10 Old and Beautiful Castles Around the World

Castles are enchanting not only in their history but also architecture and grand exterior. Some of the oldest castles have been preserved as historical monuments around the world. Here are the 10 old and beautiful castles around the world, all built in various times, all in their own architectural style and with their own incredible stories.

Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England

Windsor Castle that is located in Berkshire, England is one of the official residences The Queen. Built as early as 1070 Windsor is over 13 acres and is one of world’s largest residential castles. The Windsor castle is also open to public on certain days providing tours around the grand royal residence.

Boldt Castle, Alexandria Bay, New York, USA

Boldt Castle is a beautiful century-old castle built by George C. Boldt, Waldorf Astoria Hotel proprietor, as a token of love to his wife Louise. With the sudden death of his wife in 1904 George C. Boldt has stopped the construction being struck with grief. After seven decades of abandonment the castle was acquired by Thousand Islands Bridge Authority in 1977 and has been rehabilitated ever since.

De Haar Castle, Netherlands

De Haar Castle was originally built in 1300′s by Van de Haar family and then destroyed in 15th century. Then the restoration of the castle began in 1892 and later it became the most visited castle of Netherlands.

Chambord Castle, Loire Valley, France

The royal Chateau de Chambord is one the most known castles in France. King François I has built it as his hunting lodge where he has spent only 8 months of his reign. The construction, which began in 1519 has required 1,800 workers to build the beautiful but not defensive structure.

Hunyad Castle, Hunedoara, Romania

Hunyad Castle has once belonged to Hunyadi dynasty has survived fire and neglect but was restored and renovated by modern architects in Gothic style. The castle is believed to be a prison of seven years for Vlad III of the Wallachian empire a.k.a Dracula.

Dunrobin Castle, Scotland

The Dunrobin Castle has existed since 13th century and served as a residence for Earls and Dukes of Sutherland. In 16th century some extensions have been constructed. Some rooms are now open to public including dining, breakfast, music, and drawing rooms as well as the library with over 10,000 books.

Castle of Coca, Spain

Castillo de Coca is located in province of Segovia, Spain. Built in 15th century by Don Alonso de Fonseca the Castle of Coca was planned as a residence but also had impressive defense constructions. It now belongs to the government and attracts tourists because of its historical value.

Cochem Castle, Germany

The Cochem Castle is thought to stand overlooking River Mosel since 11th century. In the period between 1307 and 1354 the castle was extended and fortified. In 1689 however the castle was occupied and destroyed during King Louis XIV invasion of Rhine and the Moselle. The castle has been renovated and rebuilt by German nobility during the 19th century. Now it is a property of the town of Cochem.

Hohen Werfen Castle, Austria

The Hohen Werfen castle is about 900 years old. It stands high about the Salzach valley. The castle is open for visitors and offers a wide range of entertainment.

Malahide Castle, Ireland

Malahide Castle is one of the oldest castles in Ireland. It has served as a residence for Talbot family since 1185 and til 1975. In period of 1649-1660 the castle was run by Miles Corbet after the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. After Cromwell’s death the castle was returned to Talbot family.

Glenbrook Residence

Glenbrook Residence is a project designed by David Jameson Architect looks very unusual and interesting. It’s polygonal structure mixes transparency and opaqueness. Made of glass and stone the house feature sharp stone overhangs, textured walls and glazed pavilions that stand out from the structure.

The residence consists of three structures that divide the public and private areas. Thus the house features interesting lines, angles, and architectural solutions. For example the two side structures look similar yet each of them has its own finish and unique features while the middle glass pavilions make an interesting core.
Each structure has its outdoor space under the overhangs while the structures are connected with the halls that link them together into one big residence. The interior is finished with wood which gives an nice warm contrast as opposed to the exterior stone finish. And the sloped ceiling adds an interesting twist to both exterior and interior view of the living area.

