Alcázar of Segovia

The Alcázar of Segovia (literally, Segovia Castle) is a palace and a fortress of Spanish kings in the in the historic district of Segovia city, Spain. The castle is situated on a cliff, located at the confluence of the rivers Eresma and Klamores, near the Guadarrama mountains (part of the Cordillera Central). The Alcázar is one of the most distinctive castle-palaces in Spain by virtue of its shape – like the bow of a ship. It was originally built as a fortress but has served as a royal palace, a state prison, a Royal Artillery College and a military academy since then. The castle is one of the inspirations for Walt Disney's Cinderella Castle.

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The Alcázar of Segovia, like many fortifications in Spain, started off as an Arab fort, which itself was built on a Roman fort but little of that structure remains. The oldest testimony we have of the Alcázar is a document dating from the early days of the 12th century (1122), a short time after the town had been recaptured by Alfonso VI of León and Castile, which refers to the fortress as a hill-fort on the Eresma. A short time later, in a letter of 1155, it was already being referred to as "Alcázar". However, it is more than probable that the fortress had existed in earlier times, possibly since the Roman occupation, because granite blocks similar to those of the Aqueduct have been found in the course of recent excavations.

Hohenwerfen Castle

Hohenwerfen Castle (Deutsch: Festung Hohenwerfen), also known as Erlebnisburg (literally: "Castle of Experience") is an amazing castle in Austria. The castle is located high above the Austrian town of Werfen in the Salzach valley, approximately 40 km in the south of Salzburg city. It stands at one of two majestic mountains of Berchtesgaden and Tennengebirgs, which are part of the Alps.

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Eltz Castle

Eltz Castle (Deutsch: Burg Eltz) is one of the most famous and beautiful medieval castles in Germany. It is nestled in the hills above the Moselle River between Koblenz and Trier, Germany. Eltz castle, the Palace of Bürresheim and the Castle of Lissingen are the only castles on the left bank of the Rhine in Rhineland-Palatinate which have never been destroyed. These castles were preserved even during wars 17^th and 18^th centuries and the French Revolution.

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