Boldt Castle
Among thousands of large and small islands on the Saint Lawrence River, near Alexandria Bay, New York, USA, Boldt Castle stands out not only for its massive architecture but also for the love imprinted in each wall of the castle. Its owner, George Boldt, "took the trouble" to build it to express his deep love for his wife Louise on Valentine's Day in 1905.
The construction team of the castle consisted of 300 workers, masons, carpenters, and decorators for 5 years, from 1900 to 1905. The Boldt Castle, in the style of medieval and Victorian architecture, has 6 floors, 120 rooms, a system of tunnels, a power plant, an Italian garden, a bridge, a children's playhouse, and a "house" for pigeons. However, the construction of Boldt was left unfinished when George Boldt's wife, Louise, passed away a year before the castle was completed. From then on, George Boldt stopped working on it and never returned to the island that reminded him of that painful loss.
In 1977, the government bought the castle after 73 years of abandonment and destruction by harsh weather for only $1 and restored it. Now, Boldt Castle is a romantic destination for young couples and couples on Valentine's Day and honeymoon.
Swallow's Nest
Swallow's Nest, the symbol of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, southern Ukraine, is one of the most famous romantic castles near Yalta on the Black Sea, built in 1912 in the modern Gothic architectural style.
Sadly, before people could feel the beautiful love like a fairy tale, the castle suffered a great loss. In 1927, a 6-7 magnitude earthquake caused the Aurora rock where the castle is located to crack heavily and forced it to close 40 years later. After being restored, Swallow's Nest became a destination for diners to enjoy "delicacies" and feel the romantic love scene while immersing themselves in the vast space of Cape Ai-Todor and the Black Sea coast at night.
Casa Loma
Coming to the capital of Toronto, the beautiful country of Canada, visitors cannot miss the Casa Loma castle (Spanish for House on the Hill) in Gothic architectural style that Major General Sir Henry Mill Pellatt promised to build for his beautiful wife Mary from 1911 to 1914.
Because of his great love for his wife, Henry did not hesitate to spend a huge amount of 5 million USD at that time (about 65 million USD today) with 300 workers to complete the largest private "house" in Canada, 3 stories high, including 98 rooms with modern interior. But, unfortunately, after only 10 years of living in his dream in the castle of love, Henry had to sell the castle for 1.5 million USD and the furniture for 250 thousand USD because he could not pay the taxes due to the depreciation caused by World War I.
Casa Loma is now a large museum surrounded by a beautiful natural garden - an attractive place for tourists to visit.
Captain's Castle
Located in Cameron town, Oklahoma state, USA, Captain's castle may not be huge in scale and not large in area, but it is considered the greatest evidence hidden inside a beautiful love story.
In fact, JE Reynolds was a blind, extreme chauvinist, so his respect for women and their contributions to him was very “rare”. All views changed since Reynolds was seriously wounded while participating in the American Civil War (1861 - 1865) and narrowly escaped death thanks to the enthusiastic care of the two daughters of Reynolds's confederate officer, and from then on he became a Captain Reynolds with a higher martial spirit than ever and had a romantic ending with his wife Felicity - a descendant of a prominent Choctaw chief. In 1890, he built Reynolds Castle, also known as Captain Castle, as a testament to his love for his beloved wife.
Taj Mahal
Ignoring all the large scale of the area, all the domes, the towering white marble towers that stand the test of weather, ignoring an architectural style that combines the designs of India, Islam and ancient Persia (now the Islamic Republic of Iran) with the sophisticated and skillful details on the interior lines, the Taj Mahal is an architectural building that bears the mark of romantic love, majestic but no less painful in the ancient capital of Agra, Uttar Pradesh state, India.
Simply because it is the mausoleum that Emperor Shah Jahan (1592 - 1666) built for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal to rest after giving birth to Princess Gauhara Begum in 1631. It took 22 years for the entire Taj Mahal to be completed. This place is also the resting place of Shah Jahan after the Emperor passed away.
Kellie's Castle
Kellie's Castle is the oldest castle in Malaysia, built by Scottish plantation manager Kellie William Smith for his wife Agnes before they moved to Malaysia in 1903. In 1915, to celebrate the birth of their first son and to ease Agnes' homesickness, Kellie decided to expand the castle and rename it Kellie's Folly, with a combination of Greek-Roman, Moroccan and Indian architecture.
A Spanish flu pandemic killed 70 construction workers, and with Kellie dying of pneumonia, the remaining workers left Kellie Castle unfinished, leading to many creepy, mysterious rumors surrounding the castle. Today, Kellie Castle is a popular destination for ghost hunters who love adventure and risk.
Thornewood Castle
The love story behind this ancient castle built in the 15th century is different from the stories mentioned above. The owner of the castle, Chester Thorn, built it after he and his wife, Anna, had been together for 20 years. Besides the ancient beauty, the castle is also "decorated" with a giant chess board, reminding of the couple's true and lasting love. Many generations of the Thorne family have lived here.
Today, the entire grounds surrounding the castle garden are where couples get married. But many people still understand that this castle is a gift from Chester Thorn to his beloved Anna. This is a testament to love with the most beautiful ending without loss or separation.
Taj Lake Palace
Taj Lake is a floating palace built on Lake Pichola from 1743 to 1746 in the city of Udaipur, Rajasthan state, India.
The birth of Taj Lake Palace is related to the story of the debauchery of the young prince Singh II. In order to "imprison" his son and his debauchery, Emperor Maharana Udai Singh built a palace on the lake for the prince and his concubines to enjoy the moon. After 3 years of construction, the floating palace was completed with unexpected grandeur and magnificence. Taj Lake is one of the four most magnificent palaces on Lake Pichola. Today, the palace was transformed by King Bhagwat Singh into one of the most luxurious and romantic hotels in the world.
