Fairy Tale Travels

Our favorite fairy tales from childhood often stay with us as adults. They provide an escape to another world, one of magic, fairies, dragons, and knights. What little girl hasn’t imagined being rescued by Prince Charming and carried that dream to the altar? And how many boys dream of chivalry and jousting and bring that sense of competition into their love of sports? But fantasy is not the only thing that inspires daydreams. The Squire has found 5 castles where myths and legends come alive every day.

Bran Castle, Brasov, Romania

Vampires are more than just the latest craze on T.V., though as a result of that vampires today are all good looks and perfect teeth (even their fangs). However, the original vampire, Dracula, was the stuff of nightmares. When Bram Stoker wrote Dracula he imagined the Transylvanian prince Vlad the Impaler, who ruled from 1456-1462. Fans of the classic novel have tried to pinpoint a place where he and his brides could have resided. Bran Castle is one possibility with many connections to the ruthless prince. King Louis I built the hilltop fortress in 1388, and it has played a vital role in the history of the region ever since. The façade of the imposing fortress will give anyone goose bumps and its towers and turrets cast a spooky shadow from the hilltop. All this combined with dramatic lighting makes the castle downright scary. A thirsty Dracula might be lurking in the dungeons, you never know. If you’re not into the legend it’s worth exploring the castle’s art museum and the cultural exhibit of Romanian peasant structures at its foot.   www.bran-castle.com

Tintagel Castle, Cornwall, England

Though you won’t find a round table here, Tintagel is the stuff of Arthurian legend, literally. A 12th century historian pointed to it as the place of Arthur’s conception, and more recently, archeologists have uncovered the Artognou stone here, which could have connections to the heroic King. Some have even said that Tintagel Castle is Camelot. In the 13thcentury Richard, the Earl of Cornwall, wished to highlight the connection of the region to the legend, and decided to construct a castle in a style to match. The ruins of Richard’s fortress adorn the island nowadays, where bards tell the story of the legendary king and his knights of the round table. And even Merlin’s Cave reveals itself at low tide beneath it.

www.tintagelcastle.co.uk

Wawel Castle, Krakow, Poland

Maybe King Arthur really did exist or maybe Dracula was just a really violent ruler. We can sort of relate to those kinds of stories today. Dragons on the other hand, that’s stuff of pure myth. Or is it? As legend tells it, the founder of Krakow, aptly named Krakus, had to save his town from a fire breathing dragon that terrorized the villagers. After he defeated the beast, Krakus built a castle on top of its lair. The castle is known as Wawel Castle. To this day people visit the great caves under it, where the dragon was supposed to have lived. A dragon sculpture even breathes fire at the mouth of it. The ruins of Krakus’s castle still sit atop the hill, along with the Royal Palace that now houses a museum of art and a cathedral. www.wawel.krakow.pl

Blarney Castle, Cork, Ireland

There are no leprechauns here, so no one has found a pot of gold on the grounds of Blarney Castle in Ireland. Yet thousands of people visit every year with magic and folklore on their lips, literally. They come to kiss a stone embedded into the walls of this castle. Legend has it that Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, the castle’s builder, was facing a lawsuit and, lacking confidence, he asked Cliodhna, a goddess, to help him. She told him to kiss the first stone that caught his eye. He followed her advice and successfully pleaded his case because the stone made him eloquent. As he was finishing the castle, MacCarthy incorporated that stone into the walls of Blarney Castle. Nowadays, visitors including literary giants and great actors, lean backwards below the battlements to kiss the stone, hoping to become great orators. If such a miracle is still possible only the stone would know, and it’s definitely not telling.

Neuschwanstein Castle, Hohenschwangau, Germany

Hard as it is to believe, this castle is not in Disney park, though it looks like Sleeping Beauty’s abode. Neuschwanstein, imagined by Ludwig II of Bavaria, served as the inspiration for the structure that now towers over the park. Ludwig, inspired by Richard Wagner’s operas and medieval castles, chose the Hohenschanhau hillside as the site of his dream fortress. It was a sanctuary for the reclusive king, who spent most of his days dreaming about King Arthur’s adventures which he had encountered first in his childhood home. Ludwig let his imagination run wild and made many changes to the plans, delaying construction, and draining his budget. In the end, Ludwig only lived 172 days in a still unfinished castle, dying in 1886 before many of his plans could come to fruition. In order to pay off his debts the castle was opened to the paying public only 6 weeks after his death. Ironically, the private home that Ludwig II imagined for himself has become one of the most visited attractions in Germany.  www.neuschwanstein.de

Whether fairies, witches, or vampires exist, the stories that these great castles have inspired incite us to travel more. While visiting any of these enchanting places you may find it hard to come back to reality to discover what else their beautiful regions have to offer.