Can ' t Miss Castles
Mont Saint Michel , France Not a castle in the sense of , “ Oh , royalty lived here ,” but more of a castle in the sense of , “ Oh , this place could withstand a siege ,” Mont Saint Michel is built atop a tidal island off the coast of Normandy . It ’ s been plenty of things throughout time : A monastery ( for the first six centuries or so ), a prison ( for the French Revolution ), a lookout post ( for WWII ) and now a tourist attraction , with some of those stints lasting several centuries longer than others . Through it all , the rocky behemoth has stood unmoved , seemingly uneroded . Sitting atop the isle like a crown , the abbey is one of the primary draws for visiting . Even the most casual “ Game of Thrones ” viewer is bound to have goosebumps strolling through such immaculately preserved , historically hallowed grounds . The other primary draw ? The tide . Watching the ocean envelop the way in ( and out !) really drives home both what used to count as a security system , and what must ’ ve warranted it .
“ Sitting atop the isle like a crown , the abbey is one of the primary draws for visiting .
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Palácio da Pena , Portugal
Mont Saint Michel , France
Palácio da Pena , Portugal If there was any palace that could claim to be more whimsical than Neuschwanstein , it ’ s Pena . Once a 15th-century monastery , the estate got a serious facelift from King Ferdinand II in the 1800s ,, updating the remains of the monastery into a palace fit for , well , royalty . Combining elements of German medieval , Oriental , Portuguese Manueline and other Romantic-style architecture with a brilliant patchwork of color , the National Palace of Pena seems to answer the question , “ What if Willy Wonka had a medieval castle ?” The interiors are just as fantastic — you ’ ll find intricately carved ceilings and walls within Queen Amelia ’ s apartments , a fully furnished palace kitchen plus a stunning all-white reception room ( just to name a few of the highlights as you peruse the inside ). Weather permitting , you can stroll the terraces and gaze out at the regal grounds : Nearly 500 acres of enchanting forest , filled with cypress , magnolia , western cedarwood and scores of ferns stretched across the hilly terrain , creating a true fairytale setting .
14 · ESCAPE Fall 2024