Browsing: castles

Who has not been captivated by tales of knights and dragons, of medieval feuds, battles and betrayals? Serving as the backdrop for each of these stories is a castle. Visiting a castle can provide a playground for the imagination, allowing the mind to revel in legend and lore. Walking through grand halls past suits of armor, torches and tapestries, one cannot fathom so many stories embedded in stone. More than a getaway from the stresses …

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Driving from Parma, navigating a winding mountain road to Tuscany, I came across Castello di Compiano, a medieval castle embraced by fortified walls and built atop a rocky outcrop of a mountain village. The castle’s jaw-dropping views across the Taro River and the Apennines mountains make it one of the most spectacular locations in northern Italy.

Its origins are uncertain but archaeologists claim its existence dates back to the first century. In its life Castello …

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Some of the most charming villages in Germany look like they came straight out of a storybook, with their half timber houses, walled cities, and look out towers.  Put on your walking shoes, as they are best explored on foot, and prepare to feel you like you have stepped back in time with these three picturesque villages located the south west state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany:

Maulbronn is most famous for its monastery founded in …

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Stone turrets and towers keep an eye on everything in every direction. Vine covered slopes so steep it’s hard to believe people walk between the rows. Narrow villages line the banks of the winding river. You can almost see the damsels with their flowing gowns curtseying to knights in shining armor. Fairy tales…here we come.

Follow the winding Rhine River…either on your own or enjoying a river cruise. There is not a castle, an island, …

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