- Description
- Legacy
- Examples Austria Baltic Belgium Czech Republic Denmark Finland Germany Baden-Württemberg Bavaria Berlin Brandenburg Bremen Hamburg Hesse Lower Saxony Mecklenburg-Vorpommern North Rhine-Westphalia Rhineland-Palatinate Saarland Saxony Saxony-Anhalt Schleswig-Holstein Thuringia Greece Hungary Italy Japan Netherlands Portugal Slovakia Slovenia Sweden Romania Switzerland Turkey United Kingdom England Scotland Wales
- References
- External links
A water castle is a castle or stately home whose site is entirely surrounded by water-filled moats (moated castles) or natural waterbodies such as island castles in a river or offshore. Description Topographically water castles are a type of lowland castle. The term is mainly found in European-language sources, e.g. under its German names of {{lang-de|Wasserburg}} or Wasserschloss, but is also used in English-language sources, usually those referring to European castles of this type. Forde-Johnston describes it as "a castle in which water plays a prominent part in the defences..."[1] There is a further distinction between: - Water castles, that are protected by artificial water-filled moats or ponds (man-made defences) i.e. a moated castle
- Water castles, whose primary means of protection is from river courses or which stand on islands in a lake or natural pond (natural defences). Island castles are an example.
In all cases, water is used as an obstacle to hinder an attacker. That apart, an abundant supply of water was also an advantage during a siege. Such a castle usually had only one entrance, which was via a drawbridge and that could be raised for protection in the event of an attack. To some extent these water castles had a fortress-like character. Legacy In many places in Central Europe castles that had formerly been fortified changed their role or were converted over the course of time so that they became largely representational and residential buildings. The characteristic moats thus lost their original security function, but were retained in some cases as an element of landscaping. Today, in monument conservation circles, they are often described as burdensome, cost-intensive "historic legacies" because of the water damage caused to their foundations. As a result, many moats around castles in Germany have been drained, or more rarely filled, especially since the 1960s. Examples Austria Baltic - Āraiši (Arrasch)
- Trakai Island Castle
Belgium Czech Republic - Blatná Castle
- Červená Lhota Castle
- Švihov Castle
Denmark - Egeskov Castle
- Spøttrup Castle
Finland - Kajaani Castle
- Olavinlinna
Germany Baden-Württemberg - Bad Rappenau Water Castle
- Inzlingen Castle
Bavaria - Brennhausen
- Irmelshausen
- Kleinbardorf
- Mespelbrunn Castle
Berlin - Köpenick Palace
- Spandau Citadel
Brandenburg - Plattenburg in the Prignitz
Bremen - Blomendal Castle
- Schönebeck Palace
Hamburg Hesse - Friedewald Water Castle in Friedewald
- Fürstenau Palace near Steinbach
Lower Saxony - Fallersleben Castle
- Hülsede Water Castle
- Lütetsburg
- Osterburg
- Schelenburg
- Wendhausen Castle
- Wolfsburg Castle
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern North Rhine-Westphalia - Benrath House in Düsseldorf
- Burgau Castle
- Gimborn Castle
- Haus Kemnade in Bochum
- Morsbroich Castle in Leverkusen
- Moyland Castle in Bedburg-Hau
- Nordkirchen Palace
- Rheydt Palace
- Dyck Palace
- Vischering Castle
- Wilkinghege Water Castle in Münster
- Wittringen Castle in Gladbeck
Rhineland-Palatinate - Alte Burg (Boppard)
- Alte Burg (Koblenz)
Saarland - Gustavsburg in Homburg
- Kerpen Castle near Illingen
Saxony - Moritzburg Castle
- Hainewalde Water Castle
Saxony-Anhalt - Calvörde Castle
- Köthen Castle
- Reinharz Water Castle
Schleswig-Holstein - Eutin Castle
- Glücksburg Castle
Thuringia - Kapellendorf Water Castle
Greece Hungary - Sárvár Castle
- Tokaj Castle (ruined)
Italy - Castello Estense
- Castello di Sirmione
- in a broad way, Venice Arsenal
Japan - Imabari Castle
- Nakatsu Castle
- Takamatsu Castle
Netherlands - Cannenburgh Castle
- Hoensbroek Castle
- Muiderslot
- Loevestein
- Ammersoyen Castle
- Kasteel Radboud
- Brederode Castle
Portugal Slovakia - Parič Castle (ruined)
- Šintava Castle (ruined)
- Štítnik Water Castle
- Vranov Castle (vanished)
Slovenia Sweden - Älvsborg Fortress
- Bollerup
- Dybäck Castle
- Ellinge Castle
- Gåsevadholm Castle
- Gripsholm Castle
- Häckeberga Castle
- Hjularyd Castle
- Kalmar Castle
- Krageholm Castle
- Krapperup Castle
- Kronoberg Castle
- Kulla Gunnarstorp Castle
- Landskrona Citadel
- Malmö Castle
- Maltesholm Castle
- Örebro Castle
- Örup Castle
- Osbyholm Castle
- Skabersjö Castle
- Stegeborg Castle
- Strömsholm Palace
- Tosterup Castle
- Trolle-Ljungby Castle
- Trolleholm Castle
- Vadstena Castle
- Vaxholm Fortress
- Vegeholm Castle
- Vibyholm Castle
- Viderup Castle
- Vittskövle Castle
Romania Switzerland - Chillon Castle
- Hallwyl Castle
- Wörth Castle
Turkey United Kingdom England - Bodiam Castle
- Herstmonceux Castle
- Leeds Castle
Scotland - Caerlaverock Castle
- Castle Stalker
- Eilean Donan
Wales - Caerphilly Castle
- Beaumaris Castle
References 1. ^[https://books.google.com/books?id=KEITAQAAIAAJ&q=%22water+castle%22+moat&dq=%22water+castle%22+moat&hl=en&sa=X&ei=EiTMU7_4KczH7AbwvIDACg&ved=0CEMQ6AEwCDgo Great Medieval Castles of Britain] by James L. Forde-Johnston (1979). Retrieved 20 Jul 2014.
External links {{Commons category|Water castles}}{{Fortifications}} 2 : Castles by type|Water castles |