Torrechiara Castle
This is one of the largest castles in beautiful northern Italy, built between 1448 and 1460. Count Pier Maria II Rossi (1413 - 1482) of San Secondo built this magnificent, luxurious castle to express his sincere love for his beloved Bianca Pellegrini.
Situated on a large hillside, Torrechiara Castle was built in the late medieval style, with four large towers and a solid surrounding battlement. The castle's interior is a collection of artistic paintings on the walls and roof, including a drawing of two hearts intertwined with the romantic words "Now and Forever".
Layton Castle
Layton Castle in Utah was not built for true love, but for hate. The story goes that a wife was advised by her mother to divorce her husband and marry someone richer. She listened, and moved with her new husband to Utah, living in a nice house in the valley. But not long after she remarried, her first husband made a lot of money and became rich. Out of love… or hate, he also moved to Utah and built a castle east of Layton – right near her home. From Layton Castle, you could see every house in the valley all the way to the Great Salt Lake… And every time she stood by the sink and looked out the window, she would see her ex-husband’s beautiful castle towering before her eyes. The lesson here is that sometimes you shouldn’t listen to your mother!
In another legend about Utah’s Layton Castle, the structure was built to honor a real-life Cinderella love: Gary Willey, a charming and wealthy young man, fell in love with a beautiful poor girl named Lynda Roundy. They married, but shortly after, Lynda was diagnosed with breast cancer. During a period of remission, Gary vowed to build her the house of her dreams – complete with a swimming pool, tennis court, and a beautiful horse stable. Shortly after construction began, Lynda passed away. Although she did not live to see her dream home completed, her husband completed the castle as planned. Gary later dedicated the castle to his lost love and occasionally gives short tours.
Dobroyd Castle
Built in 1869 in Todmorden, England, Dobroyd Castle was a promise of love and became a honeymoon home.
John Fielden, the son of a wealthy capitalist, fell in love with a simple weaver girl named Ruth Stansfield. Fielden proposed to the girl, but the girl said she would only agree if Fielden built her a castle on the hill. Determined to build a castle for his lover, John Fielden built Dobroyd Castle with 66 luxurious rooms, stables for 17 horses, 4 small towers and a main tower.
Sadly, the magnificent castle did not help their love blossom and have a happy ending. Their love gradually faded over time. When his wife died, Mr. Fielden remarried and became disabled after an accident, having to live the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
Kentucky Castle
Kentucky Castle is located on Versailles Road, between Frankfort and Lexington in the state of Kentucky, USA.
Construction started in 1969, on a total area of 240 m2, the castle was built by Rex Martin to imitate a castle when the two went on their honeymoon in Europe. Unfortunately, they divorced before it was completed. Surrounding the castle are four majestic ramparts with four towers on each side, enclosing the large castle along with a swimming pool and sports field.
In 2004, a lawyer living in Miami, Florida spent nearly 2 million dollars to buy this castle, but a fire burned down the entire castle. In 2008, the entire castle was redesigned, now Kentucky is a destination for all tourists to rest, eat and even hold weddings.
Craigdarroch Castle
Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, British Columbia, was built after Robert Dunsmuir promised that "when he became rich, he would build a new house for his wife, Joan." Dunsmuir commissioned Warren H. Williams and Arthur L. Smith of Portland, Oregon, to design the castle in 1887. Williams died four months after starting the project, but Smith continued and completed the castle. Robert Dunsmuir died in 1889, a year before the castle was completed. The cost of this Victorian castle is estimated at $500,000. The interior woodwork alone filled five train cars from Chicago and cost $32,000.
The original grounds of the castle covered 28 acres. You had to climb 87 steps to reach the top of the tower on the top floor and admire the stunning views below: Victoria Harbor to the west, the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the south, the Olympic Mountains and San Juan Islands to the east, as well as the city of Victoria. The castle covers more than 1,858 m2, spread across 39 rooms over 4.5 floors and featuring 17 fireplaces. The castle's exterior is built of marble, granite, sandstone, terracotta, and Vermont slate in the Romanesque style.
The castle has been designated a National Historic Site of Canada and is currently owned by the Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society. In addition to the 150,000 tourists who visit each year, Craigdarroch Castle has also been used in the films: Little Women (1994), Spooky House (2000) and Cats & Dogs (2001).
Larnach Castle
Standing out on the Otago Peninsula in beautiful New Zealand is the largest, most majestic and magnificent architectural work in the southern hemisphere country - Larnach Castle.
William Larnach built this castle in 1871, and by 1887, along with the ballroom as a gift for his beloved daughter Katie's 21st birthday, the castle was perfectly completed with a total of 43 rooms, a ballroom and a team of 46 professional room service staff. However, this did not really bring happiness to the owner of the castle. And this is the origin of the rumors, obsessions, and horror stories surrounding Larnach.
To this day, Larnach Castle is a popular destination for adventurers, the mysterious and the spooky throughout New Zealand and around the world.
Leeds Castle
Leeds is a castle located near Kent, southeast England. Originally a large Norman fortress (northern Vikings, from Scandinavia), but is better known as a symbol of love located on the peaceful River Len.
King Richard II (1367 - 1400) of England gave Leeds Castle to Queen Anne to show his love for her. The castle was the King's peaceful destination, away from all the troubles and bloodshed from the warlike nobles. Leeds was the castle that many ladies used over the years, from Queen Anne of the United Kingdom, Queen Eleanor to Queen Isabella of King Edward II of France, even King Henry V gave it to his beloved wife, Queen Catherine de Valois. It can be said that Leeds is proof of the love of the kings who devoted their wholehearted love to their wives.
