🇦🇱 Albania : Gjirokastër Castle / Kalaja e Gjirokastrës Gjirokastra’s castle is one of the biggest in the Balkans, both the castle and city are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is situated on the hilltop overlooking the city, witnessing the history of the whole region across the centuries. The date for building this fortification is still unclear. According to archaeologists, the place had been inhabited since IV-V century. However the first walls of this citadel were built between 12th -13th centuries. According to historians, the decision to build this fortification came after the fall of Hadrianopolis. 🇦🇲 Armenia : Black Fortress / Sev Berd Black fortress is located in Gyumri city. It was built by the order of Russian Emperor Nicholas I after the war between Turkey and Russia during 1828-1829. It had a strategic importance for the victory over Turkey. The fortress is round shaped and is made of black stones, from which it got its name. It is now a national cultural heritage monument in Armenia. 🇦🇹 Austria : Artstetten Castle / Schloss Artstetten Originally built in the 13th century, Artstetten Castle was the home and burial place of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (heir to the Habsburg empire) and his wife, Sophie. Their assassinations began a series of events that led to the start of World War I. The Archduke remodelled the castle and its pitched roof was replaced in 1912 with a series of onion domes. 🇦🇽 Åland : Bomarsund's Fortress / Bomarsunds Fästning Bomarsund's fortress was once Åland's most magnificent building. The fortress was built by the Russian military as an important outpost towards the west. During the Crimean War in 1854, the fortress was destroyed, but even today the remains bear witness to a large-scale fortified area with impressive visions. Scattered across the landscape are also traces from residential areas and burial grounds. Request : https://feedback.slowly.app/stamp-requests/p/aland-islands-bomarsunds-fastningfortress 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan : Maiden Tower / Namerdgala Namerd Gala, also known as the Maiden Tower is a marvelous medieval fortress in Gadabay's Sudlu village. There is no exact data on the construction of the fortress. Nobody knows why it was built, however, some researchers suggest that the fortress was constructed in the 12th century. 🇧🇦 Bosnia-Herzegovina : Ostrožac Castle / Tvrđava Ostrožac Ostrožac Fortress is a castle located in Ostrožac. The castle dates back to the 16th century when the Ottomans founded the Ottoman province of Bosnia. A small addition was made to the castle between 1900 and 1906 for unconfirmed members of the Habsburg family. As of November 8, 2013, the Ostrožac Fortress is on the list of national monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 🇧🇪 Belgium : Borrekens Castle / Kasteel de Borrekens Borrekens Castle was built around 1270 by the Van Rotselaar family. They built this square water castle in a swampy area, close to the road Antwerp-Turnhout which was probably a part of the trade route to Cologne in Germany. During the 17th century the castle was rebuilt by the Proost family. 🇧🇬 Bulgaria : Baba Vida / Баба Вида Baba Vida is the only medieval fortress that’s been preserved in its original form. It is located on the great bend of the Danube River in the city. The fortress served as the main defensive installation of Vidin during the Middle Ages and acted as the most important fortress in northwest Bulgaria. Request : https://feedback.slowly.app/stamp-requests/p/baba-vida-fortress 🇧🇾 Belarus : Nesvizh Castle / Нясвіжскі замак The palace was built in the 16th century by the Radziwill family, it is also an UNESCO World Heritage. It reflects the history of Belarus and the region around it. The family invited Italian architect, Giovanni Bernardoni, to design the castle. As a result it has a distinct Italian style, largely influenced by the early baroque period. Having been rebuilt several times, the palace features a number of other architectural styles as well including renaissance, classicism, neo-gothic, rococo and modernism. 🇨🇭 Switzerland : Castelgrande Castelgrand, is along Montebello and Sasso Corbaro part of the Castles of Bellinzona, they are a group of fortifications composed of fortified walls and three castles and which are an UNESCO World Heritage Site. 🇨🇾 Cyprus : Kyrenia Castle / Κάστρο της Κερύνειας - Girne Kalesi First built in Roman times, Kyrenia Castle was later fortified by the Byzantines and enlarged by the Lusignans. Most of the castle building which can be seen today, however, dates back to the 1480s when Cyprus was under Venetian rule. 