13th century castles of Europe

12 European castles and fortresses built mainly in the 13th century — each mapped, dated and ready to explore.

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  Rothenburg ob der Tauber Walls

  Germany · 13th century

  Germany's best-preserved medieval town walls, with a covered wall-walk and towers

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  St Andrews Castle

  Scotland · 13th century

  Coastal bishops' castle with a notorious bottle dungeon and siege mine

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  Visegrád Citadel

  Hungary · 13th century

  Hungary's hilltop citadel above the Danube Bend, once a royal seat

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  York City Walls

  England · 13th century

  England's most complete medieval city walls, walkable above the streets of York

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  Eilean Donan

  Scotland · 13th century

  Scotland's most photographed castle, on a tidal island where three lochs meet

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  Urquhart Castle

  Scotland · 13th century

  Ruined lochside stronghold on the banks of Loch Ness

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  Blair Castle

  Scotland · 13th century

  White-walled Highland castle, home of the only legal private army in Europe

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  Bothwell Castle

  Scotland · 13th century

  Scotland's largest 13th-century stone castle, in red sandstone above the Clyde

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  Caerlaverock Castle

  Scotland · 13th century

  Britain's only triangular castle, a famous siege target in 1300

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  Dunvegan Castle

  Scotland · 13th century

  Skye's Clan MacLeod seat, the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland

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  Malbork Castle

  Poland · 13th century

  The world's largest brick castle, built by the Teutonic Knights in Poland

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  Conwy Castle

  Wales · 13th century

  13th-century Welsh river fortress with eight towers, built in just four years