Today, visitors can tour Aalborghus Castle and, perhaps most interestingly, its dungeons.
Aalborghus Castle was a half-timbered castle built on the order of Lutheran King Christian III from 1539 to 1555, initially as fortification. The site had originally housed a building just south of Christian’s castle, mentioned in Aalborghus documentation dating to 1340. Owned by Margrethe I, it was also the death place of King Hans in 1513, the result of a riding accident.
Christian’s father, King Frederik I had intended to destroy the original building, moving to a new site to convert Allborg’s Franciscan monastery into a castle. However, he left the decision to Christian, who demolished the old building in 1539 and had royal architect Morten Bussert build a new fortified castle near Limfjord. The fortress soon became the seat of the King’s provincial governors in Northern Jutland, and was used later by the State County for taxes under the introduction of absolutism.
A barrier wall was constructed alongside the fjord, and later in 1633, King Christian IV built a north wing facing the port. This extension was used as a granary, storing food supplies including grain. A western wing built in similar style was used to store meats and fish.
Between 1954 and 1964, the old granaries had a full renovation by the Royal Inspector of Listed Buildings, who converted them into council offices.
Today, the castle is set within its lush green surroundings, a short wander from the harbour front. The east wing is all that is left of the original castle, and unfortunately the building’s administrative function prevents inside visits.
However, you can take a walk through the castle’s beautiful park, and on certain dates the castle’s dungeon and underground passage is open to the public, which displays a printed history of the site. Visitors can also get an appreciation for the castle’s original impressive atmosphere from the courtyard, all year round.
If travelling by public transport, Aalborghus Castle is just a 12 minute walk from Aalborg Station, on the trainlines 75, 76, IC, ICL and RE. There is a car park located a 350m walk away, heading south-east on Slotspladsen.
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Originally built around 1284, Acton Burnell Castle belonged to Robert Burnell, a powerful local landowner and close friend of the English King, Edward I. Burnell served as Chancellor of England under Edward and was also the Bishop of Bath & Wells, nearly becoming Archbishop of Canterbury on two occasions – his keeping of a long-term mistress preventing this however.
When constructed, Acton Burnell Castle had walls standing up to 40ft high, with three-storey towers at each corner. Burnell had received a royal license to fortify his manor, something reserved only for trusted members of the king’s party.
It was clearly a well-appointed residence, as witnessed by the fact that it played host to King Edward I and his retinue on several occasions.
The adjacent great barn at Acton Burnell Castle was even used to host two meetings of the English Parliament, one of which in 1283 was the first ever law-making process to include the Commons. The law passed there regarding the protection of creditors became known as the Statute of Acton Burnell.
Today, Acton Burnell Castle lies in ruins, having been slowly abandoned through the Middle Ages and finally replaced altogether by the nearby 19th century Acton Burnell Hall.
The site is now operated by English Heritage and is open to the public, providing an intriguing walk amongst its once-grand structure. All four of its walls remain intact with doorways and stonework detailing found, and information boards around the site tell its eminent history. The nearby St Mary’s Church also dates back to the 13th century and is well worth a visit!
Acton Burnell Castle is situated in Shrewsbury off the A49, and there is a small free carpark at the site. From the carpark, the castle is a short walk through a wooded area. The nearest train station is Church Stretton, a 20-minute drive, or Shrewsbury a 25-minute drive, while the 540 bus stops at the Post Office Stop, a 5-minute walk away.
]]>The earliest building at this location belonged to the count of Fonnollède since 1021. In the 13th century, the keep that had replaced earlier buildings was bequeathed by the viscounts of Carcassonne to their vassal, the Termes.
In 1210, it was invaded and occupied by Simon de Montfort, whose soldiers took and held the owner Raymond de Termes in a dark dungeon in the Carcassonne. Militarily, the castle lay dormant for the next 30 years, until Raymond’s son Oliver de Termes took back the castle in the brief revolt against the crusaders. Aguilar became the refuge of many faydits, Cathar knights and lords without strongholds. In 1246, a royal garrison was installed to supervise the Aragon frontier.
Olivier, however, eventually made an alliance with king Louis IX, who purchased the castle from him in 1260. Despite the heavy fortifications, the castle would be continually under siege by opposers to the French or Spanish rulers until the 16th century.
When the border was pushed back to the south of Roussillon by the treaty of the Pyrenées, the castle gradually lost its strategic importance, and was eventually abandoned in 1569. Today it is in decrepit condition. Since 1949, it has been listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.
