castles posts
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (8 days ago)
May 17th, 2013 at 3:00PM: Lincolnshire County Council
Archaeologists excavating at Lincoln Castle have discovered the remains of an early Christian community, according to a Lincolnshire County Council press release.
The team, which was digging inside the castle to clear the way for an elevator shaft, found the remains of a church that dates back at least 1,000 years. Inside a sealed niche in the wall they found human ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (1 month ago)
Apr 16th, 2013 at 9:00AM:
England is famous for its castles. Giant fortresses such as Bamburgh Castle and Lincoln Castle attract thousands of visitors a year, but people tend to overlook the many smaller, lesser-known castles close to London. These are often as interesting as their more famous cousins and make for enjoyable day trips from London. Here are five of the best.
Hadleigh Castle
Near the town of Hadleigh ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (1 month ago)
Apr 10th, 2013 at 10:00AM:
London is one of the most popular destinations in Europe, offering loads of nightlife, dining and cultural options. It offers plenty of day trips too, the favorites being to Stonehenge and Oxford.
If you want to see England without the tourists, there are plenty of smaller towns an easy day trip from London. One of them is Hertford, where I used to live. If the name sounds familiar, that's ...
by Jonathan Kramer (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Mar 22nd, 2013 at 6:00PM:
Despite the Netherlands not quite being world renowned for their castles, Castle De Haar is a classic example of one, even complete with a moat. This shot by Dutch native Bert Kaufmann is exactly the kind that you would hope to capture yourself, where it's easy to imagine strolls along the pond and enjoying a nice coffee from inside.
Take your own great travel photos and upload them to the ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Mar 10th, 2013 at 12:00PM:
The last castle to be built in England is opening to the pubic, BBC reports.
Castle Drogo is more of a stately home than a castle, since it was built long after artillery made castles obsolete. It was started in 1910 by Julius Drewe, founder of the Home and Colonial Stores, near Exeter in Devon. World War I and the Depression slowed down construction and it wasn't completed until 1930. The ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (3 months ago)
Feb 18th, 2013 at 10:00AM:
Tallinn is a medieval wonderland. The capital of Estonia isn't on a lot of people's bucket list but anyone at all interested in history, architecture or art will love this place.
The central attraction is Old Town, a medieval walled city filled with old buildings and fortifications. The sheltered bay and the easily defended Toompea Hill made it a natural place to settle. Sometime about 1050 ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (3 months ago)
Jan 30th, 2013 at 3:00PM: Renaissance Germany was a violent place. A patchwork of different kingdoms, principalities, and baronies with constantly changing allegiances, the land was wracked with near-constant warfare.
The people in charge were some pretty rough characters. By far the roughest was Götz von Berlichingen, also known as Götz of the Iron Hand. You can also spell it "Goetz" if your browser hiccups ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (4 months ago)
Jan 21st, 2013 at 1:00PM:
I'm in a northern state of mind. Perhaps it's the hail tickity-tacking off my window, or maybe it's because Gadling is sending me to Estonia this February. That's right, I'll be freezing my butt off for your edification and entertainment.
Reading about the great Estonian castles such as Narva and Paide, I wondered which is the northernmost castle in the world. That great provider of facile ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (7 months ago)
Oct 19th, 2012 at 2:00PM: When trying to make your travels extra special, the accommodation can really make or break the ambiance of your vacation. Vacation rentals can help with this by allowing you to stay in all types of unique properties, from the bizarre and architecturally innovative to luxurious and historical castles.
While some of these properties feature rich history, others are more modern with medieval ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (8 months ago)
Sep 19th, 2012 at 5:00PM:
If you're in the market for a new home, why not think big and buy a castle? There are several for sale in Ireland and now that middle income has been defined as up to $250,000, many are within the means of the middle class.
Take Cloghan castle, shown above. It's in Banagher, County Offaly, and comes with 157 acres of woodland and riverside. The original castle was built in 1336, making it one ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (10 months ago)
Jul 3rd, 2012 at 10:00AM:
Almost a hundred years ago in southern Florida, a heartbroken man accomplished something incredible.
Edward Leedskalnin was an immigrant from Latvia. He moved to Florida in 1918 hoping to cure his tuberculosis. But it wasn't only his lungs that were sick; his heart was sick too. When he was 26 back in Latvia, so the story goes, he had been engaged to Agnes Scuffs, ten years his junior. His ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (11 months ago)
Jun 25th, 2012 at 1:00PM:
Kelburn Castle isn't your typical 13th century Scottish castle and aristocratic estate. It's an example of some of the best street art in the world.
As you can see, it's pretty trippy, the product of a group of Brazilian street artists in 2007. It was allowed by the local council on the understanding that it would be up for no more than three years. Generally, there are strict rules in the UK ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (11 months ago)
Jun 9th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
Today the Olympic torch is crossing Loch Ness by boat. While locals are hoping for Nessie to make an appearance, one attraction will definitely be on view: the spectacular Urquhart Castle.
This castle sits on Strone Point, a headland jutting out into the loch. It's unclear when the castle was built. It was certainly there by the 13th century but there may have been a fort there as far back as ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (11 months ago)
Jun 6th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
The upheaval in Syria has been going on for more than a year now, and in that time thousands of people have been killed, including many civilians and children. Syria's many ancient sites are also getting damaged. Previously, we've talked about how the Syrian army has shelled the ancient city of Palmyra and the Crusader castle Crac des Chevaliers. Both of these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, of ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Apr 24th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
One of England's most besieged castles has turned the ripe old age of 1000 this year.
A new exhibition at Carlisle Castle in Carlisle, England, tells its thousand-year history. Well, approximately a thousand years, since nobody actually knows when the first castle was built here. Like with many great English castles, it got its start with a Roman fort. This fell to ruins and was replaced in ...
by Elizabeth Seward (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Apr 19th, 2012 at 2:00PM: Nobody minds seeing photos of dreamy castles, especially if the photos are of cool cliff castles. Towering over steep slated valleys and crashing waves, Woman's Day has a great roundup of these kinds of castles on their website here. Featuring castles in Ukraine, Italy, Spain, Tibet, Yemen, USA and India, these photos are the thread with which fantasies are sewn. Knights in shining armor, damsels ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Mar 29th, 2012 at 10:00AM: Last week we reported on how thieves and vandals are destroying Britain's heritage. They've struck again. A group of thieves sneaked into the grounds of Helmsley Castle near Helmsley, Yorkshire, at night and stole the lead gutters from the visitor center.
Metal theft is a growing problem and police estimate the lead is worth about £1,000 ($1,595) as scrap.
While the castle itself ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Mar 16th, 2012 at 5:00PM: When planning a vacation, it isn't too often you hear people choosing Ghana as their must-visit destination. In reality, there are many unique and worthwhile experiences to be had in this African country. Before I visited, I was unsure what to expect, as I didn't know anyone who had ever been there. However, the friendly people, unique foods, and culturally immersive experiences made me fall in ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Mar 11th, 2012 at 11:00AM:
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra may become the latest victim of the ongoing violence in Syria, according to a Global Heritage Fund report.
Palmyra, an ancient oasis city in the desert northeast of Damascus, remained untouched by the conflict until last month, when the Syrian army moved in. According to several reports by refugees since then, units from the army have taken up ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Feb 25th, 2012 at 10:00AM: Former prisons, renovated brothels, converted convents; sometimes, you get more than just a cheap bed when choosing a hostel. In fact, with a little research you can find yourself relaxing in the same room a king once did, or dining in a kitchen where soldiers from WWII slept during the war. To help make your next trip a bit more historical, here are ten hostels from around the world with unique ...
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