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Culture

The castle voted Europe's most beautiful is in Wales

By David Owens
Conwy Castle

A castle in Wales has been voted the most beautiful in Europe.

Travel magazine Condé Nast Traveller has released a new ranking of the 26 most stunning castles in Europe, and Conwy Castle took the crown.

The stunning Welsh fortress saw off competition from castles in Lithuania, Spain, Romania, Denmark, Scotland, France, Slovenia, Ireland and Italy, to secure the top spot.

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The 21-tower medieval fortress in Conwy, is the most beautiful castle you’re going to find on the entire continent, according to the respected travel publication. It’s surrounded by high fortified walls which stretch for three-quarters of a mile, and you can walk a complete circuit around its battlements.

It was a given that Wales was going to make the top 10 of this prestigious poll given we have more castles per square mile than any other country in Europe.

Conwy Castle (Credit: WikiCommons)

According to Cadw, which works to protect the historic buildings and heritage sites of Wales: 'Conwy Castle is regarded as one of the most magnificent medieval fortresses in Europe. The castle, and its 1.3km ring of town walls, have World Heritage status.

'This remarkable fortress was built in an astonishing four-year period, between 1283 and 1287, and remains incredibly well-preserved today: it contains the most intact set of medieval royal apartments in Wales. If you have a head for heights, climb one of the castle's eight tremendous towers for breathtaking views of the harbour and the narrow streets of Conwy below.'

Conwy,Castle panorama

Of course, Wales' history has left a landscape scattered with Iron Age hill forts, Roman ruins and castles from Medieval Welsh princes and English kings. With over 600 castles, wherever you go in Wales you won't be too far from a historic site.

Go and discover the rich history on your doorstep.

Top of the turrets

1. Conwy Castle, Wales
2. Trakai Island Castle, Lithuania
3. Alcázar of Seville, Spain
4. Bran Castle, Romania
5. Egeskov Castle, Denmark
6. Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland
7. Château de Chambord, France
8. Predjama Castle, Slovenia
9. Kylemore Abbey, Ireland
10. Castel del Monte, Italy

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20 comments

Steffan ap Huw

Need to lose that chip on your shoulder, Bois bach. While we might not like what they represent, these castles are an irreplaceable part of our history. I find myself on the other end of the spectrum, and would love to see Conmwy castle linewashed as it would have originally been. What a spectacle that would make! So much better than the drab stonework we see now

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Martyn Rhys Vaughan

It's no good complaining it's a product of Edward I's conquest of Wales. We can't wish the castles out of existence. And it's not true the Welsh had no part in their construction. Someone (not me) once pointed out that the Edwardian castles were conjured out of the ground by the need to subdue the heroic Welsh resitance.

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Jonathan William Godwin

Let's destroy any Roman, Norman, Viking and Anglo-Saxon signs of conquest while we're at it as well! Most countries have evidence of conquest, it's part of human development. Where do you stop? They're part of our history, so get on with it and change current things for the better like the Puritan, blanket 20mph speed limit! What a farce that is!

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Matthew

A magnificent relic of what makes being Welsh and British so great.

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Annibendod

Wow, it takes some effort to be so deliberately blinkered.

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Owen Reynolds

Doing so well on the facts side, except the pointless 'us and them' rants ruin it. The reflected glory moments ( of which you were not involved) are silly. And the swagger-laden parts undermine all you seem to have wanted to say. Triggered by ugly human nature and getting emotionally 'keyboardy' are common to this age, but do not a positive purpose make.

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Owain

We are number 1 woooo

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John Sheldon

Need to get your facts correct. Edward the 1st was no fascist but a brilliant leader who knew that to defend this Island from Invasion he had to Conquer Scotland and Wales.

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John Sheldon

Oh and the victory at 1066 was by Vikings who had settled in France 100 years earlier. The only thing Brought over which was French was the language.

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Thorfinn

Look it took just over 400 yrs for the normans to fully subdue Wales in which time these castles changed hands and allegiance numerous times but in the end who do they belong to now? That's right,Us, Y Cymru the Welsh, you wouldnt disparage the Mona Lisa,so stop grumping and enjoy them for what they are, Works of Art,

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Marc Evans

Sadly, they are still 'owned' by the 'Crown' (as in the personol property of the English monarch).

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Marc

How the heck was Edward 'a fascist' I dont believe he was a card carrying socialist

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Marc

Wales wasn't an actual nation in those days

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Scott Thomas

Reading all the comments one would think this castle came last in a competition . What a lot of moaning about history . Its a beautiful kick ass castle to be proud of .

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The Eye

Built by an Englishman though!

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Owen Reynolds

Could Edward the 1st be considered English - Maybe; if you want to play that game. I look at royalty back then like organised criminals are viewed today. Was he in any way representative of Englishness - whatever that was back then. Did the Normans even speak English? Yes and no. A lot of his time he would have used Latin or French. and his English though fluent - would have been very different to that of the ordinary people of England. So many choose to look at history through veils of anger or boastfulness- and fail to see anything meaningful outside of an agenda of self angrandisement or to give themselves victimhood , so they can feel like they have an axe to grind. Be nice to yourself - and free yourself from feeling attached to those events: try to act autonomously of the emotions of what others did to others; and by not repeating the same low brow thinking and manipulation for gain over others, maybe perspectives of 'Us and Them' can join the historical relics of yesteryear. It's an aspect of the Golden Rule oft overlooked.

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CapM

It may have been Lloyd George who said something like the following to an Englishman who commented on how impressive the castles were - The impressive thing is not that you built them but that you had to build them.

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A Robinson

This conquest is repeatedly reminded Wales with the first born male becoming its Prince.

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Jim

Oh dam not another thing modern English people can't prevent and have nothing to do with but should be made to apologise for.....

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cookiethecat

So 'Edward the Hammer's' conquest lasted from '1283 to 1535' ...laughable nonsense.

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Replying to Marc Cancel

How the heck was Edward 'a fascist' I dont believe he was a card carrying socialist

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