Clisson

Short history of the castle:

The castle was built in the middle of the 11th century and was one of the great fortified places on the frontiers of the Duchy of Brittany.

Most of the present castle was built in the 13th century. Constructed by Guillaume de Clisson, on a rocky outcrop dominating the Sèvre Nantaise, its form at that time was an irregular polygon flanked by round towers and isolated from the rocky plateau by a shallow moat.

In the 14th century, Olivier III de Clisson incorporated the gatehouse into a massive quadrilangular keep.

In the 15th century, the fortifications were modernised to permit the use of artillery.

During the War in the Vendée, the town and its castle were burned by the Infernal columns of Jean-Baptiste Kléber.

During the 19th century, the ruined castle attracted Romantic painters and sculptors.

In 1962, the castle was sold by the Lamot family to the Conseil général of the Loire-Atlantique, who carried out important restoration works with the assistance of the French Ministry of Culture.


Opening Times and additionnal information:

Open all year, everyday (except Tuesday)
May to September: from 11am to 6.30pm
October to April: from 2pm to 5.30pm

Price of visits:
Adults 2,20 euros
Students, Children (under 12), Retired: 1,50 euros

contact@mairie-clisson.fr

Allymes

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Shortened history of the castle:

The Castle of Allymes was built in 1310 on the first foothills of the Bugey mountains by the Dauphin of Vienne during the war against the Count of Savoy (1272-1355).

The last battle against the Savoyards takes place on November 23, 1335. Defeated, the Castle of Allymes is then transferred to the Count of Savoy.

The castle became a French possession in the Treaty of Lyon in 1601.

A 1960 listed historic monument, the Castle of Allymes was saved from ruin and has been open to visitors since 1966.

Opening times and additionnal information:

- Opening times
March to May: 2pm-6.30pm (except fridays)
June to September: 10am-12pm & 2pm-7pm
October to November: 2pm to 6pm (except fridays)
December to February: 2pm-5.30pm (only saturdays and sunday)

- Prices
Adults: 4 €
Children & Students: 2 €
Children under 10: free
Groups of more than 10 persons: 2,5 €

- Email: lesallymes@wanadoo.fr

Sedan

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Shortened history of the castle:

A first castle was built in 1424 by the lordship Guillaume de Braquemont. This triangular castle was in the following years largely expanded and strengthened by his descendants.

By 1549, the small principality of Sedan had made its way through fierce battles in the surroundings by its ideal location: halfway between the French Kingdom and the Holy Roman Empire.

But exactly one century later, one of the princes of Sedan was involved in a conspiracy and, to save his head, gave Sedan to the French. After that date, the castle remained a military bastion but quite unused because of its too central position in the country.

The castle of Sedan is today considered as the biggest european castle with a surface of 35.000sqm².

Opening times and additionnal information:

- Opening times
From September to June: 10am-12am & 1.30pm-5pm
July & August: 10am-6pm
Castle closed on 25th of December and 1st of January

- Prices
Adults: 7,50 Eur
Children & Students: 6,50 Eur
Family Ticket (2 adults and minimum 3 children): 26 Eur

- Anecdote: in 1962, the Town Council had to decide what to do with this castl which was falling into ruins (the French army was gone since the 1930s but still the owner). The city bought it for for one symbolic Franc (former French money) and voted, by one vote, not to destroy it...

Warkworth

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Shortened history of the castle:

Warkworth Castle was built in a loop of the River Coquet. The original motte and bailey castle was built in the mid 12th century by Earl Henry of Northumberland, son of David I, King of Scots. The castle is most famously associated with the Percy family, who acquired the castle in 1332.

The Percy family were one of the most powerful in the country, controlling much of Northern England. Despite having a major castle nearby at Alnwick, they frequently resided at Warkworth and made big improvements to the castle, most notably with the addition of the great keep in the late 14th century.

The sixth Percy earl, Henry, on his death in 1537, left the castle and all his possessions to Henry VIII. Subsequent attempts to reinstate a Percy brought misfortune on the castle as the catholic Percy's came into conflict with the protestant Queen Elizabeth.

The castle was subsequently allowed to fall into decay.

Opening times and additionnal information:

Castle is open from October to March from 10am to 4pm, and from April to September from 10am to 5pm.

Entrance fees:
Adults: £4.80
Children: £2.90
Concessions: £4.30 (students, disabled...)
Family Ticket: £12.50

There is a free audio tour of this impressive fortress, don't miss it!

Ortucchio

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Shortened history of the castle:

This castle was built in 1465 by Antonio Piccolomini on the remains of previous fortifications, from which a large quadrangular tower remains. It is formed by a quadrangular enclosure with four cylindrical towers (one destroyed) on powerful, inclined bases.

Until the 19th century, Ortucchio Castle was completely surrounded by the waters of the Fucino Lake and was accessible only by waterways.

Opening times and additionnal information:

Hochosterwitz

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Shortened history of the castle:

The castle is first evoked in a popular tale of the siege of the castle by the troops of Margarete Maultasch, Countess of Tyrol from 1335 to 1363. According to this legend, Margarete Maultasch invaded the duchy and encircled the castle. Months passed and impossible for her troops to conqueer the site. Her forces finally withdrew when the garrison of Hochosterwitz slaughtered its very last ox, filled it with corn and threw it over the wall, pretending it still had so many provisions in stock that they could be used as projectiles.

In the 15th century, Georg of Osterwitz, the castle owner, was captured in a Turkish invasion and died in 1476 in prison without leaving descendants. The castle tehn fell into the hands of Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg.

Over the next thirty years the castle was badly damaged by numerous Turkish campaigns. On 5 October 1509, Emperor Maximilian I handed the castle as a pledge to Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg, then Bishop of Gurk.

In 1571, Baron George Khevenhüller acquired the citadel by purchase. He then greatly fortified the site to resist to the threat of Turkish invasions, building an armoury and 14 gates from 1570-1586. Such massive fortification is considered unique in citadel construction.

Since the 16th century, no major changes have been made to Hochosterwitz.

A 1:25 miniature scale model of Hochosterwitz Castle is located in Minimundus, a popular tourist attraction in Klagenfurt.

Opening times and additionnal information:

- Opening times (the castle interior is private but walking around is allowed and free)
April & October: 9am-5pm
From May to September: 9am-6pm
You cannot drive up to Hochosterwitz, so park your car, put on your sturdy shoes, and start your hike. It will take you about half an hour to walk to the castle.

- Email: info@burg-hochosterwitz.com

- Anecdote: Ascending the hill, you will find a succession of 14 gates designed by the most famous castle-fortification architect of the Middle Ages. Thanks to his skill, the castle was never conquered. Each gate has its own unique brand of protection—one has holes through which hot oil was poured upon the invader, another has a moat, another a drawbridge, another hidden spikes, another fire-torch slots, and so on. If the enemy was clever enough to conquer one gate, he was sure to be defeated before the final entrance.