With over 50,000 castles across Europe to choose from, 84,029 travelers from 102 countries were polled by European Best Destinations to select their favorite fairy-tale castles. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a typical medieval castle that won first place but Ravadinovo Castle, built in the 1990s by a Bulgarian architect whose lifelong dream was to create a castle. This Bulgarian castle is the country’s most popular tourist attraction and most of the other historic fortresses on this list also offer much in addition to picturesque views.
Many open their doors to visitors year-round, host events, house impressive antiques and art collections and even serve as venues for fairy-tale weddings. 1. Ravadinovo Castle , Sozopol, Bulgaria The stunning Ravadinovo Castle was actually created in the 1990s by architect Georgi Kostadinov Tumpalov who was fulfilling a childhood dream.
Construction of the popular attraction began in 1996, on a peaceful plot near the village of Ravadinovo. With the help of Tumpalov’s family and local villagers, 20,000 tons of marble limestone from the mystical Strandzha Mountains were transformed into an awe-inspiring structure. Every detail of the design evokes the grandeur of medieval kingdoms and the charm of whimsical fairy tales.
The exterior stone contains traces of micro-diamonds, which make the castle change color. In the morning, the castle glows pink, during the brightest parts of the day, it shines a bright white while at night, the castle appears t.