🇨🇿 Czechia : Karlstejn Castle / Hrad Karlštejn Karlstejn Castle was built by Emperor Charles IV from 1348 to 1357 to safeguard the crown jewels of the Holy Roman Empire. The most unique is the Chapel of Holy Cross with walls inlaid by semi-precious stones and gold and 128 panel paintings of saints from the workshop of Master Theodorik. These panel paintings make one of the largest collections of the Gothic panel paintings in the world. Request : https://feedback.slowly.app/stamp-requests/p/european-castles-stamp-series 🇩🇪 Germany : Eltz Castle / Burg Eltz Eltz Castle is different. It remained unscathed by wars. It has been owned and cared for by the same family from when it was built until today. Its architecture has no comparison and many of the original furnishings of the past eight centuries still remain in place. It houses rustic suits of armour, swords and halberds as well as magnificent courtly gold and silver artefacts. 🇩🇰 Denmark : Frederiksborg Castle / Frederiksborg Slot Frederiksborg Castle was built by King Christian IV in the early decades of the 17th century and is the largest Renaissance complex in the Nordic region. The aim of the building was to show off and enhance Christian IV’s status as a powerful European monarch. 🇪🇪 Estonia : Kadriorg Palace / Kadrioru Loss Kadriorg Palace was founded by Russian Tsar Peter I in 1718. The palace was named Kadriorg in honour of his wife Catherine I. The palace designed by Italian architect Nicola Michetti with its magnificent main hall is one of the most beautiful examples of Baroque architecture in Estonia and in Northern Europe as a whole. The lovely Roman Baroque palace is surrounded by a garden of fountains, hedges, and flowerbeds, modelled on Versailles. 🏴 England : Arundel Castle Arundel Castle is a great Norman and medieval fortification, built after 1067 to the same plan and at the same time as Windsor. Its revival as a country house in the late-Georgian era added one of the most original and best-preserved Gothic interiors, while the late 19th-century reconstruction of the residential part makes it the largest and grandest Victorian house in England. 🇬🇧 Northern Ireland : Dunluce Castle Dunluce Castle dates back to the 13th century. Around this time, Richard Óg de Burgh had a first version of the castle built. Built on the edge of the cliffs, the building is strategically placed to monitor the ocean and approaching ships. It was in 1513, when the castle passed into the hands of the McQuillan family, that Dunluce Castle began to acquire the buildings we know today. 🏴 Scotland : Glamis Castle Glamis has been the ancestral seat to the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne since King Robert II granted the Thanage of Glamis to Sir John Lyon in 1372. Once host to Mary, Queen of Scots, Glamis is said to have inspired one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Macbeth. 🏴 Wales : Conwy Castle Conwy Castle was built by King Edward 1 in four years from 1283-1287, and captured by Owain Glyndwr in 1403. The castle was part of many castles built during King Edward’s reign, including Beaumaris, Caernarfon, and Harlech Castles. These incredible historical fortresses are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 🇪🇦 Spain : Bellver Castle / Castell de Bellver Castell de Bellver, in Majorcan meaning "beautiful view", started to be build in 1300 by mandate of King James II, who wished to erect a palace-fortress for potential refuge in the case of an attack on the island. The project advanced quickly, and in only nine years, the architectural phase was completed, the ornamentation extended over the following years. 🇫🇮 Finland : St. Olaf's Castle / Olavinlinna The construction of Olavinlinna Castle began in 1475. The Danish-born founder of the castle, knight Erik Axelsson Tott, decided that a powerful fortification should be built to protect the strategically important Savonia region. The castle was to repel Russian attacks from the east and to guarantee the control of the Savonia region for the Swedish Crown. 🇫🇷 France : Chantilly Castle / Château de Chantilly The Château de Chantilly is one of the finest jewels in the crown of France’s cultural heritage. It is the work of a man with an extraordinary destiny: Henri d’Orléans, Duke of Aumale, son of the last King of France, Louis-Philippe. This prince, who is considered to be the greatest collector of his time, made Chantilly the showcase for his countless masterpieces and precious manuscripts. The Château survived down through the centuries and remains as it was when the Duke of Aumale gave it as a gift it to the Institut de France in 1886, making it the perfect place to take a journey back in time to the heart of a princely residence. In tribute to his illustrious predecessors, the Princes of Condé, the Duke of Aumale called the series of rooms housing his collection the “Condé Museum”. 