Tourist & Fairytale Castles

CastleQuest Chronicles Blog Tourist & Fairytale Castles
Aerial view of Larnach Castle surrounded by lush gardens and overlooking the Otago Peninsula and harbor in Dunedin, New Zealand.
  • 2025-04-11
  • 8 minutes read

Larnach Castle Guide: Explore New Zealand’s Only True Castle

When I was planning my trip to New Zealand, I wasn’t expecting to find a castle. Mountains, yes. Sheep, absolutely. But a full-on, turreted, Gothic-revival mansion? That caught me off guard. Then I stumbled across Larnach Castle, perched high on the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin, and I knew I had to go. This isn’t just […]

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View of Castillo San Felipe de Barajas with Colombian flag and city skyline
  • 2025-04-10
  • 7 minutes read

Castillo San Felipe de Barajas Guide: Explore Cartagena’s Indomitable Fortress

Some castles whisper history. This one roars it. Standing atop San Lázaro Hill under the searing Caribbean sun, I found myself staring up at the colossal walls of Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, the greatest military fortress ever built by the Spanish in the Americas. It’s not just a pile of stones—it’s a monument to […]

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Aerial view of Castelo de Itaipava in Brazil, a Neo-Gothic castle surrounded by lush green hills and palm trees, lit up at dusk.
  • 2025-04-07
  • 7 minutes read

Castelo de Itaipava Guide: Exploring Brazil’s Fairytale Castle

I’ll be honest: when someone first told me there was a full-on medieval-style castle sitting in the green mountains near Rio de Janeiro, I thought they were joking. Brazil has beaches, jungles, samba, and fútbol—but Gothic stone towers? It didn’t compute. But then I visited Castelo de Itaipava myself, and now I get it. It’s […]

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Fairmont Le Château Frontenac overlooking Old Quebec and the St. Lawrence River on a cloudy day
  • 2025-04-02
  • 6 minutes read

Fairmont Le Château Frontenac: A Castle Hotel That Lives Up to the Hype

I’ve seen a lot of famous places on my travels, and sometimes they don’t live up to the photos. But then there are spots that completely exceed expectations—Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is one of those. When I first laid eyes on it from the Dufferin Terrace, perched high above the St. Lawrence River, it genuinely […]

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Aerial view of Casa Loma with the Toronto skyline in the background on a clear spring day.
  • 2025-04-01
  • 8 minutes read

Casa Loma: Exploring Toronto’s Fairytale Castle

I’ll never forget my first glimpse of Casa Loma. It was early fall in Toronto. The leaves were crisp and crackling underfoot, the air had that comforting bite that whispers of the season’s change. I was simply meandering—no agenda, no destination. Then, through the thinning foliage, I saw it: turrets rising like sentinels, stone walls […]

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A panoramic view of the Alhambra palace complex in Granada, Spain, with the Sierra Nevada mountains in the background.
  • 2025-03-20
  • 23 minutes read

How to Visit the Alhambra: Expert Guide with History, Top Sights & Insider Tips

I’ll be honest—no guidebook or glossy photo ever prepared me for the moment I first set eyes on the Alhambra. You hear about its palaces and gardens, the intricate tilework and ancient legends. But stepping out onto the hill above Granada, watching the morning sun hit those honey-colored walls, it just feels… different. The air […]

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Aerial view of Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany, surrounded by lush green fields and forests on a sunny day.
  • 2025-03-16
  • 16 minutes read

Neuschwanstein Castle: A Guide to Bavaria’s Iconic Fairytale Fortress

The first time I saw Neuschwanstein Castle, it didn’t feel real. The train had just pulled into Füssen, and even from a distance, its white towers peeked through the mist like something torn from the pages of a forgotten fairytale. No matter how many postcards you’ve seen or Instagram reels you’ve scrolled through, nothing truly […]

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