Being in a royal sort of mood today, I’ve kicked off our keyword search series with ‘castle’. Punching it into our international property search, these are the little gems we’ve uncovered.

£16,842,000

Parma, Italy

Built circa 846AD, this castle in Parma, Italy has a few noteworthy features, including an internal courtyard with columns made of Botticino marble, an entire floor dedicated to wine distillation, and of course an underground torture chamber with matching prison cells. These charming original features were presumably requested by the original owners, the bishops of Parma. So… they seem like nice guys.

 

 

 

 

£16,656,150

Haute Vienne, France

This medieval chateau (build in 1179) would do nicely for an aging rock star or celebrity chef. Features include a professional kitchen, grand hall with seating for 1,000 people, 16 bedrooms, a working tavern, lifts, central heating, six additional houses, five barns, five lakes, 200 hectares of land (meadow and woods), private cinema in a vaulted cellar, chapel, billiard room, smoking room (!), music room, library, breakfast room, dining rooms and an eight-hold gold course. Jeepers.

 

 

£1,586,300

Palazzo Cardinali, Mondavio, Italy

Or there’s this little gem if you’re on a budget. Perfect for someone who loves art and history, Palazzo Cardinali has 22 bedrooms and features a library with fireplaces and frescoed arched ceiling.

 

 

 

 

 

£3,172,600

Baroque chateau, Czech Republic

Just two hours’ drive south of Prague, this massive 38-bedroom baroque chateau was originally built for the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and features a 20-hectare park filled with statues. The agent suggests it would be good for a hotel, country club or casino. If you’ve been meaning to build that casino you’ve always wanted but your day job just keeps getting in the way, now’s your chance.

 

 

 

Offers in the region of £210,525

Schloss Wiesenburg, Brandenburg, Germany

If you’re not quite ready or able to fork out several million pounds for a castle of your own, you could always share one. Within the historic walls of Schloss Wiesenburg are several ultra-modern, high-tech, designer apartments for sale. You’ll get your own pad with all the trimmings, plus direct access to the castle’s public park, and communal areas that include a terrace, garden hall, sauna with whirlpool and ‘relaxation area’, whatever that means.

 

 

 

P.O.A.

Kinnitty Castle Hotel, Kinnitty, Ireland

This Neo-Gothic castellated mansion currently functions as a hotel – a pretty big one too, with 37 bedrooms, 38 bathrooms, 10 reception rooms, a banqueting hall, two restaurants, a couple of bars, and 61 acres of landscaped gardens, grassland and forest. However, the lucky buyer of Kinnitty Castle could make it even bigger if they wanted to – it’s not just any castle, it’s a castle with planning permission. For a conference centre. Plus you can convert the stables if you want. You know, do a Kirstie Allsopp, break through a wall or two, make a new bathroom. Think of it as a fun weekend project.

 

P.O.A.

Crabbenburg Castle, Brussels, Belgium

This is my favourite. Built between 1821 and 1823, Crabbenburg Castle is set on 17 acres of landscaped grounds with ponds, and features include a library, eight bedrooms, eight bathrooms, caretaker’s residence, indoor swimming pool, gallery and workshop. Gallery and workshop! Think about it! You could get yourself a beret, a paintbrush and a slightly temperamental disposition and hey presto – you’re an artist, and you know you are because you’ve got your own gallery and workshop to prove it.

Castle

This entry was posted on Monday, February 23rd, 2009 at 3:37 pm and is filed under Buying, Keyword Search. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.