3 of Europe’s Darkest Castles

A friend just came home from a European trip, and aside from the usual souvenirs, sordid stories about the flight, we also got talk to about the castles in Europe.

Europe has one of the darkest histories in the world - from the monarchs beheaded, to a whole family murdered and lost forever. As each kingdom attempts to get bigger, so does the horrifying stories inside the castles behind those attempts. Some have horrible torture chambers to make their enemies squeal, while others - their “power” went to there head and most probably drove them nuts for them to do the most atrocious things written in history books.

Here are 3 of Europe’s Darkest Castles that have always fascinated me.

Windsor Castle
Who doesn’t know the famed castle of Windsor? It is where King Henry VIII lived (as well as one of his wives, Anne Boleyn, beheaded at the tower of London), as well as the present monarchy. It’s been there for almost 900 years, surviving attacks and fires of huge proportion. A story says of a demonic horned being who brings illness and misfortune to everyone who sees him - most especially the Royal Family. Some say he can been seen in the Castle’s Gardens with his trademark stag’s head.

Bran Castle

Commonly known as Dracula’s Castle. Back in the days, it was called Dietrichstein, a stronghold built by the Knights of the Teutonic Order. Marketed to be the residency ( his real castle lies in ruins, located in Poenari) of the popular monarch Vlad the Impaler, and boy! Do we know his history! Aside from impaling his enemies or anybody who has displeased him, or violated any of this rules, he also had a horrific incident with his mistress. The darling mistress told Vlad she was with child in an effort to cheer him up (as he had a not-so-sunny disposition), and although she knew his bloody hatred of liars, she still insisted her pregnant state. Vlad had her checked and upon confirmation she was not with child, he took his knife and cut her open from groin to her breasts and left her to die in agony. Yikes.

Castle Csejthe (Čachtice Castle)
Located in Western Slovakia. Not as familiar sounding, but this castle housed the infamous Elizabeth Bathory, the Blood Countess. She is known in history as the countess who killed 600+ girls, tortured, bathed and drank their blood just to keep her beauty. When the Hungarian Court found her guilty of these ghastly crimes, she was imprisoned in her own castle till her death (they walled her in a small room with a only a food hatch and ventilation slits). It was abandoned in the 1700’s and now lies in ruins

There you have it - just 3 really, as searching and reading more material about them brings chills down my spine. It makes you want to visit the actual castle, see if there are any traces of these atrocities - or maybe not.

If those European Castles could talk, what stories they could weave.

Photos Courtesy of Wiki, the annihilated, Oknation