🇬🇪 Georgia : Petra Fortress / პეტრას ციხე Long before Georgia existed as the nation it is today, the Byzantine Empire had a presence here. The fortress city, named Justinian’s City and known today as Petra was built in 535 and connected western Georgia to the Byzantine provinces, and controlled all of the ships sailing along the eastern coast of the Black Sea. 🇬🇷 Greece : Palace of the Grand Master / Παλάτι του Μεγάλου Μαγίστρου The Palace of the Grand Master, the administrative center of the Order of the Knights of Saint John, is probably the most significant monument of the medieval history of Rhodes and its occupation by the Knights. It was restored during the Italian occupation (the 1930s). 🇭🇺 Hungary : Visegrad Citadel / Visegrádi Fellegvár One of the most iconic elements of the vista of the Danube Bend is the castle rising out of the steep mountainside above Visegrád. From within its walls we can marvel at the breathtaking view of the city below and the serpentine of the Danube in front of the lush, mountainous landscape. As one of Hungary’s largest fortifications, its size and splendor were considered exceptional even at the time of its building, in 1250. 🇮🇪 Ireland : Bunratty Castle Built around 1425, Bunratty Castle was the stronghold of the O'Brien Clan, High Kings of Munster and later Earls of Thomond who ruled the region. The site on which Bunratty Castle stands was in origin a Viking trading camp in 970. The present structure is the last of four castles to be built on the site. 🇮🇹 Italy : Castel Del Monte Castel del Monte was built by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in the 13th century. It was built in an octagonal shape, with each of the eight corners sporting an octagonal tower. This makes the geometric design of this fortress unique, certainly at that time. It was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1996, and it is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Southern Italy. Request : https://feedback.slowly.app/stamp-requests/p/european-castles-stamp-series 🇭🇷 Croatia : Veliki Tabor The fort of Veliki Tabor is one of the most important cultural and historical monuments of secular architecture in continental Croatia, with a unique monumental and authentic fortification structure. Situated at the top of Mount Košnički Hum, at 333 meters above sea level, it has dominated the Zagorje area for over half a millennium, during which time the architecture has blended in with nature. The impressive view from Veliki Tabor stretches over the entire Hrvatsko Zagorje area and part of Slovenia. 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan : Shymkent Citadel / Цитадель старого города Шымкент Shymkent's ancient citadel has become an increasingly popular destination. The current excavation and reconstruction of the citadel is based on the fortress during the Khanate of Kokand from 1810 till 1864. In this time the fortress was a important military base for the Khanate and the Khans of Kokand improved the fortification of the towers, walls and military equipment to became a well-armed military base. 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein : Gutenberg Castle / Burg Gutenberg Gutenberg Castle is a preserved castle in the town of Balzers, Liechtenstein, the center of the municipality of Balzers. Gutenberg is one of five castles in the principality and one of two that have survived preserved to this day. Unlike Vaduz Castle in Vaduz, Gutenberg Castle does not serve as the residence of Liechtenstein's princely family and is open to the public as a museum. 🇱🇹 Lithuania : Trakai Island Castle / Trakų Salos Pilis The castle was built in the 14th century and served as a residence for the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, it is famous for its gothic architecture and its special location – it stands on an island on Lake Galve, one of the deepest lakes in Lithuania. The view of the historic structure is straight out of a fairy tale. 🇱🇺 Luxembourg : Vianden Castle / Veianer Buerg Vianden Castle was constructed between the 11th and 14th centuries on the foundations of a Roman ‘castellum’ and a Carolingian refuge. It is one of the largest and most beautiful feudal residences of the romanesque and gothic periods in Europe. Until the beginning of the 15th century it was the seat of the influential counts of Vianden who could boast their close connections to the Royal Family of France and the German imperial court. 