FANTASTIC FORTRESSES

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Marksburg Castle looks over the town of Braubach, in Germany

From fairy-tale castles to impenetrable fortresses, Oonagh Turner shines a light on the mesmerising buildings that you can visit on selected river and ocean journeys with Viking

MATEUS PALACE, PORTUGAL The house and gardens of Casa de Mateus are fine examples of baroque Portuguese design and thought to be the work of Italian-born architect Nicolau Nasoni. Built in the 18th Century, the exterior is made up of the manor, the enchanting winery and the chapel. Every intricacy of the building, it’s spires and surrounding lush greenery reflect elegantly onto the garden’s pond and make for the perfect photo opportunity. Inside, the library is home to one of the first illustrated editions of Luis Vaz de Camoes’ Os Lusiadas, Portugal’s most famous poem among other fascinating finds and treasures in the wine cellar. MARKSBURG CASTLE, GERMANY A romantic 13th-century castle perched high above the sleepy Germanic town of Braubach, Marksburg stuns tourists with its magical turrets and spiralling towers. The castle’s location right on the Rhine means visitors get spectacular views as the river bends and arches its way through sprawling German countryside. Its hilltop location has proved famously impenetrable since its initial erection in 1117. A tour takes you round its Gothic hall and what was once a torture chamber. Today, the castle belongs to the German Castles Association, which carefully preserves medieval fortifications for future generations.

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above: Reichsburg Castle towers above the Moselle River, in Germany; Schönbrunn Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Austria’s most-visited tourist attractions; Mateus Palace, in Portugal, reflected in all its glory

CATHERINE PALACE, RUSSIA This spectacularly ornate Rococo palace is located south of St. Petersburg and was once the summer residence of the Tsars, who left their mark in the form of signature Rastrelli design. The palace was created under Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine the Great during the 18th Century and was named after Peter the Great’s second wife, its history pulling in tourists from far and wide. It boasts fabulous grounds, but it’s the palace’s interiors that really shine, with the Great Hall, the Arabesque Hall and the world-famous Amber Room with its decorative amber, mirror and gold leaf panels that leaves visitors dazzled.

Guests travelling on the Waterways of the Tsars journey have the opportunity to appreciate the baroque architecture of Catherine Palace.

CHRISTIANSBORG PALACE, DENMARK Located in the heart of Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, Christiansborg Palace enchants with its 12th-century opulence, royal reception rooms exhibiting precious tapestries, expansive palace grounds and public galleries. At 106 metres tall, the Palace has the highest tower in the city – narrowly topping the city hall tower – offering views of the city’s red rooftops that visitors can climb. Once home to monarchy, it is now the seat of the Danish Parliament and the house of the Queen’s Royal Reception rooms.

Take in the exceptional views over the city during an optional excursion to Christiansborg Palace on a Viking Homelands Scenic Scandinavia journey.

REICHSBURG CASTLE, GERMANY The castle that towers over the town of Cochem on the Moselle River has had a colourful history. Originally built to collect tolls from passing ships around 1100, it changed hands between various monarchies before falling victim to French troops in 1689. Standing tall but ruined for centuries, it wasn’t until the late-19th Century that a wealthy Berliner snapped it up and restored it to its former glory. Take a tour to discover the 1,000 years of varying tastes that narrate its fascinating history and enjoy the expansive views.

A visit to the ancient Reichsburg Castle is included on a cruise of the Moselle River with the Cities of Light itinerary.

SCHÖNBRUNN PALACE, AUSTRIA Once the main summer residence of the Hapsburg rulers, Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace is a magnificently important architectural monument with a heritage spanning back over 300 years. Sometimes referred to as the Austrian Palace of Versailles, it has a certain renaissance feel in its lavishness and grandeur that is reminiscent of the Parisian palace. There is an impressive 435 acres of immaculate garden, the palace itself houses around 1,000 people, and its interiors are decorated with gold, mirrors and frescoes.

Tour the magnificent home of the Hapsburg dynasty as an optional excursion whilst in Vienna during a Romantic Danube journey.

BLARNEY CASTLE, IRELAND Cork’s Blarney Castle was built nearly 600 years ago by one of Ireland’s greatest chieftans, Cormac MacCarthy and still today retains its reputation as one of Ireland’s greatest treasures and tourist attractions. At the heart of the castle is the historic Blarney stone. Legend has it that touching the Blarney Stone with your lips bestows you with the gift of eloquence. As for the grounds and gardens, Blarney has a certain aura of magic and folklore with its wishing steps and druid’s caves.

A sightseeing trip to Blarney Castle, near Cork, is an included excursion for guests on the Viking’s Northern Isles journey.

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from far left: left: Schönbrunn Christiansborg Palace, Vienna, Palace in Austria; Cochem Copenhagen Castle, Reichsburg, the façade of Germany; Catherine Palace Christiansborg in St. Petersburg Palace, Copenhagen, Denmark.

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above: Malbork Castle, in Poland, has a religious past; Hiroshima Castle in Japan

© ISTOCK PHOTOS: HIROSHIMA CASTLE, JAPAN Originally built at the turn of the 16th century by the powerful lord Mari Terumoto, Hiroshima Castle was once a hugely significant seat of power in Japan. It managed to avoid the demolition that other Japanese castles faced during the Meiji Restoration, but like the rest of Hiroshima, was destroyed by the eponymous bombing in 1945. The castle has since been rebuilt, and today stands as a stunning replica of the original, in traditional Japanese style and surrounded by colourful trees. It also houses a museum of Hiroshima’s pre-WWII history.

Experience the beauty of Hiroshima Castle during a Far Eastern Horizons journey in Asia.

MALBORK CASTLE, POLAND Sitting on the banks of the Nogat River is the impressive red-bricked fortress of Malbork Castle. The second largest castle in the world measured by land area, Malbork is a pristine example of a toweirng medieval fortress, unpassable by enemies attempting to invade it over the centuries. Construction began in the 13th Century by the Teutonic Knights – a German Catholic religious order of crusaders – and the castle remained their headquarters for almost 150 years. Today it houses a castle museum with an array of informative resources and exhibitions and visitors come from far and wide to marvel and take photographs of the castle and its exquisite reflection in the Nogat River.