In summer we might be islands in the stream, but in winter, I feel more like a castle in the snow, don’t you? And, since it’s escapist Friday, we won’t even worry about the heating bills!
Some day I will get to see this enormous monument (and hotel, I believe) in Quebec City, from kevinandamanda.com
I’ve featured the beautiful Chateau de Gudanes before, but here it is in its winter coat. From chateaugudanes.com (they do an advent calendar as well, good to know for next year)
Almost as stunning as Versailles, the frozen grounds of Vaux-le-Vicomte, which is open for wedding bookings if you are thus inclined! From Sumptuous Events.
The most famous German castle, Neuschwanstein, looks like a dream in winter. From Pixabay.com
But there are other dreamy German castles too, such as the Hohenzollern one, which makes me wonder why they bothered to leave it in order to become kings of Romania (a country they had no connection with) in 1881. From 2Hike.de
A more modest castle, which I visited many a time with my young children, Chateau de Chillon in Switzerland, in whose dungeons lurked a prisoner whose sorry fate inspired Byron. From Myvaud.ch
A rather charming poster of Chateau de Chillon, from bertscy.co. Swiss flag is indispensable, of course!
Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating, and a happy end of the calendar year to everyone! Hope you get a chance to rest and recharge your batteries!
I gather there is a film currently on one of the streaming services featuring a popular novelist who can afford to buy a Scottish castle just in time for Christmas, so I couldn’t resist combining two of my favourite topics: castles/palaces/manor houses and snow. Of course, not all of these are ‘chateaux’ strictly speaking, but ‘palaces in the chalices’ or ‘castles for the passels’ just don’t quite have the same rhyming resonance, do they?
This is of course the castle everyone thinks of when they imagine winter, mountains, snow and overly-romantic situations. Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, from Travel Triangle.
But I raise you the Winter Palace in St Petersburg with a colour that really pops out amidst the white, photo credit Minigaleeva Elena.
The Russian Czars really did know how to get palaces built that would fit in well in a snowy landscape. Alexander Palace and Park, from Nicholas II site.
More modest, in a land more given to rain than snow, Drimnagh Castle in Ireland still looks beautiful. From the castle’s restoration page on Facebook.
Ah, now we’re coming to the chateaux, in this case Chenonceau in the Loire Valley, from My French Country Home Magazine.
Chateau Amboise is equally breathtaking in winter, with its terrace overlooking the Loire. From the castle website – don’t forget to visit the tomb of Leonardo Da Vinci while you are there.
Peleș Castle in Sinaia, Romania, may look medieval, but it was built in the late 19th century and had all the mod cons, as well as a beautiful location in the Carpathian Mountains. From Peles.ro
More of a fortress than a chateau, Rasnov Castle in Romania is a popular post-Christmas dinner walk away for the locals (or maybe that was just my family?) From brasovstiri.ro
I start the year as I mean to go on: planning my move into a wonderful chateau complete with delectable grounds. Here are a few to set you dreaming as you digest all of the rich holiday food!
Chateau in Vienne, from website A Vendre a Louer.
Chateau de Flecher, Ain. From tourist website.
Chateau in Rhone Alpes, from Paruvendu website.
Chateau de la Tour, Ain. From tourist website. A bit pink, wonder what the repainting might cost…
Somewhere near Limousin, all moaty and everything, isn’t it glorious? From Leggett Immo.
No idea where this one is. From Chateaux et belles demeures website.
Happy New Year, everyone! Here’s to an excellent 2015 for all of us! I will be travelling for work over the next 10 days, so I won’t be around much to either blog or comment or tweet, but thank you for your support and fun interactions over the past 2-3 years and I hope there is much more fun to come.
I know you’ve all missed my ever-so-useful posts about acquiring the chateau of your dreams in France or thereabouts. Fear not: I’ve continued avidly collecting information and pictures (my future as an estate agent seems secure!).
Chateau in Figeac, right about in the middle of nowhere. Sorry, I mean France.
Same property as above. I’d be content with this little outhouse!
Chateau in Rochechouart, Limousin, near a famous crater. No, it won’t fall in!
Inside the Rochechouart castle, you can find all the medieval comforts you might expect…
… and a few modern ones you might not. I would die for that library!
Price available on request – need not apply if you have less than 21 million euros at your disposal!
And, finally, one that is not for sale. It’s been converted into a hotel and restaurant, it’s not that far away from where I currently live… so I still dream of having a civilised supper with friends on the terrace at some point…
Chateau de Divonne, divonnelesbains.com
Credits for all of the pictures above, excepting Divonne, is from the property website http://www.avendrelouer.fr.
Not for me a timid manor-house, a larger-than-average barn:
Towers, sculptures, crenellations are things I yearn.
A place where my imagination and I can gallop unfettered,
where no one has tethered my quiver so impatient.
Castles in Spain? Pah! I scorn!
It’s the chateaux in France that I adore!
It’s Friday, it’s been a crazy week, so I felt like having a silly little ditty to accompany the pictures below. I am also responding to the prompt over at dVerse Poets, where we are asked to experiment with slant rhymes: the ones that sound nearly but not quite right, and are so much more interesting than perfection!
They probably have libraries already, but just in case you are looking for the perfect one… (I may have posted this picture before, but it’s just the most romantic chateau library I have ever seen).
Castles in Spain, chateaux in France, what’s the difference? Somewhere to dream, explore, write – and never mind the renovation work required. Happy Bank Holiday, for those who are in the UK, and hope the weather will be better than our soaked holidays to date…
Chateau du Signal near Lausanne, photo: Sabine Papillaud, 24heures.ch
I’ve included the last picture although the image is less clear because this one is quite a special house (and it is more of a modest manor house than a chateau): it was David Bowie’s house on the hills above Lausanne for 10 years and it has appeared in the Claude Chabrol film ‘Merci pour le chocolat’.
Following on from my previous post, speaking of great settings…
Some of the crucial scenes of my crime novel in progress (3rd draft, thank you for asking) are set in a mountain chalet [of the public rather than the posh type]. However, seeing these pictures of French castles, I couldn’t help wondering if I could set my next novel in one of those places!