🇱🇻 Latvia : Turaida Castle / Turaidas Pils Construction of the Turaida stone castle was started in 1214. Until the end of the 16th century, it served as a residence of Archbishops of Riga who that ruled lands. The word "Turaida" can be poetically translated from the Liv language as "God's Garden". 🇲🇩 Moldova : Soroca Fort / Cetatea Soroca The city has its origin in the medieval Genoese trade post of Olchionia, or Alchona. It is known for its well-preserved stronghold, established by the Moldavian Prince Stephen the Great in 1499. The original wooden fort, which defended a ford over the Dniester, was an important link in the chain of fortifications which comprised four forts on the Dniester, two forts on the Danube and three forts on the north border of medieval Moldova. It was restored in-between 2013 and 2015 🇲🇪 Montenegro : Kanli Kula Fortress / Канли кула Kanli Kula was built by the Turks in 1539. The Venetians made various repairs and additions in 1687, soon after conquering Herceg Novi. Inside the castle there was a well preserved water cistern. At some stage it lost its original purpose and became a prison, and was thereafter called “Bloody Tower“. The inside of the Kanli Tower was restored into an open-air amphitheater in 1966. It seats over 1000 spectators, and has hosted many cultural events and festivals. 🇲🇰 North Macedonia : Samuel's Fortress / Самуилова тврдина Samuel's Fortress is a fortress in the old town of Ohrid. It was the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire during the rule of Tsar Samuel of Bulgaria at the turn of the 11th century. Today, this historical monument is a major tourist attraction. According to recent excavations by Macedonian archaeologists, it was contended that this fortress was built on the place of an earlier fortification, dated to the 4th century BC, which was probably built by King Philip II of Macedon. During the late 900s, King Samuil of Bulgaria restored the fortress by rebuilding it into a medieval style stronghold which still stands as is today. 🇲🇹 Malta : Fortifications of Mdina / Is-Swar tal-Imdina Mdina, the former capital of Malta, has been fortified since antiquity, but the majority of the present fortifications were built by the Order of Saint John between the 16th and 18th centuries. The city walls have survived completely intact except for some outworks, and are among the best preserved fortifications in Malta. Mdina has been on Malta's tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1998. 🇳🇱 Netherlands : Hoensbroek Castle / Kasteel Hoensbroek Hoensbroek Castle was recently voted as the most beautiful castle in the Netherlands. It sure has a formidable appearance, with its fortifications, imposing towers and giant moat. Located on important trading routes, this 14th century castle became one of the largest between the Meuse and the Rhine rivers. 🇳🇴 Norway : The Royal Palace / Det Kongelige Slott The construction of the palace began in the early 19th century, precisely in 1824, and it took twenty years to complete, finishing in 1844. It became one of the grandest palaces in the country. The first Norwegian king to reside in the palace was King Oscar I. Notably, King Oscar had not yet ascended to the throne when he lived in the palace, considering it the family's residence before assuming the throne. Request : https://feedback.slowly.app/stamp-requests/p/norway-the-royal-palace 🇵🇱 Poland : Wawel Royal Castle / Zamek Królewski na Wawelu The Wawel Royal Castle was the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world. Wawel is a limestone hill in the centre of Krakow upon the Vistula River with a complex of impressive historical monuments of unique historical and artistic values. This extraordinary sanctuary determines the Poles’ identity, is their national and cultural symbol. Wawel used to be the seat of Polish rulers, their necropolis and place where the Polish history took shape. 