Castles: Dreams and Reality

With impressive beauty, splendor, and architectural magnificence, castles have been the fascination and the symbol of dreams, and they tell the story of history. They are the connection of the medieval past with present, and they are part of the past that still remains with us. They cast their shadows upon the land like the clouds, and they are places where fairy tales meet reality. They have captured the imagination of many, and they are the grand and glorious homes of royalty; places where Princes and Princesses, and Kings and Queens reside, and knights in their shining silver armor stand in watch and on guard with their sharp silver swords and shields. Many grand castles still remain throughout France, England, Scotland, and Germany.

Some castles possessed draw bridges and large gates and served as fortresses during wars, and as a symbol of power with their strength of structure, and they have been battle grounds for conquerors and used as control regions.

A fantasy land type of castle, Burg Eltz, pictured above, is owned by Dr. Carl Graf von und zu Eltz and located in an enchanting forest in Germany. The beautiful castle, with enormous towers and spires, sits atop a colossal 70 meter rock and is surrounded by the Eltz river. It is one of the few historical castles that remain with us, in spite of a seige from 1331 to 1336.

In 1354, as feudal tenure, Burg Eltz was given by Emperor Charles IV to Elector Balduin. The vassals of Elector were the free knights of Burg Eltz, who gained control of the castle from Balduin.

Lancelot, along with Wilhelm zu Eltz-Rübenach, contributed to the development of part of the Burg Eltz castle, the Rubenach house, in 1472.

The Burg Eltz castle has remained in the possession of the Eltz family for more than 800 years. Within the magnificent interior of Burg Eltz is an impressive knight's hall, in which can be seen The Eltz family coat of arms, along with a display of weapons such as lances and 16th century armor. More than seventy rooms are located within the vast expanses of the glorious castle.

I would like to thank Ron Lyons for allowing me to use his photo of the Burg Eltz castle.

http://www.great-castles.com