Top Gothic Castles and Palaces in Europe

The origin of Gothic architecture harks back to the beginning of the medieval period. A group of Germanic peoples called the Goths defeated the western Roman empire and went on building their own kingdom across western and central Europe. Though they were praised for their victory over the Romans yet the Goths would adopt their artistic traditions and culture. After sacking the western Roman empire, the Goths migrated to Gaul (France) and Iberia. They formed the Visigothic Kingdom and practice Catholic Christianity.

They started building distinctive towering castles, palaces, and cathedrals which today has become a legacy of their own. Gigantic pointed arches, intricate rib vault, flying buttress and detailed tracery are some of the key features of Gothic architecture. The idea of building these towering buildings was to show their dominance but also to allow as much natural light to penetrate the interior of the building. Unlike how they would normally be seen as ‘barbarians’, the Goths were certainly a group of ancient people who gave much importance to delicate aesthetic when it comes to architecture. For instance, their stained-glass window panels gave the interior of the Gothic building an exquisite look.

Interestingly, their predominant pointed arch and rib vaults were taken inspiration from the pre-Islamic and Islamic architectures in the Near East. Eventually, the early Gothic architecture evolved to Flamboyant and Neo-Gothic style.

Below we have made a list of some of the top Gothic castles and palaces in Europe: