary- that might appeal to two preteen girls, who love to travel.

Some destinations in mind: Italy (Rome, Sicily or anywhere in between), Hungary (near Budapest), Spain (probably northern- but open), Greece.

Please suggest interesting accomodations- that in themselves are a destination!!

There are actually websites that cobble together just this sort of thing and you can find them with a google search using exactly the same language you used to title this thread.

JP Moser is another website to look at, and certainly you want to peruse the paradores of Spain.

By the way, I remember your last thread when you trying to find something special near Rome. If you are now looking everywhere and won't be in Italy, I might suggest the parador at the Alhambra in Spain, especially if you take the girls into the Alhambra at night -- but even I would think long and hard about whether that is a great thrill for pre-teens. I might try to see if I could combine it with nearby horse riding or such.

I've never been to Stromboli, so I don't know if the set up for seeing the volcanic eruptions at night is great for pre-teens. But that's something else I would explore, maybe in combination with spending time in Capri.

Oh -- and one more thought

I notice Scotland and England are not on your list of possible destinations, and I think of them as a place that is fun for kids and filled with castle accommodations of all types.

There are a few castle hotels in Ireland, too. At last count three of them had falconry classes.

We had a wonderful stay with our kids at the Kildrummy Castle Hotel in Scotland. That was in 2001, so it has been a while so you might check reviews and such for current information. Our suite looked out over the old castle ruins, which the kids thought was pretty cool;)

JP Moser is a great site- I will have to go through it thoroughly- Thanks!

I have left Ireland/ Scotland out, because we have an Ireland trip in mind after this. DH and I have been to Ireland before (my heritage) and definitely plan to take the kids there in the future. Hoping to possibly make it an extended family trip- so waiting a while on that one.

I suggest that you check the Historic Hotels of Europe organization, a member of which is the Castle Hotel Shoenburg. Within the www.historichotelsofeurope.com you will find a choice of around 600 selected hotels in castles and mansions, a destination on their own, located in 19 european countries. From the website you will be able to see pictures of the hotels, a complete description, and contact the hotel owners directly.

My only stay in a castle hotel was in Harburg on the Romantic Road. It was quaint, charming and moderately priced. Their website seems to be in German only, but there are quite a few good reviews on Trip Advisor.

http://www.burgschenke-harburg.de/index.htm

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...d_Bavaria.html

In Obidos, Portugal the pousada is a castle, including a room available in the tower.