Terribly beautiful. Castles, where you wouldn’t stay at night
Some castles may seem to be haunted. As if one of the previous owners settled there forever and has no intention to leave. As a rule, such places are shrouded in legends and stories about «strange things» which regularly happen within the walls. However, inexplicable phenomena have always been attracting people. Some of them want to solve the mystery of another haunted place, others are willing to prove that ghosts do not exist at all. In any case, we made a selection of mysterious castles in different parts of the world, and only you are to decide whether they have supernatural inhabitants or it’s just an old wive’s tale.
Castle in Portugal for €5,000,000
A small tourist town Sintra surrounded by Serra-de-Sintra hills is located in Portugal. It is included in the list of destinations that every tourist must visit coming to Portugal because literally every stone of this town is full of history and ancient attractiveness. Those, who believe in mysticism and unsolved mysteries, will find everything: palaces with numerous chambers (including secret ones), gothic castles, mansions with hidden tunnels and religious symbols, and labyrinth-like gardens around the courts.
No wonder, that an old castle is put on sale in this town. For €5,000,000 the seller offers a building with a total area of 1,500 sq.m. The advert states that earlier the house was in possession of Elise Hensler, a splendid opera singer, who gained the title of duchess Elda when Ferdinand II married her. The property consists of a five-storey house, a plot of land with a charming garden, a stable, barns, greenhouses, a tea house, and a pool. Also, there is a lake with a small island and bridges.
The house was built in the 16th century, and rebuilt later, in the 19th century. Today, only columns at an entrance group, balconies on the front part of the building, and a gorgeous garden with numerous bridges and twisting trails remind of times when this house was a castle. However, there are no photos from inside. All we can do is only imagine what kind of rooms are hidden behind the white curtains on the windows on the first and the second floors.
The seller adds, that the castle is 20 km away from Lisbon, and 10 km away from Estoril. There is not a soul around, and all the infrastructure can be reached by car.
Castle in Austria €2,900,000
A truly picturesque castle surrounded by mountains is on sale in Austria. It is located in the north of Karintia, not so far from the Millstätter-see lake. In addition, the castle’s windows overlook the breathtaking views of the Alps and a picturesque lake.
According to the seller, this castle is around 1000 years old and judging by photos, it’s willing to believe. The castle was constructed on the hill to repel the attacks of invaders easily. Its massive stone walls are built up so that they can stand for another millennium or even more. And a courtyard is safely secured with iron gates.
The living area of the castle is around 1,400 sq.m. On the first floor, there is a restaurant in medieval style, and we have only photos that give an idea of the internal design of the castle. But these photos are quite enough to bear in mind the stone walls, low ceilings, old paintings, and cold rooms with vintage furniture, where the light comes in only through small windows.
At the same time, among the advantages, we can mention balconies and terraces that overlook the Alps.
If you are thinking about making this castle a tourist centre, then it’s important to know that it’s a part of the Millstätter-am-see commune only 1,5 km from the best golf courses in Karintia. Only 2,5 km away there is the Millstätter-see lake, where you can swim and do different kinds of water sports. Velden can be reached in 35 minutes by car. In winter, the Katschberg, Moltaller Gletscher, and Bad Kleinkirchheim ski resorts invite tourists to enjoy winter sports of all kinds.
However, the castle itself is in seclusion, which means you need a car to reach the infrastructure.
Castle in Italy for €620,000
In Italy, 100 km to the northeast from Rome, the real old castle Podium Morri is put on sale in the town of Terni. It is a perfectly preserved medieval building that was erected on the top of a hill with a magical view of Corbara lake. The castle stands along the panoramic road that connects Orvieto and Todi.
A winding unpaved road leads to the castle and ends in front of a large stone-paved courtyard. A large lawn surrounds the garden, as well as an oak forest that covers three sides of the hill. Around 60 hectares of land (arable land, pasture, and timber) are also for sale along with the castle.
The castle, with a total area of 500 square metres, has an imposing stone structure, a large arched portal, an interesting arched stone storage room inside, and a cross-vaulted hall on the ground floor. The castle is built on 4 floors above ground (the last two are inside the tower), all connected by an internal wooden staircase.
The main door of the house leads to the living room. On each side, there are entrance doors to a large and bright kitchen, hallway, and sleeping area (living room, bedroom, 2 bathrooms, and an external door leading out onto the terrace). All walls in the rooms are stone — no additional modern finishing.
The hall, with its high vaulted ceilings and arched windows, is perhaps the most remarkable room in the whole building. There are terracotta floors, a large stone fireplace, and an elegant wooden staircase leading to the upper floor. On the upper floor, there is a living room, a large bedroom, and a bathroom. The floors are tiled and the ceiling is wooden.
The house is full of different staircases and corridors — this is where you wouldn’t want to get lost. The living room has stairs to the other rooms, and there is another staircase to the attic, where there are also 3 bedrooms and a bathroom. The attic, however, is accessible directly from the courtyard — it has a separate entrance thanks to a beautiful stone staircase that starts from the courtyard and ends with a small terrace with a magnificent view of the lake and the hills.
In addition to the main house, there are 2 independent flats on the ground floor: a studio flat with a kitchen and a bathroom, and a one-bedroom flat with a kitchen and a fireplace, a bedroom and a bathroom ( in total 8 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms).
At the same time, besides the service areas, there are warehouses and a former laundry and chicken coop close to the castle (approximately 100 square metres in total).
Castle in Italy for € 5,800,000
Another spooky castle for sale in Italy. The photos of old stone chambers and furniture, appearing to be untouched by the centuries, tickle the nerves a bit. The iron wheel in the stables hung with old horseshoes, and the stone staircase leading up to the dark cellar are all worth it. It’s fair to say that the upper rooms look more habitable (but they’re still a bit creepy).
This historic fortress is located in the ancient part of Cusi, a town in the province of Siena of Etruscan origin. It has all the necessary infrastructure, including schools and kindergartens. A few kilometres from the centre there is a well-maintained railway station from which you can easily reach Florence, Rome and Milan. Attractions such as Montepulciano, Pienza and Cortona are all within a 50 km distance.
This property consists of a historic nineteenth-century palace, an ancient watchtower, a country house, and a matching park that frames the three buildings. The fortress is privately owned and surrounded by a large park. Recent excavations have revealed traces of city walls from the Etruscan-Roman era (first half of the third century B.C.).
The first document that tells us about the castle of Cusi dates back to 1085. At that time the castle belonged to Count Bulgaro of the Farolfi family. According to the vendor, this castle now has great historical and architectural value, and is also priceless for the town of Cusi itself: «The large size and the possibility of restoring the original materials will allow you to emphasize the extraordinary value of the building, regardless what type of use you might want to make».
The property is surrounded by a private park with a total area of 3 hectares, where you can find various trees, for example, olive trees.
The advert states that the price of the property is outside the classical market mechanisms, as there is a castle for sale here that is not only unique in its kind, but also of real historical value. According to the seller, this complex needs and deserves a complete restoration, and the potential of the property is enormous and very diverse.
Not only picturesque castles in the Realting catalog.
