Are you dreaming of your own castle where you can relax in a modern interior? Then you should take a look at the 5 castles that Christie’s International Real Estate presents in its online magazine Luxury Defined: “Castles are the stuff of legend and lore, steeped as they are in legend, lore, romance—and the brute grim facts of history, of stony life in the late Dark Ages. … A strategic, defensive fortress, the castle was the ultimate architectural symbol of authority in peacetime and in war. Built to withstand prolonged sieges, the earliest motte-and-bailey fortifications were ingeniously re-engineered over the centuries to fend off intruders in imaginative and wicked, wicked ways: a drawbridge across a dank, vaporous moat; a curtain wall with arrow-slit apertures; a spiked portcullis gate; uneven trip stairs spiraling up clockwise to pin right-handed swordsmen against the wall … As if that were not enough, the aptly named murder hole let defenders rain down unpleasantness in the form of boiling oil, arrows, and bolts from crossbows. Centuries on, the clash of arms echoes only in stone, but castles endure, figuratively and literally, as symbols of beauty, substance, and stature.
Herewith, Luxury Defined extends its fond welcome to some castles of old and new, converted into luxuriously modern homes. Worry ye not, for safe entry and hospitality await within these ancient (and not-so-ancient) crenelated walls. Thoroughly modern interiors optimized for utmost comfort and luxury. Murder holes optional.
Reelaan in Bosch en Duin, Utrecht, Netherlands
Built in 2013, this grand country estate in the pastoral village of Bosch en Duin is an exuberant 21st-century interpretation of Neoclassical beauty and grace. (Picture linked with Luxury-Defined-website)
19th-Century Château near Cognac, Charente, France
Behind the ornate, limestone façade of this grand château in southwestern France is an airy, light-filled interior revamped for the contemporary lifestyle. (Picture copied from the Luxury-Defined-Website)
Schloss Seltenheim in Klagenfurt, Carinthia, Austria
Built circa 1193, Schloss Seltenheim, “House of Happiness,” is a world unto itself in a castle park bounded by ancient forest in Austria’s Carinthian-Styrian Alps. The interiors, splendidly restored, refurbished, and extended, bring the castle into the modern age with 50 rooms, all lavishly appointed with contemporary artworks, antiques and objet d’art, jewel-toned bespoke furnishings, and a colorful palette. These merge with traditional elements, such as cathedral ceilings, parquet floors, and decorative wood carvings. (Picture linked with the Luxury-Defined-Website).
Castle Mishaegen in Brasschaat, Antwerp, Belgium
At this magnificent 18th-century castle in Brasschaat, Belgium, neoclassical architecture, contemporary decor, and cutting-edge technologies seamlessly converge. Castle Mishaegen lies behind imposing iron gates, a fairy-tale castle in a private wooded setting in the Flanders region of Belgium, just outside the city of Antwerp. (Picture linked with the Luxury-Defined-Website)
Neo-Gothic Castle in the Langhe, Piedmont, Italy
Built on the foundations of a medieval fortress, this 19th-century Italian castle’s decorative flourishes are an exuberant celebration of the Gothic Revival style. This imposing neo-Gothic castle is set on a rise surrounded by the Barolo vineyards of the Langhe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Piedmont, Italy. The castle was built in the 15th century on the site of a Roman fortress. Its present form dates from the mid-1800s, designed by architect Giovanni Battista Schellino for Turin noblewoman Maria Allara Nigra. (Picture copied from the Luxury-Defined-Website)
Searching for a castle? Enter the world of legend and lore here.
