CASTLES

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Villanueva de Canedo, Spain

Walls from an 11th-century stronghold softened into Renaissance curves under Bishop Alonso de Fonseca's touch in the late 1500s. "Buen Amor" nods to tales of the bishop sharing the space with Teresa de las Cuevas.

Ascona, Switzerland

Towers rise against Lake Maggiore's calm surface with paths through thick greenery leading to open-air meals by the water. Couples wander hand-in-hand at dusk, drawn by the quiet rhythm of waves.

Perugia, Italy

Traces lead to 11th-century foundations, possibly built over Roman outposts. Ownership shifted among nobles over generations until the grounds grew quiet and overgrown.

Bevilacqua, Italy

Firelit evenings in vaulted rooms follow days of quiet exploration through courtyards and arched doorways. Birthdays or anniversaries unfold amid frescoed ceilings and polished marble floors.

Moretonhampstead, United Kingdom

Jacobean lines stretch across 275 acres of Dartmoor heath, finished in 1908 for Viscount Hambleden, heir to W.H. Smith. Trails wind past granite tors and wild ponies under open skies.

Carcassonne, France

Gothic spires guard inner gardens heavy with rose scents, steps from the Comtal ramparts and Saint-Nazaire's stained glass. Evenings bring candle glow to carved stone arches.

Donegal, Ireland

Towers overlook glassy waters edged by heather hills, blending slate roofs with fresh plaster walls. Paths lead to hidden glens for quiet mornings or evening fireside gatherings.

Tarporley, United Kingdom

Victorian blocks mimic medieval keeps across 4,000 acres of Cheshire woods, raised from 1844 to 1850 by architect Anthony Salvin for landowner John Tollemache.

Kilkea, Ireland

Norman blocks from the 1100s anchor a village green, walls thick with 900 years of sieges and feasts. Moats reflect turret shadows at dawn.

Amberley, United Kingdom

Battlements circle a hilltop perch overlooking Sussex downs with drawbridge echoes in the gravel underfoot.

Huntington, United States

French roofs cap Long Island's Gold Coast rise, built from 1914 to 1919 for Otto Hermann Kahn—OHEKA from his initials. Gatsby's shadow lingers in the grand staircases and fountain courts.

Torlundy, United Kingdom

Highland peaks frame 17 rooms with loch vistas, a fortress reborn with slate turrets piercing the mist. Chef Albert Roux's tables draw on glen herbs and sea catches.

Ballantrae, United Kingdom

Ayrshire cliffs drop to Irish Sea swells around 36 acres of walled gardens, 17 rooms fitted with carved oak and velvet drapes. Falconers release birds over cliff edges at noon.

Thickwood, United Kingdom

Parkland rolls 500 acres deep, 42 rooms mixing Chippendale chairs with heated towel rails. Trails thread past stables for morning rides through dew-slick fields.

Thornbury, United Kingdom

Tudor battlements guard Gloucestershire meadows, 27 rooms with tapestried walls and clawfoot tubs. Archers loose arrows across velvet lawns in afternoon light.

Tuscany, Italy

10th-century ramparts survey Tuscan folds from olive groves to cypress lines, 39 suites with beamed ceilings opening to terrace views. Tosca's fires roast chestnuts in autumn.

Montalcino, Italy

Montalcino hills cradle 14 rooms amid vine rows, La Taverna's cellars stocked with estate bottles. Truffle dogs sniff paths through oak woods at first frost.

Val di Pesa, Italy

Chianti vines climb 12th-century walls holding 50 rooms with fresco fragments and slate floors. Balloon baskets lift at sunrise over fog-draped valleys.

Guarene, Italy

Piedmont sunsets gild 18th-century facades over 16 rooms lined with silk panels. Alba's markets supply La Contrada's pots with white truffles in season.

Massignac, France

Charente woods enclose lakes and 29 rooms with muraled walls, Dyades' flames flickering on porcelain plates. Canoes glide under willow arches at midday.

Salzburg, Austria

Perched above Salzburg's spires, 24 rooms weave tapestries with underfloor heat. Trails drop to the old town's clock towers tolling the hour.

Heralec, Czech Republic

Bohemian fields ring a chateau with 19 rooms under vaulted beams, spa steam carrying pine scents from nearby slopes. Riders cross meadows at gallop under lark song.

Salzburg, Austria

Lake Fuschl's edge holds a 15th-century lodge with Alpine horns echoing off peaks, suites spilling to pebble shores. Boats cut wakes through morning haze.