The castle consists of an inner keep built in the 12th century, surrounded by an outer pentagonal fortification from the 13th century. This fortification is oriented such that its point guards the side most favourable to attackers. The keep and the inner hexagonal fortification is flanked at each corner with semi-circular guard towers, each equipped with archery outlooks.
There is a small underground chapel of Saint-Anne below the keep.
Aguilar Castle is located on the town of Tuchan, in the Aude, 35 km north-east of Perpignan and 30 km west of the Mediterranean coast.
The castle is open from the middle of April to the end of October, admission price 3.50 euros for adults and 1.50 euros for children up to 15 years old.
]]>A grand medieval castle commissioned by Saladin and built by his nephew Izz al-Din Usama, Ajlun Castle was a fortress designed to strike fear in the hearts of the Franks.
While the crusaders in Levant played cat and mouse with the great Saladin, his generals were preparing for warfare on their own terms – a war that would see the Franks destroyed at the battle of Hattin several years later in 1187. Arab military fortifications were strengthened as the years went by and Saladin worked hard to unite the Muslim forces.
An imposing stronghold, complete with moat, drawbridge and towers, Ajlun, itself, was built in 1184 but lost much of its military significance after the fall of Karak – a crusader strong hold in the South of Jordan. However, the castle continued to guard important trade routes into Syria and was consequently never allowed to fall into disuse – serving primarily as an administrative centre under Ayyubid and later Mamluk control.
Ajlun would even feature heavily during the wars between the Mongols and the Mamluk empire. The castle was occupied and severely damaged by the Mongol invaders before being reclaimed by the Mameluk Sultan Baibars after the Mongol defeat at the iconic battle of Ayn Jalut; where the remarkable Mongol advance would finally be turned back.
Later, after the Ottomans established their rule in the area, Ajlun Castle would continue its administrative role which lasted right up until the 19th century, when severe damage from an earthquake led to its abandonment.
Today, a visit to Ajlun Castle will immerse visitors into the culture of siege warfare and take them back in time to one of the most destructive periods in the region’s history. The site also holds the remarkable Ajlun Archeological Museum, housed inside the castle, offering fine examples of pottery and ceramics as well as other displays and artefacts from the region.
While spectacular views of Jordan are a feature of your visit, visitors can also experience the local wildlife in the nearby Ajlun Nature Reserve.
Ajloun Castle is situated right on top of Mount ‘Auf also known as Jabal Auf. The castle towers above the historic town of Ajloun and is only 20 minutes from the Ajloun Forest Reserve – a beautifully conserved nature reserve with an array of wildlife.
Ajloun Castle is approximately 50 kilometers from the city of Amman which takes around one and a half hours by car. The city of Jerash is just a forty minute journey away via a picturesque route of olive groves and woodland.
]]>Now fully restored, Akershus Fortress is both a popular tourist attraction and a site used for official government and state functions.
Also known as Akershus Castle (Akershus Slott), it was begun in 1299 under King Hakon V to replace Tønsberg as one of Norway’s most important castles. Hakon had Akershus Fortress built in response to earlier attacks on Oslo by a Norwegian nobleman, Earl Alv Erlingsson of Sarpsborg. After the attack, it was clear Oslo needed a stronger defensive heart.
The fortress first saw battle in 1308 when the Swedish attacked and took the throne. Akershus was besieged again in 1523 by Swedish soldiers who were chased out by Oslo’s residents when they burnt down their own homes around the fortress. Akershus Fortress’ location by the sea gave Norway a key strength in protecting trade by sea during the early modern period. Whoever controlled Akershus, controlled Norway.
The Akershus Fortress surrendered without bloodshed to the Nazi forces in 1940 when the Norwegian government fled the city during Operation Weserübung. During World War Two, people were executed by the Nazi occupiers at Akershus, including members of the Pelle resistance group. After the war, 8 Norwegian war criminals were also tried and executed at the fortress.
Today, there’s plenty to see at Akershus Fortress. The castle boasts everything from the former living quarters of medieval Danish-Norwegian royalty to dank dungeons and also the castle church, now a military church. Akershus Fortress is also home to the Armed Forces Museum and Norway’s Resistance Museum, particularly significant considering the site’s ties to the Nazi occupation.
Without charge, join state visitors in exploring the Akershus . From the fortress, great views over he fjord and historical heart of Oslo illustrate just how vital Akershus was for medieval rulers of Norway.
