So: a castle; 150 students – what could go wrong? They all seem to be very well-behaved, but surely there’s some horseplay. “Some people like to get drunk and come to the moat,” says one girl. “One guy fell off the bridge backwards,” confides another, though she adds that he didn’t get hurt.

In many ways the castle retains the upper hand over its inhabitants. “At first it wasn’t creepy,” says Sascha ­Lavoie, a 19-year-old pre-law student. “Then people started telling stories about it… (View original article)

Preston Castle has opened up to visitors for the 2017 season.

The Romanesque-style castle, built on a hill in Ione, was once the administration building for the Preston School of Industry.

Opened in 1894, Preston’s mission was to rehabilitate young boys convicted of crimes rather than imprisoning them. Boys who attended the school were given both an academic education and taught useful trades. Before Preston opened, they went to Folsom or … (View original article)

KYOTO–Nijo Castle’s main gate is looking back to its majestic best after the completion of extensive repair to the entrance of the UNESCO World Heritage site in this ancient capital.

Higashi Ote-mon (East main gate), as the structure in Kyoto’s Nakagyo Ward is called, is designated an important cultural property by the central government.

The East main gate had been redesignated the entrance and exit for castle visitors, who had to come and go through the North main gate wh… (View original article)

Prague is an incredible city, full of beautiful sights. There are fine dining and high-class hotels, but if you’re on a budget, those things may be further from your reach. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some of the history and entertainment that Prague has to offer, though.

In fact, there are some totally free things you can do while visiting the city.

1. Walking Tours
Prague is one of the fascinating cities in the world, and you simply can’t enjoy it from a speeding c… (View original article)

In June 1667, the diarist John Evelyn sat on “the hill above Gillingham” watching the greatest humiliation ever inflicted on the English navy.

Many of the king’s best ships were burning, sunk or being towed away before his eyes, as the Dutch fleet sailed almost unopposed up the river Medway.

“The Dutch … were fallen on our fleet at Chatham, by a most audacious enterprise, entering the very river with part of their fleet,” Evelyn wrote, “doing us not only disgrace, but incred… (View original article)

Two new tourist attractions are to be opened at Romania’s famous Bran Castle (also known as Dracula’s Castle) this year, namely the Tea House and a secret “time tunnel.”

The Tea House, which dates from 1920, will be opened on April 11. It will give the tourists the chance to drink a tea or a coffee in the middle of the Royal Park.

Meanwhile, a secret tunnel that links the Castle’s interior courtyard with the Royal Park, will open for tourists this summer. The work on revampi… (View original article)

March Madness is over — at least for New York’s tourist attractions — and Boldt Castle in Alexandria Bay came out on top.

Tourism officials rounded up 32 of the state’s best warm-weather destinations and faced them off in a March Madness-style bracket.

Boldt ended up in first, with Letchworth State Park in second, Bear Mountain State Park in third and Howe Caverns in fourth.

You can see the whole list.

Boldt Castle opens for the season on May 6.

View original article)

Whether you are a fan of Disneyland, Disney World, Tokyo Disney Resort or one of his other attractions around the world, you know Walt Disney loved his castles.

Gene Duncan/Disney Parks via Getty Images
But while wedging your way through the crowd towards Cinderella and Prince Charming, autograph book in hand, did you ever stop and wonder where the animation pioneer found his inspiration? Disney may arguably have had one of the most magical minds of all time, but even he ba… (View original article)

Lews Castle reaches Great British Buildings Restoration of the Year final
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Lews Castle on the Island of Lewis has been announced as a finalist in a restoration competition which has been featured on Channel 4.
The castle has been named joint winner in the competition’s Victorian category, alongside Mount Stewart in Ireland. Lews Castle had stood empty and in disrepair for many years, before a £19.5 million restoration project led by the Weste… (View original article)