These Historic Castles In Europe Add Royal Flair To Your Hotel Experience

There are plenty of great reasons to travel around Europe. From world-beating cuisines to extraordinary high culture, this elegant, sophisticated, and varied continent is packed with exciting, intriguing, and unconventional experiences. Many travelers hope to visit amazing museums, art galleries, and theaters, while others want to discover the beauty and magic of the under-the-radar Mediterranean beaches and coastlines in Europe.

Europe is an incredibly diverse place, but one thing that runs through every country and culture is an extraordinarily rich and fascinating history. Europe's past remains part of its present, and there are incredible historic sites everywhere you turn, from stunning ancient monuments to picturesque medieval towns you just can't skip visiting. One of the most amazing things about visiting Europe is that history doesn't have to be a passive part of your vacation, something you just look at. There are a large number of historic castle hotels that add regal flair and luxury to your visit, letting you immerse yourself in the staggering history of your vacation destination. 

Next time you decide to enjoy the delights of a European getaway, why not check out these historic castle hotels and discover what life is like for royalty, if only for a short while! Here are five of the most impressive historic castles in Europe that offer overnight accommodation, all of which have been recognized by the Michelin Guide for their excellence in architecture, quality of service, overall character, value, and contributions to their local area.

Ireland's wild Atlantic coastline is a windswept, dramatic kind of place, and this majestic, 800-year-old medieval castle is the perfect complement to the rugged natural beauty of County Mayo. Built on the shore of Lough Corrib in 1228 by the Anglo-Norman de Burgo family, Ashford Castle was also the home of the Guinness family in the 19th century, before being converted to a hotel in 1939.

The hotel has kept the stunning fortifications of this medieval masterpiece intact, while fully renovating its interiors to create the perfect combination of historic beauty and modern luxury. It offers a wide range of amenities, including multiple restaurants and bars, a spa, tennis courts, a boating lake, a golf course, and horseback riding. If you want to immerse yourself more fully in the medieval atmosphere, you can try your hand at falconry at the on-site falconry school, the oldest in Ireland.

The rooms are exceptional. No two are alike, but each one offers comfort, elegance, and lavish decoration. Traditional yet tasteful, it's no surprise the hotel has received more than its fair share of celebrity guests over the years, including John Lennon, Oscar Wilde, Ronald Reagan, Robin Williams, Brad Pitt, and King George V of the U.K.

With its lazy canals, ornate palazzos, and effortlessly romantic gondola rides, Venice is arguably one of the most elegant and romantic cities in the world. One way to put the finishing touches on your Venice experience and make it unbelievably magical is with a stay at the Gritti Palace. Set on the Grand Canal, overlooking the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, it occupies one of the most impressive locations in the city, and is a truly iconic place to stay. 

Built in the 15th century by the Pisani family, it was extensively remodeled in 1525 by the Doge of Venice, Andrea Gritti, when he took it over as his private residence. Over the centuries, it's been the home of a number of different noble families, until it was redeveloped as a hotel at the end of the 19th century. 

Alongside its opulent luxury and impeccable service, Gritti Palace has maintained its historic ambiance impeccably, with interior decor that would not look out of place to its original inhabitants, including gorgeous terrazzo tiled floors and stunning artwork and antiques adorning the walls. As befits its two Michelin Key status, its rooms and suites are spectacular, with the most coveted being the ones looking out over the Campo Santa Maria del Giglio or the Grand Canal. The hotel also boasts several exceptional restaurants, as well as the Gritti Epicurean School, where guests can enjoy cooking classes or expert-led tastings.

Perched high above the Irish Sea on Scotland's dramatically craggy southwest coast, looking out over the wild beauty of Ailsa Craig Island, Glenapp Castle is everything a castle hotel should be. This fairytale baronial castle boasts picturesque towers and turrets, rugged crenelated roofs, and exquisitely manicured Italianate gardens designed by Gertrude Jekyll, surrounded by 40 acres of lightly-forested parkland leading straight to the sea. 

Combining the best of a country house hotel with a majestic ancient fortification, Glenapp Castle is actually surprisingly modern in origin. Built in 1870, it was in private hands until the 1980s. It was finally converted into a hotel in 2000, and has since featured in several "Best Of" lists, as well as being used as a filming location for documentaries and TV series. 

While the castle grounds and architecture are impressive enough on their own, Glenapp really shines when guests enter. A fine-dining restaurant serves up fabulous Scottish cuisine, while the Azalea restaurant in the 150-foot Victorian glasshouse is all about produce straight from the castle's own kitchen garden. Period furnishings and lush interior decor provide an ambiance of classic British luxury, extending to each of the 17 guest suites. Guests can also enjoy a special Hebridean Sea Safari, a day-trip exploring the extraordinary islands and headlands of Scotland's West coast, and including ancient monasteries, whisky distilleries, and mind-blowing natural beauty.

While most castle hotels are palaces and forts that were previously private residences, usually separate structures that are recognizably castles, Hotel de la Cité in Carcassonne is something a little different. Here, the castle in question is the entire old city of Carcassonne, the largest walled city in Europe, and the hotel is burrowed into fortified sandstone walls, some of which date back to the Roman occupation in the first century CE. The structure which houses the hotel is a little more modern, and was once the bishop's palace, but the feeling of ancient power and grandeur is overwhelming. 

While the exterior of the hotel oozes historic magnificence, once inside, you might be forgiven for forgetting you're staying in a hulking citadel at all! Heavily restored in the 1840s, the site was again renovated recently to convert into a hotel, and boasts all the luxury, design, decor, and amenities you would expect from a modern hotel. However, they have taken pains to maintain the site's magic and ambiance, with antique furniture, stained-glass windows, and intricate wooden detailing providing the special touches required to elevate this spot beyond the everyday.

The hotel also boasts a Michelin-starred restaurant, Barbacane, which specializes in regional Provencal cuisine, adding the finishing touch to an already exceptional historic hotel offering.

Germany is famous for storybook castles, from the mesmerizing cliffside beauty of Neuschwanstein to dramatic hilltop fortresses like Hohenzollern. Schlosshotel Münchhausen, therefore, has a lot to live up to, and doesn't disappoint. Located just outside the medieval town of Hamelin (of Pied Piper fame), this wonderful Weser Renaissance estate drips in opulent luxury and fairytale elegance.

It's a wonderful combination of historic beauty and modern amenities, with an impressive moat, stunning vaulted ceilings, and exquisite grounds and gardens, alongside luxurious spa facilities and two golf courses. 

68 rooms and suites are all carefully curated with individual decor and style, conjuring up an atmosphere of nobility and sophistication. The on-site restaurant is also Michelin-starred, making it tough to consider leaving the property, although it's worth exploring the Fairytale Route in-depth to discover tales of the Pied Piper and the famous fabulist Baron von Münchhausen.

To compile this list, we consulted a number of reputable European hotel guides, including Conde Nast Traveler, Historic Hotels of Europe, the Daily Passport, and the Michelin Guide. We chose private hotels that had originally been constructed as castles or palaces, and we made the decision to only consider destinations that had been awarded at least one Michelin Key or Michelin Star. From this list, we analyzed each option based on a range of reviews, and considered amenities, comfort, luxury, and service, as well as the overall historic architecture and authenticity of the hotel.