Located by the waterside, Akershus Fortress is hard to miss. If you are using public transport, the Oslo tram number 12 will take you to Kontraskjæret stop, a 500m walk from the museum. For drivers, there is car parking nearby the museum at Akershusstranda on the waterfront.
]]>The origins of the city today known as Alanya date back thousands of years. References to the ancient city of Coracesium, the name for the early settlement, can be found from the 4th century BC. During much of antiquity, Alanya notoriously sheltered pirates thanks to its perfectly designed bay and harbour. However, during Pompey the Great’s famous campaign to rid the Mediterranean of pirates, Alanya was the site of an important battle in which the pirates were defeated. For the remainder of the Empire period, the city remained under Roman and subsequently Byzantine control but it was not one of the region’s more prominent settlements during this time.
It wasn’t until 1221 that the city really rose to prominence. After the city’s conquest by the Seljuk Turks, Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat I decided to make Alanya his winter home and the city entered its zenith.
The harbour and port that shielded Sicilian bandits and pirates in the 3rd century BC, referred to as the Tersane (dockyard), was turned into the main naval base of the Seljuk navy; defensive walls were restored and the Red Tower, perhaps the most striking of monuments that remain at the site, was constructed. From then until the 18th century Alanya, incorporated into the Ottoman empire in 1471, became an important port for trading with other Mediterranean countries, particularly Egypt, Syria and Cyprus. Today Alanya is the best preserved dockyard of the Mediterranean basin.
The Red Tower (sometimes referred to as Kizilkule) ranks among the most impressive elements of Alanya Castle and stands 29 meters high. The castle walls start here and pass through the middle battlements (Ehmedek), the Citadel or Inner Castle (Ickale), the Arab Saint bastion (Arap Evliyasi), the Esat bastion, the arsenal (Tophane) and the historic Tersane before finishing once again at the Red Tower.
Inside the Castle walls are a number of interesting buildings and monuments, including the palace of Alaaddin Keykubat, as well as several Mosques (including the 16th century Suleymaniye Mosque) and even a church, proof of the often diverse and tolerant nature of the city.
Opposite the Suleymaniye Mosque is a covered Bazaar or Bedesten, used during the 14th and 15th centuries as a trading base. There are numerous other buildings and fortifications surrounding the Castle, including the Ehmedek, an arsenal and a mint (Darphane), although interestingly not a single coin was minted there. There are also many sea caves that can only be reached by boat. The Citadel, dating to the 6th century, contains a platform that today offers magnificent views of the Mediterranean peninsula.
That Alanya Castle is currently on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list is testament to its diverse and sprawling history. With over 6km of defensive wall reinforced by 140 bastions and 400 cisterns, Alanya was perhaps one of the best-defended cities in the Mediterranean.
Alanya Castle is in the province of Antalya, and lies on Turkey’s southern coast. The town of Alanya lies on the D400, the main coastal road – it’s about an hour to the nearest city, Manavgat. Buses run between the city of Antalya and Alanya semi-regularly: check timetables before travelling.
]]>Inside the Citadel are the remains of Seljuk cisterns, the palace of Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat, the ruins of a Seljuk bath and an 11th century Byzantine church.
Among the attractions of the Citadel is a high platform offering magnificent views of the Mediterranean peninsula and the Taurus Mountains while also concealing a much darker history…
Most of Alanya Citadel was built in the 13th century under the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm after the city’s conquest by Alaeddin Keykubad in 1220. Part of a building campaign that included the Kizil Kule tower – symbol of the city of Alanya – the castle was built upon remains of earlier Byzantine and Roman fortifications.
The castle, located 250 metres high on a rocky peninsula in the Mediterranean, had a 4 mile-long wall dotted with 140 towers. After the area was conquered and pacified by the Ottomans, the castle stopped being only defensive, and many villas were built inside the walls during the 19th century.
According to legend, the Alanya Citadel’s platform was ominously referred to as the ‘Throwing Platform’, where prisoners condemned to death met their fate. Accordingly, prisoners were given the chance to reprieve themselves if they could throw a stone into the sea without it hitting the cliff.
Unfortunately for the prisoners, this was an impossible feat and many met their end by being tied into a sack and thrown over the edge.
Open between 8am and 5pm, today Alanya Citadel functions as an open-air museum and although entry is ticketed, much of the area inside the walls including the landward castle is open to the public. It can be a long day walking the entire length of the castle walls, nonetheless, it is rewarding to find symbols or inscriptions along the walls and the views of Cleopatra Beach are well worth the walk.
