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Malbork castle (German: Marienburg) is a masterpiece of late medieval defensive and residential architecture. The castle dates from mid-1270s, and in 1309 it became the seat of Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights. The castle consists of a triple defensive complex: the High Castle (monastery), the Middle Castle (the administrative centre...
The castle of Eutin was founded in the 12th century and became residence of the sovereign bishops of the city of Lübeck. After a fire in 1689 the castle was rebuilt by baroquisations, this culminated by the foundation of a magnificent baroque park. In 1773/74 the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf became Duke of Oldenburg an Delmenhorst...
With the surrounding parks and gardens, the natural landscape and its artistic and architectural riches the palace on an island presents itself as the largest and most important site in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The visitor can`t resist its multiplicity of towers and turrets and its many faceted facades. It`s architecturally one of the most...
In 1772-1776 Duke Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin built the new palace as the centre piece of the late baroque townscape of Ludwigslust and as his main residence. In the year 1837 the palace became a hunting lodge and summer residence. The original furnishings include fire places, mirrors and supraportas, parquet floors and chandeliers,...
The Güstrow Palace ist the most important renaissance palace in North Germany. Ulrich, Duke of Mecklenburg, caused a lordly residence to be built from 1558 onwards to replace a medieval castle. The architect succeeded in creating a synthesis of Italian, French and German architectural styles, which was unique for the period and the...
Throughout most of the medieval times, Vordingborg was both the most important castle and the preferred residence of the Danish Kings. It was from here the fleet of King Valdemar I (the Great) sailed out to christen and conquer the Slavonian tribes in North Germany in the second part of the 12th Century. It was also from Vordingborg his...
King Christian IV built Rosenborg in 1606-34 to serve as his personal summer castle. He even designed much of this Dutch Renaissance style castle himself. The next three generations of kings, until 1710, lived in Rosenborg but, from then on, Rosenborg was used only for occasional visits and certain official functions of the royal family....
Koldinghus was built in he middle of the 13th century. The oldest existing building is the north wing, dating from the 1440'es, and in the 1470'es King Christian I added the west wing. In the 1540'es and 1550'es Christian III had the medieval fortifications dismantled, and he built new wings to the south and east. About 1600, King...
Kronborg Castle, originally built in 1574-85, is one of northern Europe's most important Renaissance castles. Known all over the world from Shakespeare's Hamlet, it is also the most famous castle in Denmark and is visited each year by about 200,000 people. Frederik II's Kronborg is both an elegant Renaissance castle and a monumental...
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The history of Sønderborg Castle dates back to 1170 when it formed a part of Denmark's defence against the threatening attacks of the Wends. During the Middle Ages it was extended to a citadel while its ownership alternated between the Danish kings and the dukes of Schleswig. Much later, in 1532-1549 the castle's quarters were used to...
Nyborg Castle is a royal castle established late in the 12th Century. Together with Tårnborg and Sprogø Nyborg Castle constituted the fortification of Storebælt. Around 1200 a ring wall was erected. Prior to 1250 a Palatium in two storeys was erected against the western wall for ceremonial duties and assemblies Danehof. About 1400 another...
Skokloster is one of world?s best conserved 17th century castles. It took a quarter of century to build it but it was considered almost as a dwelling. The most important function of the castle was to show the power and success of the field Marshall Carl Gustav Wrangel at the time when Sweden was a superpower in Europe. The field Marshall...
Kastelholm was mentioned in the historical sources for the first time in 1388 by the name "Kastelholms hus" (the house of the castle island). The castle was originally founded on a small island and at that time it consisted of three parts which were residential part, the small bailey and the guard tower. These were all surrounded by a...
The Swedes built the Turku castle in 1280s in order to establish their rule in the Finnish region. First it was a fortified camp, but after the siege of Albrecht of Mecklenburg in the end of 1360s it went through remarkable enlargements and became more palacelike. The castles first period of prosperity was in the beginning of 15th ...
Suomenlinna is one of the largest sea fortresses in the world, located off Helsinki shore. The construction works begun in 1748 for a bastion fortress on six islands. The fortress had a garrison town with barracks and residential buildings and a naval base with a dry dock. In 1808 Suomenlinna surrendered to Russia and was turned into a...
Olavinlinna was founded in 1475 by Erik Axelsson Tott. The castle served to repel attacks from the east and to guarantee control of the Savo region for the Swedish Crown. The medieval castle consisted of a main castle with three towers and a bailey with an encircling wall reinforced by two more towers. The castle went through numerous...