The 200-room castle, which was the setting for series and films and the first with electricity

Castles atop a mountain (or small hill) overlooking a valley; castles surrounded by water; preserved, restored buildings that contain tapestries, furniture, and weapons; and others in ruins that hold only stories.

A trip to Europe is a great opportunity to visit castles and palaces and delve into a past of nobility, wars, fiefdoms, legends, and royalty. Some castles are incredibly famous, like those in the Loire Valley (France) or Neuschwanstein near Füssen, Germany , which looks like a fairy tale setting and is said to have inspired the castle in one of Disney's theme parks .

Here, I propose a tour of a small selection of European castles , perhaps not as famous as those mentioned, but with the charm of being a reminder of bygone times . Each of you can add your favorite, one that fascinated you, or one you hope to visit.

The Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille family, owners and residents of the castle, open its doors to visitors to explore its nooks and crannies and enjoy the gardens and children's play areas, as well as the museums.

Egeskov is a castle that is almost 500 years old, but it is “living” .

“During the day, the castle is open to visitors to learn about and experience the history of the place. But at night, the doors to the family's private chambers open, and the entire castle becomes their home,” explain Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille and Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, the owners. They offer a welcoming message on the official website, emphasizing that the castle is a place in constant evolution.

Several noble and powerful Danish clans inhabited this site, which originally served as a manor house. The castle was built by Frands Brockenhuus in 1554 in the middle of a small lake with defensive purposes —as evidenced by its outer wall, loopholes, and loopholes—but today it reveals a more idyllic and friendly side.

As for its name, Egeskov means “oak forest” in Danish: it was the wood used for the large beams that support it.

Henrik Bille acquired it in 1784 and it has been in the Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille family for 100 years. Opening the gardens to visitors began in 1960, when they were open to visitors.

The museums feature engaging exhibits on camping, classic cars, firefighters, art, and even an incredible dollhouse (Titania's Palace), among other things.

Less than five kilometers from the village of Loarre and at an altitude of 1,071 meters, this castle is considered the best-preserved Romanesque fortress in Europe . It is a National Monument.

Built at the end of the 11th century , it was an essential and strategic piece for King Sancho III the Great in the Christian reconquest of this Flat or Flat Land from the Muslims.

In more contemporary times, it served as the setting for documentaries, series such as El Ministerio del Tiempo, and films such as Ridley Scott's Crusade, starring Orlando Bloom.

During your visit, you should pay attention to its imposing wall and towers—including the watchtower—a small chapel, the crypt of Santa Quiteria (at the entrance), and the church of San Pedro with its dome.

“I extend a warm welcome to Dunrobin Castle, the home of my ancestors for over seven hundred years . I am proud that people from all over the world visit us and I enjoy sharing this magnificent castle and gardens.” Signed by Lord Sutherland, this is the first thing you read on the official website of this 189-room castle, which also boasts several “titles”: the northernmost mansion in Scotland, the largest in the Northern Highlands, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited houses in Great Britain.

North of the villages of Golspie and Dornoch, overlooking the Moray Firth , the oldest part of the castle dates from 1275. The Versailles-inspired gardens were designed by the architect Sir Charles Barry, who was commissioned in 1845 to remodel the castle.

The visit includes a museum—with collections such as ethnographic pieces from different parts of the world and a section dedicated to geology—in what was originally the summer residence.

It is worth knowing that during the First World War, the castle was a naval hospital and from 1965 to 1972 it served as a boarding school for boys.

It was built at the initiative of Romania's first king, Carol I , as a summer residence in Sinaia. The foundation stone laying ceremony for the residence was a celebration in August 1875. With its own power plant, it is claimed to be the first castle in Europe with electricity and an elevator.

It was a royal residence until 1947. It was then nationalized and began operating as a museum, undergoing several ups and downs. While the castle is now owned by the royal family (Margaret of Romania), it is managed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

Visitors can enjoy the castle's beautiful gardens and exterior (free) and also explore its halls and rooms (admission is subject to an entrance fee). The collections include furniture, musical instruments, glassware, weapons, ceramics, textiles, paintings, and more.

It has everything you'd want in a medieval fortress : towers and walls, moats, and drawbridges. Located in the province of Utrecht, a 45-minute drive from Amsterdam, Kasteel de Haar is the largest and most luxurious castle in the Netherlands.

Its history began in the 13th century with the construction of the medieval De Haar house. In the 15th century it passed into the hands of the van Zuylen family, but after years of wars and other complications, it fell into ruins until the end of the 19th century, when Baron Etienne van Zuylen van Nijevelt and his wife Hélène de Rothschild decided to rebuild it with the architect Pierre Cuypers , known for his designs for the Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Central Station.

The result of a project that began in 1892 and spanned 20 years was a luxurious castle for its time, with 200 rooms and nearly 30 bathrooms, running water, central heating, electricity, a Turkish bath, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and even an elevator.

The family used to invite noble and wealthy friends , something that Thierry - Etienne's grandson - took up again in the 20th century, turning it into a meeting place for figures such as Coco Chanel, Maria Callas, Brigitte Bardot, Roger Moore and Yves Saint Laurent.

Since 2000, the castle has been in the hands of the Kasteel de Haar Foundation, which oversees its preservation. The family has the right to stay here for a month, in September , as a tribute to those legendary encounters between Thierry (who died in 2011) and his ancestors.

Within the group of Royal Palaces of Sweden, Gripsholm Castle is 500 years old and is located 70 km from Stockholm , near the Hjorthagen nature reserve and next to the village of Mariefred (with less than 4,000 inhabitants).

Built in the 16th century by order of King Gustav Vasa as part of a new system of defenses , the name comes from a medieval figure, Bo Jonsson Grip, who built the first castle a few centuries earlier.

Gripsholm still preserves historic rooms , including Duke Charles's chamber, the most famous. Not to be missed is the Gustav III Theatre, located in one of the castle's Renaissance round towers and considered "one of the best-preserved 18th-century theatres in Europe." The Swedish State Portrait Collection and its various rooms showcase Swedish interior design from the 16th to the 19th centuries, with furniture and decorative art.

It usually has a schedule of concerts and temporary exhibitions such as “Hans Hammarskiöld 100 Years,” about one of the most renowned Swedish photographers of the second half of the 20th century.

The ancient fortified castle is 950 years old, located 40 km from Salzburg , and stands on a rock overlooking the town of Werfen and the Salzach River valley.

The first fortification dates back to 1075–1078 and was built by order of Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg. Over the centuries, it was destroyed and rebuilt , and used as a hunting lodge, a royal residence, a Nazi training site, and a gendarmerie school.

It has been a tourist attraction since 1987 , and today the opportunity to tour the castle, visit the tavern and shop, and enjoy falcon flights and an exciting program of activities.

A World Heritage Site, it stands on a hill less than 20 km from Andria, in the Alta Murgia National Park in southern Italy. This 13th-century medieval fortress is one of the icons of Puglia (Apulia, on the Adriatic).

Its construction, starting in 1240, was promoted by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily, a very cultured man who loved mathematics, poetry, astronomy and philosophy.

The castle stands out for its octagonal layout , its geometric and mathematical rigor, the combination of a variety of stylistic elements and its location, which is designed for the effects of light and shadow depending on the time of year.