Fairy Tale Castles You Can Actually Stay In

Whether you’re a royalist or not, there’s no denying there is something special about a royal wedding. For just one day there is the sense you’re getting a glimpse of a bygone era, a peek into our country’s English and European roots and with it, you can’t help but remember those fairy tale notions of kings and queens, princes and princesses living in a glamorous world of riches and grandeur, that many of us had as children. Add to the mix a series of TV shows, books and documentaries that pull back the curtain on the lives of England’s current and longest-reigning monarch, Elizabeth II and and her predecessors, particularly Queen Victoria, and well, it’s all very fascinating, isn’t it?

Prince Harry will marry Hollywood actress Meghan Markle in a few days’ time, so, alas, times have changed. And yet countless Europeans ancient castles still stand as they did centuries ago, oblivious to the changing world around them, and the good news is many of them are available for holiday rentals. Browse our list and gallery below for some of the most gorgeous and indulgent castles currently available for you to stay in and create your own mini, royal reality for a short time. From Scotland to France, Italy to Ireland, we reckon each and every one of them is fit for a king.

Lismore Castle, Ireland

Chateau Aix en Provence, France

Blairquhan, Scotland

Glenapp Castle, Scotland

Chateau Rhone Provence, France

Chateau Avignon Provence, France

Castle Mago, Tuscany, Italy

Villa Cetinale, Tuscany, Italy

Baronial Castle, Scotland

Torre Trasita, Positano, Italy

Chateau Alarie, Loire Valley, France

Thornbury Castle, England

Thorngrove Manor, Adelaide, Australia (Yes, we really have a castle! Ok so it was only built in 1984, but at least you don’t have to leave the country to get your royal fix with this one…)