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Are there real-life castles? |
Wonders
Yes, there are many castles around the world! Most castles were originally built to protect countries from invasions, act as starting points for attacks, and serve as palaces for the countries’ leaders. Some castles or castle-like buildings exist in the United States and Asia, but most castles are in Europe.
European leaders got the idea to build castles many years ago, around the 9th century (during the 800s). That means that lots of castles still standing in Europe are close to 1,000 years old. From that time until now, however, most of the original castles have collapsed or crumbled. Still, Europe has standing remains of several hundred castles!
One of the world's most famous castles, Neuschwanstein, is located in Germany. Neuschwanstein was built in the 1800s under orders from King Louis II, who some people called "Mad Ludwig." The castle took more than a decade to build and was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland in California!
