What is the Tallest Castle in the World?

There is nothing as exhilarating as visiting the most intriguing structures of the world. Castles are one of such, and whilst many are average, some castles measure up to thousand feet in height. So imagine a castle as tall as a skyscraper!

The tallest castle in the world is the Prague Castle which dates back to the 9th century. The first buildings of what will be later known as Prague castle began around 880. The castle measures up to 1, 870 ft in height and spreads across 110 acres of land.

The history of the tallest castle in the world

The Prague castle originated in the 9th century during the reign of Borivoj of Bohemia, and since then, it has been the home of rulers and royals. 

Prague Castle as we know it today was completed in 1929, with most of its structures built in the Renaissance and Gothic style. 

It contains a couple of palaces, churches, administrative offices, residential apartments, fortifications, and courtyards. 

Thus, the Prague castle qualifies as both a fortress, a palace, and a castle. Today, it is the office of the president of the Czech Republic and is named a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

The Prague Castle is also designated as the largest ancient castle by the Guinness Book of Records. It is 1, 870 ft (570m) tall and taller than an average skyscraper pegged at 984 ft (300m). 

At least 1.8 million people visit Prague Castle for tourism purposes yearly.

Are you wondering why castles are usually tall and built on hills as opposed to contemporary buildings?

Why castles are tall and built on top of the hills

Castles were tall and built on top of hills for defensive purposes.

To understand this better, we must take a trip down to the history of castles.

 Ancestors originally built medieval castles for defensive and residential purposes for lords, barons, and nobles. As such, they fortified the castles for defensive purposes. 

 Defensive purposes

Tall castles had the advantage of height. As a result, soldiers could be positioned in the castle turrets and towers to quickly spot movements around the castle. 

Also, the height allowed castle defences to see approaching assailants or spot an attack from far away.

• For Design Purposes: 

Most contemporary castles, such as the Prague castle, were not built tall for defences. People made most of them for fashionable or design purposes. 

As time went on, castles were modelled to depict the class and wealth of their owners.

So, there you have it, castles were built tall and on hills for natural defensive and vantage position.

What is the tallest castle in England?

The tallest castle in England is the Warwick Castle, Warwickshire measuring about 147 feet in height. 

This castle has two legendary tall towers. – The Guy’s Tower, which is about 39 meters tall and the Ceasar’s Tower, which is 45 meters tall. 

The Warwick Castle was built in the 10th century around 914. It is also one of the strongest castles, having withstood series of attacks in the wee ages. The Warwickshire castle is one of the most toured castles in England likewise. 

 Originally Willaim the Conqueror built The Warwick castles as a wooden motte-and-bailey castle until the 12th-century when it was rebuilt to a stone castle in medieval architecture.

What is the tallest castle in Germany?

According to the Guinness World Record, the tallest castle in Germany is the Neuschwanstein castle measuring 213 feet in height. This castle is also rated one of the best castles to tour in Germany. 

The Neuschwanstein castle traces back to the 19th century, allegedly built in 1892 and located in Bavaria, Germany. The Romanesque Revival castle’s building was commissioned by Ludwig II and officially completed in 1892, six years after his demise. 

What is the tallest castle in Scotland?

The tallest castle in Scotland is the Edinburgh castle, measuring about 250 ft tall from castle rock. The castle sits on castle rock which is an old volcanic site positioned on a hill.

 Despite its strategic site, the castle is still 250 ft tall on its own. It is one of the most authentic sites to see in Scotland’s heritage; it receives millions of visitors yearly. 

The current building of the Edinburgh castle dates back to 1103, but castle rock has been occupied for fortification purposes as far back as 600CE.

Other Tall Castles in the world

Here, we have compiled a list of other tallest castles in the world apart from those listed above. 

The Dover Castle

The Dover castle (aka the key to England) is the second tallest castle in England at 100ft in height. The castle dates back to the 11th century.

The Rochester Castle

Dover Castle is the third tallest castle in England. It is measured at an average of 70ft in height. The castle is also renowned for withstanding many sieges in the medieval era.

The Hohensalzburg Castle

 The Hohensalzburg castle located in Austria is about 820ft tall. It is one of Austria’s national landmarks built in the 11th century. It is open to the public for tourism purposes.

The Penafiel castle

The Penafiel Castle of Spain is also one of the tallest castles in the world. It is about 656ft tall and was built in the 9th century and renovated through to the 15th century.

The White Heron Castle

 The White Heron Castle of Japan was built in the 15th century and measuring 150ft in height.

The Windsor Castle

The Windsor castle of Berkshire is 100ft tall and one of the tallest castles in the world. It has 1000 rooms and is one of the prehistoric castles of the British Royal Family.

The Citadel of Aleppo

 The Citadel of Aleppo is one of the oldest castles in the world. It towers 100ft in height and, therefore, is one of the largest castles in the world.

Are you also perhaps wondering which is the Largest Castle in the world?

What’s the biggest castle in the world?

According to Insider, when it comes to landmass, the biggest castle in the world is the Malbork castle in Poland. The Malbork castle has a landmass of over 52 acres of land, according to Forbes.

 It is located in Polland and was built from around 1274 until 1466 to house the Teutonic Knights, who used it as a base to attack their Polish enemies. It is marked as a UNESCO World Heritage site.