An island castle, aka insular castle, is a kind of water castle. During middle ages, island castles were built on an artificial or a natural island so that it would be unnecessary to build artificial defences. However, the ones built on lakes were easily captured in winter when the lake was frozen due to their poorly built fortification.
Mont Saint Michel in Normandy, France
The Abbey on the island was built by Richard II, Duke of Normandy in the 11th century as a Romanesque church. Due to the weight of the building, several underground crypts and chapels had to be built, as well. The structure was reinforced and the main façade of the church was built in the 12th century. However, the Mount was besieged and the village was set on fire in 1204. Due to the great damage, Philip II, the King of France, offered Abbot Jordan a grant for the reconstruction of the abbey in Gothic style. Nevertheles, the abbey is seen as a Romanesque structure today.
Burg Vischering in Lüdinghausen, Germany
Guizhou Castle in China
Guizhou Castle is actually an hotel in China that you can get a room for a reasonable price. It was established on Wanfeng Lake in 2011, and it is often resembled to the Neuschwanstein Castle which inspired Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World.
Boldt Castle in New York
Boldt Castle is one of the largest private homes in the United States. It was built by George Boldt, the general manager of the Waldorf- Astoria Hotel, on the Heart Island between 1900-1904. After the death of Boldt’s wife, he did not return to the island. As a result, the construction stopped until 1977 when the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority bought the Island for one dollar under the agreement that the castle would be restored. Today, it is a major tourist attraction in the Thousand Islands region of the US.
Trakai Island Castle in Lithuania
Trakai Island Castle is a 14th- century stone castle that had great strategic importance in middle ages. The first castle underwent a great damage during an attack by the Teutonic Knights in the late- 14th century. During its restoration in 1409, the wings were added, and it was decorated in a style that was a mixture of Gothic and Romanesque. Additionally, three defensive towers were built in the 15th century, and one of the towers was used as a prison.
After the Battle of Grunwald, the castle lost its strategic importance, and it was turned into a residence. After the wars with Muscovy in the 17th century, the castle was largely damaged and not restored until the 19th century.
Schwerin Castle in Germany
The Schwerin Castle served as a home for the dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin for centuries. Today, parts of it are used as the residence by the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state parliament while other parts are open for tourists. The castle was built between 1845- 1857, and it is seen as one of the most significant works of Romantic Historicism in Europe. It is also referred to as the “Neuschwanstein of the North.”
Aragonese Castle in Naples, Italy
Pfalzgrafenstein Castle in Germany
Chillon Castle in Switzerland
Chillon Castle is a medieval castle occupied by the House of Savoy, and later by the Bernese between 1536- 1798. It mostly served as a military site since the Roman period until the 19th century when it was restored. Today, it is accepted as a Swiss Cultural Property of National Significance.
