| Forum: | Castles In General & Medieval History |
| Topic: | Where to Go? |
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I've toured castles in England and France and I totally LOVE doing so This fall I want to escape to one (and only one) country and castle hop My question is - what is the best country for this? Thanks in advance Personally I especially liked; also, Switzerland and France, the public transport in Switzerland being the best in the world, that in France being amongst the worst. Erik ------------------ a) We'll probably plan on staying between 9 to 14 days depending on where we are going and what is there b) We can get our own car if needed/suggested c) I do like a mixture of both - old rugged castles and the castles of the royalty / affluent (eg. Windsor, Versailles) Thanks a ton but you can also go to austria or to the czechian republic or the following states in Germany: baden-wurtemberg, bavaria, hessen, saxonia, thüringen. From my experience of not having my own transport, it would be a definite advantage for getting as much castle hunting done as possible, especially in countries like Spain, France and Italy. Please notice I use the term 'castle' loosely, as I saw the name "Versailles" mentioned. That palace is not, never has been and never will be, a castle, and should never be confused with being so. So, are you confused yet? "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain, whereas is Scotland it falls all over!" Erik The area also has the advantage of quality food at decent prices, good but very cheap wine of the Languedoc region (the red stuff that the French drink themselves). Don't get me wrong, food in Scotland is also superb, especially meat, seafood and game, but I'm afraid to get the best (and it really is the best in my view) you have to pay for it - lots! Wine choices across the UK are frequently second to none (probably an advantage of not producing the stuff ourselves - so you'll find good examples offered from around the world - not as partisan as you'll find in wine growing countries) and as for whisky... mmm! One of the key advantages of castle hunting in Scotland is that you can actually stay in a large number of them. Some are hotels, some are let as self-catering, others treat you more as a personal, and honoured house guest. Levan [This message has been edited by Levan (edited 06-16-2002).] I'm learnin' about castles, wine and weather - all of which are important when vacationing . (o:|>~ ------------------ I would also back up Levan's suggestion of the Roussillon area of France and the Cathar castles. im_in_here_for_fun Hi Levan Scotland! Merlin Switzerland! AJR Scotland is a must !! Erik Schmidt It depends on what you are looking for.
Do you like;
a) the mysterious ruins
b) rugged, but fairly intact castles
c) the opulent extravagance of the 16th century?
How much time will you have? Will you be using public transport?
Northern Italy
Spain (many rugged castles and ruins)
Turkey(Central South, around Adana is best)Gordon Scotland has all of that too Erik. The only thing we don't have is sunshine! Ask Andrew!
'Demeure par la verite'
Visit; Gordon's Scottish Castles Resource Page im_in_here_for_fun To answer your questions ipflo scotland has that both, that mix of old castles and beautiful mansions Erik Schmidt Ahh, yes Gordon, but all the countries I mentioned have a little of each type of 'castle' also. At least in Scotland you can console yourself in a warm pub with a warm beer, telling yourself that the rain on the lense hasn't spoilt every photo and the cold, wet weather is bound to clear sometime and then you'll be able to dry out your soggy shoes(or buy a pair of Wellies as a souvenier). 
To be fair though, I did get caught in a couple of heavy downpours during my last couple of weeks in Spain, at the end of October, and that's around the time the rain can set in in most of the Southern parts of Europe.
If you like opulence, then the arabs did it well, but more tastefully, and you can see the finest examples in the Topkapi palace in Istanbul and the Alhambra in Granada, Spain.
How far and wide do you intend to travel in those 9-14 days? Would you prefer to be on the move or somewhat settled? Levan Whilst Scotland would be my first choice, especially for variety and atmosphere, I'd also recommend the South of France, where the Carthar castles are delightful - the city of Carcassonne is pretty impressive and there are many other marvellous castles in the area. im_in_here_for_fun This is perfect. deborahknowles I don't know about Scotland but Northumberland (just to the south, across the border) has some of the best in my opinion. DEN I would recommend Alsace in Franch. It certainly has enough castles to keep you busy for a week or two. I think I've been to about seventeen but there are many more. You are almost guarenteed reasonable weather as much of Alsace is in the rain shadow of the Vosges mountains. When you tire of castles there are many attractive villages often with remains of the town walls and gates, not to mention the countless winemakers offering tastings of their wine. You can also visit some of the Maginot line fortifications, and Strasbourg and Colmar.
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