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Castles in Europe originated from wooden forts meant to lodge garrisons initially, and gradually evolved into structures of stone capable of supporting small armies for extended time periods.

However, if one cares to go for an architectural study of the variety of European castles, one will be surprised to see that each of the European countries developed their architectural style copying from others. One can thus conclude that there was a healthy exchange between all of them, though it went on without any kind of formal agreement between the various parties. However, all of these gave birth to some of the world’s greatest architectural wonders.

A few hundred centuries back, enormous castles glowing in their own magnificence occupied almost the entire green countryside of Europe which stretched from Wales in the west to Italy in the east. It was a time of darkness and grim atmosphere, when battles were fought for the affection and love of women, or for religious domination and search for wealth. In such times, these castles provided the rulers and the men of their respective lands with a sense of security. These castles in Europe were used for a variety of purposes. While some became famous for successfully guarding its subjects and residents against invasion, some others gained fame chiefly as symbols of fear and power, and notoriety as torture chambers. These were not just mansions merely built for protection and for exercising power and supremacy, but also served the purpose of being homes to many, and of being treasure chests containing enormous collections of art and wealth collected from wars won in other countries.

Many of these castles have now turned into ruins, while some, though they have been restored to their former status to an extent, lie simply as symbols of life we look back at with respect and in an awestruck manner. These are the castles which stand as silent witnesses to the pages of the bloody history of Europe. The following list is not just a list of great castles in Europe, but also a guide to the modern tourist who wants to visit the cradles of European powerhouses. Some of these great castles in Europe would be:

1. Burg Forchtenstein, which means the ‘land of castles’. It is often hailed as the biggest and the meanest of castles in the province, with extremely dark and gruesome history of tortures and exploits.
2. La Cite, in Carcassonne, in France, is an entire city that used to be a castle.
3. Heidenreichstein, besides obviously its historic castle has more to offer if one decides to a pay a visit. The tourist not only has the option of checking out the castle, but can also take a ride on the narrow-gauge railroad, besides exploring the Peat Bog Museum and the Moorland.
4. Grinzane in Italy is a tiny town that shaped Italian history to a great extent.

For further information, one can check out the Guide to Europe for Visitors, which includes an illustrated six page castle directory, with lots of articles and photos, web directories and background information.