Lutsk

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Shortened history of the castle:

According to historical chronicles, there were two castles in medieval Lutsk. Unfortunately, the second one, the Okolnyi Castle, was completely destroyed in the 14th century.

The 28 meter-high Entrance Tower of Lutsk Castle was where the idea of a united Europe was voiced for the first time, as incredible as it may seem. And it happened in 1429: European monarchs from 15 states were invited to Lutsk. The Holy Roman (and German) Emperor Sigismund, Danish King Eric IV, Polish monarch Władysław II Jagiełło, the Grand Masters of the Teutonic and Livonian orders, a legate of Pope Martin V, Vasili II, Grand Prince of Moscow, an ambassador of the Byzantine Emperor Palaeologus and other high and mighty leaders responded to this invitation. In total more than 15,000 guests came, while the population of Lutsk itself was only about 5,000 residents! A series of very important questions were raised at this “summit”, such as forming a coalition against the growing power of the Ottoman Empire (groundwork of the modern European Union!) or even equal rights for Catholic and Orthodox churches.

Imagine the cost to organize such a summit: records show that seven hundred barrels of beer and honey drinks were consumed daily! It seems that in the Middle Ages the term ‘diet’ was completely unknown.

And a last anecdote: it is the only castle in Ukraine seen by nearly every Ukrainian, thanks to the fact that they hold its picture in their hand with every 200 hryvnas bill.

Opening times and additionnal information:

The castle is open daily from 10am to 7pm.

Entrance ticket:
- adults 4 hryvnas
- children and students 2 hryvnas

Sigmundskron

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Shortened history of the castle:

The first time the castle was mentionned dates back to 945, which makes it one of the oldest castles of southern Europe.

In the end of the fifteenth century, the Prince of Tyrol, Duke Sigismund the Rich, bought the castle, renamed it Sigmundskron Castle and developed it to withstand firearms. The castle stood for several decades as a major defensive point of Tyrol before falling suddenly into disrepair, due to financial difficulties.

At the end of the 18th century the castle belonged to the Count Wolkenstein, then in the 19th to the counts of Sarnthein and from then until 1994 to the counts of Toggenburg. In 1996 the castle passed into the possession of the Province of Bolzano. In the spring of 2003, after much controversy, Reinhold Messner was given a licence for his long-planned mountain museum.

Opening times and additionnal information:

Museum and castle open from Tuesday to Sunday (10 am – 6pm)
Open from the 1st sunday in March until the last sunday in November

Châteaugay

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Shortened history of the castle :

The castle of Chateaugay stands above the village of the same name. It was erected in 1381 by Pierre de Giac, chancellor of the King of France Charles VII, on the ruins of the castle Vigosche. It was enlarged in the sixteenth century by Laqueuille before being sold as national property during the Revolution.

The keep is the only remaining building of the fourteenth century castle, and has never been restored since then.

On the ground floor of the keep, the Chateaugay Wine (a typical product from Auvergne which was loved by Henri IV) can be tasted and bought.

Opening hours and additionnal information:

Open from mid-June to mid-September everyday from 2pm to 7pm.
Open on reservations the rest of the year.
Free entrance (tip only)

E-mail : mairie@chateaugay.fr

Lavardin

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Shortened history of the castle :

The remains of the Château de Lavardin stand on a rocky promontory, above the village of Lavardin and the Loir.

The first castle, built by Solomon de Lavardin, dates to the beginning of the 11th century, and must have consisted of a wooden keep on a motte, protecting a manor house on the summit of the promontory.

Then, from the 12th to the 15th century, the castle was rebuilt completely, entirely out of stone this time. It was composed of four enclosures surrounding a quadrangular keep, the whole built on three rock platforms excavated in the Middle Ages to increase height.

Of the first enclosure there remains a large gatehouse or "châtelet", with several embrasures for cannons (about 1400).

With a height of 26 meters, the keep dominates the village and the valley.

Opening times and additionnal information :

There is free access to the site. The castle is almost inside the village.

Kyrenia

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Shortened history of the castle :

Kyrenia Castle is a spectacular site. The castle dates back to Byzantine times and has served several civilisations : the Byzantines, Crusaders, Venetians, Ottomans, and the British.

Richard the Lion Heart first referred to Kyrenia castle in 1191 when he conquered Cyprus on his way to the crusades.

The castle features huge round towers at its corners that the Venetians built in 1540 to strengthen the castle against artillery.

The view from the castle across Kyrenia harbour is amazing, just what the defending Venetians needed to check for the threatening Ottoman invasion. The irony is, when the Ottoman invasion finally came in 1571, the Venetians gave up without a fight.

Kyrenia Castle also houses the Shipwreck Museum, home to one of the most remarkable marine archaeological treasures in the world. In 300BC, a trading vessel, uploaded with millstones and amphorae (large jars) of wine from Kos and Rhodes set sail for Cyprus. The ship was caught in a storm, and was wrecked outside Kyrenia harbour. The remains of the ship sat on the sea bed covered in sand for 2300 years until 1965, when the remains of what was then the oldest recovered ship in the world began to be recovered. The 47ft long hull is preserved in a specially controlled environment in the Museum, along with wine jars, some utensils used by the crew, and 9000 almonds, which were part of the crew’s rations.

Busséol

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Shortened history of the castle :

The castle was built in 1170 on what was left of a gallo-roman castrum of the 2nd century after the death of J.-C. The name of Busséol comes from the word "buteol" in latin which means "bird of prey", or eyrie in our case. The castle lies at more than 700m in altitude.

The castle kept it's gallo-roman military architectural style which enabled him to successfully resist to the attacks and assaults of Philippe Auguste in 1215, of the Black Prince (Hundred Years War) and of the Duke of La Rochefoucauld (League Wars in 1595).

An extraordinay garden was built in the twelfth century on the top level, atop a the orck on which the castle stands on. It is called the Crusaders' Garden and is invisible from the outside. In this garden you can find a wide range of flowers of Mediterranean origin and it was classified as "Exceptionnal Garden" by the Institute of Parks and Gardens of France.

Opening times and additionnal information :

- 15th of June to 15th of September: from 10am to 12pm and from 2.30pm to 6.30pm
- 16th of september to 14th of June: from 2.30 to 5.30 ONLY on Sundays and Days Off.

The castle is private property.