🇵🇹 Portugal : Pena Palace / Palácio da Pena Pena Palace is part of the UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape in Sintra and has been described as Europe's most Romantic-style castle. It started getting built in 1819, architecturally it is a potpourri of styles spanning many continents and ages from Gothic, to Renaissance, to Moorish. Request : https://feedback.slowly.app/stamp-requests/p/portugal-pena-palace-sintra-palacio-da-pena 🇷🇴 Romania : Peleș Castle / Castelul Peleș Commissioned by King Carol I in 1873 and completed in 1883, Peles castle served as the summer residence of Romania's royal family, until 1947. Peles castle's 160 rooms are adorned with the fine European art: paintings by great artists, Murano crystal chandeliers, German stained-glass windows and Cordoba leather-covered walls. Each room is decorated in a different style or theme. Request : https://feedback.slowly.app/stamp-requests/p/romania-more-locantion-based-stamps 🇷🇸 Serbia : Smederevo Fortress / Cмeдepeвcκa твpђaвa The Smederevo Fortress is one of the largest fortifications in the south-east Europe. As a defence system, it is an extraordinary example of a cold weapons defence fortification and the best creation in the mediaeval military architecture. Its special feature is reflected in a choice of this particular location. Unlike the steep, inaccessible land areas, which found its use in the Middle Ages, here a flat plateau along the river bank was chosen. It was built by the cousin of the great despot Stefen Lazarević in 1428. 🇷🇺 Russia : The Fortifications of Derbent / Дербентская стена The Fortifications of Derbent are one of the fortified defense lines built by the Persian Sasanian Empire to protect the eastern passage of the Caucasus Mountains (the "Caspian Gates") against the attacks of the nomadic peoples of the Pontic–Caspian steppe. Built in the 6th century during the reign of Persian emperor Khosrow I and maintained by various later Arab, Turkish and Persian regimes. The fortification complex was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. 🇸🇪 Sweden : Drottningholm Palace / Drottningholms Slott Drottningholm Palace is Sweden's best-preserved royal palace constructed in the seventeenth century, the permanent residence of the royal family, and one of Stockholm's three World Heritage Sites. The palace was constructed in the 1600s according to a French prototype by the architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder, by the commission of Queen Hedvig Eleonora. 🇸🇮 Slovenia : Bled Castle / Blejski Grad First mentioned in the year 1011, it is officially the oldest castle in Slovenia. Bled Castle is situated on top of Castle Hill directly above Lake Bled and is the most well-known and visited tourist attraction in Bled. The restored mediaeval castle delivers magnificent views of Bled and its surroundings. Request : https://feedback.slowly.app/stamp-requests/p/slovenia-lake-bled 🇸🇰 Slovakia : Spiš Castle / Spišský Hrad The ruins of Spiš Castle is one of the largest castle sites in Central Europe. It was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1993. It was built in the 12th century on the site of an earlier castle. It was the political, administrative, economic and cultural centre of Szepes County of the Kingdom of Hungary. Before 1464, it was owned by the kings of Hungary, afterwards (until 1528) by the Zápolya family, the Thurzó family (1531–1635), the Csáky family (1638–1945), аnd (since 1945) by the state of Czechoslovakia then Slovakia. Request : https://feedback.slowly.app/stamp-requests/p/unesco-heritage-sites-of-slovakia 🇹🇷 Türkiye : Mamure Castle / Mamure Kalesi Mamure Castle is over 1500 years old and ranks among the best-preserved Medieval Castles on the Mediterranean coast. It is an authentic medieval fortification with styles from different conquering armies; the Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, Karamanids and Ottomans. Thus, it represents the culture of these civilizations. Besides, it has perfect location for defence as it is dominating visually the surrounding landscape and the sea. 🇺🇦 Ukraine : Khotyn Fortress / Хотинська фортеця The Khotyn Fortress famous for its unique architecture and very long and dramatic history. Its history dates to the late 10th century when Kyiv Prince Volodymyr the Great built a fort on the Dniester bank as a defensive border outpost for his newly expanded state of Kyiv Rus. The fort that protected the small township of craftsmen and merchants and the ferry across the Dniester was soon rebuilt into a stone fortress. 🇽🇰 Kosovo : Zvečan Fortress / Тврђава Звечан - Kalaja e Zveçanit Set at 740 m above sea level, on top of an extinct volcano, this fortress has watched over the Ibar valley for centuries. First mentioned in the 10th century, it was then a stronghold of the Bulgarian emperor Simeon I (893-927). In the 980s, it passed into the hands of the Serbian princes of Rascia, who made it a border post. Requests missing from previous batch : https://feedback.slowly.app/stamp-requests/p/missing-european-castles-first-batch