Situated up a hill surrounded by blue seas, Alanya Citadel is easily reached by bus number 4 from the centre of Alanya or can be walked to in under an hour.
]]>The Alcazaba Fortress of Merida also has characteristics typical of other civilisations, notably the Visigoths, indicating that it may have been constructed earlier.
This great fortress was built in the Muslim Mérida by Umayyad Emir Abd ar-Rahman II in 835 AD. In charge of laying it out was the architect Abd Allah. In building the fortress, inspiration was drawn from Byzantine models.The palace was built to serve as a headquarters for Umayyad administrative offices and as a residence for the local governor. Most importantly, it was used to filter access to the city from the Roman bridge, the shelter of the Arab minority during the repeated local revolts against Cordovan power, and the square where troops belonging to the Emir were stationed – either to quell the revolt of the meridíes Mozarabs or to carry out bullying raids in the Christian kingdoms of the North.
The entire perimeter of this extensive Alcazaba was surrounded by a large moat, except the side that overlooks the Guadiana River. The Albarrana towers, that is to say, those which stand separate from the main body of the fortress were constructed at a later date by the Order of Santiago.
Very little remains of the original interior within the ten-metre high walls of Alcazaba Fortress, though an original well has survived. The ruins of several Roman buildings can also be seen. Overall, this is considered to be an important site, not least because there are few remains from this era in the area.
The Alcazaba Fortress of Merida is grouped as part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida.
For those driving, Merida is a one hour drive from Cáceres via A-66. The train from Madrid takes 5 hours and while from Seville the train takes 3 hours.
]]>Though it is believed that a fort has existed on the site since Roman times, the first known written mention of the Alcazar of Segovia is found in twelfth century Christian records. Having started life as an Arab fort, in the thirteenth century, the Alcazar of Segovia made the transition from military stronghold to palatial residence and was slowly renovated in a gothic style, with further changes made in the sixteenth century.
It served as a state prison for almost two centuries before King Charles III founded the Royal Artillery School in 1762. It functioned in this capacity before it was badly damaged by fire in 1862. In 1896, it was handed over to the Ministry of War as a military college. Today, it serves as a museum and military archives building.
The Alcazar of Segovia was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
The interior of the Alcazar of Segovia doesn’t disappoint, with highlights including the stunning keep, the square with four towers, the hall covered with pointed barrel and twin windows, and the richly-decorated Mudejar-style interior.
Visitors can tour the magnificent site as well as climb its towers for a scenic view of the town. The spectacular castle features as one of our top Tourist Attractions of Spain.
The Alcazar of Segovia is a 10 minute drive from the centre of Segovia along the Paseo Santo Domingo de Guzmán road. Equally, it is a scenic 30 minute walk via the Av. Padre Claret/CL-601a roads. There are a number of well-connected public transport routes such as the ‘9’ bus which stops at the Casa de La Moneda stop, from where the Alcazar is reachable in 10 minutes by foot.
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The original castle was constructed in the early 11th century by the first two lords of the city, Yves de Bellême and his son Guillaume I. Around 1050 the castle was besieged by William the Conqueror and was largely destroyed during the ensuing conflict. In 1113, during the reign of England’s Henry I, a new keep was built on the site. This was then integrated into a second castle built by Pierre II, count of Alençon from 1361 to 1404.
In 1592, the Alencon Castle was demolished on the orders of Henri IV of France due to fears of an uprising against the king, with only the dungeon and the entrance pavilion remaining as a result. In 1782, the keep was also destroyed, leaving only the entrance pavilion remaining from the original castle of the Dukes of Alençon.
From 1824, the castle served as a prison, and from 1939-45, was used as a headquarters by the Gestapo who incarcerated and tortured French resistance members there.
After the war, the castle resumed its function as a prison until a new one was built to the west of the town. Finally, the town of Alençon negotiated with the government and purchased Alencon Castle in 2018, converting it into a public park which opened in 2019.
Today, though the entrance pavilion is all that remains of the castle, it is easy to imagine the splendour with which it would once have stood. Amongst other sites in Alencon, the 12th century castle is a popular scenic attraction.
From the centre of nearby city Le Mans, Alencon Castle is a 45 minute drive via the A28 road. From the centre of Alencon itself, the castle is a 12 minute walk or 4 minute drive via Rue de la Demi Lune, or a 15 minute walk via Grande Rune.
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