Seashell Busan Opera House

This seashell-shaped Opera House is a competition proposal design of a Portuguese firm OODA for the Opera House in Busan, South Korea. According to the architects the Opera House design is also bears a theme of the treble clef aptly chosen to suit the music context of the building. Yet the concept House is located at the sea shore which also blends it into the landscape as a huge seashell.

Busan Opera House design is fluid both in exterior and interior. The curved ceiling makes its way to the stage as if leading the sight of the viewers toward it. The design looks both futuristic and elegant as the curves make a beautiful silhouette while the lighting adds a futuristic touch to it.
The opera is not the only purpose for the building. It’s meant to have cafes, restaurants, shopping areas, banquet hall and exhibition rooms. The building is also designed for having natural light, cross ventilation and views. This multipurpose has a truly creative and conceptual design drawing inspiration from both music and the given landscape.
It’s also a nice contrast to the modern sky-scraping architecture with sharp lines and rectangular forms. It is bold but not overwhelming the environment or breaking the landscape.

Green 18 Kowloon East by Aedas

Aedas has designed an eco-friendly building with offices, shops and a car park. The sufficient design looks unusual and cool. Kowloon is a new generation of modern architectural design that is both contemporary and eco-friendly. The greenery wraps around the lower part of the building providing green effect and unusual look.

While the upper part looks like a modern glazed tower the car park levels are planted with lush greenery that doesn’t just look great but is also eco-friendly. Urban environment is not too welcoming for green trees, expansive lawns and gardens but this architectural solution suits not only residences but now the office buildings and hopefully other architectural projects.
The green belt of the building was designed according to the owner’s wishes and designers hope it will increase the greening effect in the neighborhood. The plants clean the air and make the building look more inviting and unique.

Indoor Gardening Ideas

Limited space capacity has provoked many creative ideas on including the greenery into ones’ life. This post will introduce you to indoor gardening design ideas, that will ultimately change the whole outlook of your inner living space.

The small capacities of our apartments force us to be careful about space arranging. However, green has always been a loyal companion in our lives. Gardening now has evolved in many different types, and styles. As we remember, there is always an option for green wall gardening, it doesn’t have to cover the whole wall, just a bit of green will significantly change the whole interior.

To underline the significance of green in your interior, it is always a good idea to use white background against it. Using a collection of small planters in your room will also add some atmosphere and depth of a grand garden in a limited space. Making use of creative planters is also an option to make a statement in your personal garden. There are tons of companies that provide this opportunity, and we have discussed some of them, such as Porcelain Planters Designs, and many other.
There is also an option of creating a green table decor, that can become a centerpiece in your interior. Like in the post about miniature water garden, this small table garden can be DIY. Succulent plants are of a great significance in this center pieces. They give your creativity a space to imagine, as you arrange the plants on a simple white dish, adding rocks, shells and even dry branches to the whole composition.
Always a great option is to use transparent planters, such as glass bowls or terrariums. Once confined to the closed pre-school science projects, terrariums are gaining their popularity very rapidly. To achieve a stupefying and dramatic effect, try clustering your transparent planters or
 even hanging them at different levels

How To Build Rock Garden

Rock garden is a great landscaping trick for a low maintenance which looks lovely and beautiful. To create a rock garden choose a sight. A slight slope can make for a great sight as it will help water run off which is very important for plants that will grow there. After choosing a sight for the future garden complete the next steps:

Choose Rocks

Gather different-sized rocks from the area or buy the necessary number of those. The bigger stones and rocks will serve as the foundation of the garden while the smaller rocks should be used to fill in the gaps between bigger rocks. Pay attention to the color and shape of the rocks, mix and coordinate various sized rocks as it will give your garden a pulled-together look.
Beautiful sculptural rocks can also stand on their own and be stylishly scattered around the garden for a picturesque view.

Choose Plants

Opt for small plants that don’t require much maintenance. Also consider the climate in the area when choosing the plants. The plants should look good in the rock garden. Consider adding some colorful flowers in order to jazz up the rocks.