A water castle, sometimes water-castle, is a

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

which incorporates a natural or artificial body of water into its defences.Forde-Johnston (1979), p. 163. It can be entirely surrounded by water-filled

moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch dug around a castle, fortification, building, or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. Moats can be dry or filled with water. In some places, moats evolved into more extensive water d ...

s (moated castle) or natural waterbodies such as island castles in a river or offshore. The term comes from European castle studies, mainly German ''Burgenkunde''. Some interpretations of the category emphasise that the use of water extends beyond a defensive purpose.Plowman (2005), p. 44. When stately homes were built in such a location, or a Wasserburg was later rebuilt as a residential manor, the German term becomes Wasserschloss, lit. "water palace/manor".

Description

Forde-Johnston describes such a site as "a castle in which water plays a prominent part in the defences." Apart from hindering attackers, an abundant supply of water was also an advantage during a

siege A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...

. Topographically, such structures are a type of low-lying castle. Such a castle usually had only one entrance, which was via a

drawbridge A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word ''drawbridge'' commonly refers to all types of moveable b ...

and that could be raised for protection in the event of an attack. There is a further distinction between: * castles that are protected by artificial water-filled moats or man-made

pond A pond is a small, still, land-based body of water formed by pooling inside a depression (geology), depression, either naturally or artificiality, artificially. A pond is smaller than a lake and there are no official criteria distinguishing ...

s, i.e. moated castles * castles whose primary means of protection is from natural water bodies such as river courses, or which stand on islands or peninsulas in a natural marshland, pond, lake or sea. Island castles and marsh castles are such examples.

Legacy

In many places in

Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...

castles that had formerly been fortified changed their role or were converted over the course of time so that they became largely representational and residential buildings. The characteristic moats thus lost their original security function, but were retained in some cases as an element of

landscaping Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including the following: # Living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly called gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal ...

. Today, in monument conservation circles, they are often described as burdensome, cost-intensive "historic legacies" because of the water damage caused to their foundations. As a result, many moats around castles in Germany have been drained, or more rarely filled, especially since the 1960s. In Germany, the ''Wasserburgroute'' or "Water Castle Route" has been established in the triangle formed by the cities of

Aachen Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants. Aachen is locat ...

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

and

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

which links 120 castles and palaces.''Water Castles Route''
at nrw-tourism.com. Retrieved 12 March 2021.

Examples

Austria

Franzensburg Franzensburg is a medieval style castle in Laxenburg, Lower Austria, Austria. Built between 1801 and 1836, it was named in memory of the last Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II, who died in 1835. History The Fran ...

Baltic

* Āraiši (''Arrasch'') *

Trakai Island Castle Trakai Island Castle () is an island castle located in Trakai, Lithuania, on an island in Lake Galvė. The construction of the stone castle was begun in the 14th century by Kęstutis, and around 1409 major works were completed by his son Vyta ...

Belgium

* Wijnendale Castle

Czech Republic

* Blatná Castle * Červená Lhota Castle *

Švihov Castle Švihov Castle (; ) is a Gothic water castle in Švihov in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is ...

Denmark

* Egeskov Castle * Spøttrup Castle

Finland

Kajaani Castle The Kajaani Castle (, , ''Kajaneborgs slott'', older spelling ''Cajanaborg'') is a ruined fortress built of granite in Kajaani. The castle was built in the early 17th century on an islet in the Kajaani River, between the Ämmäkoski and Koivuko ...

Olavinlinna Olavinlinna (), also known as St. Olaf's Castle, is a 15th-century three-tower castle located in Savonlinna, Finland. It is built on an island in the Kyrönsalmi strait that connects the lakes Haukivesi and Pihlajavesi (Saimaa), Pihlajavesi. It is ...

France

Please notice that in French "", literally 'water castle', means

water tower A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system, distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towe ...

. * Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil * Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers * Château de Pirou *

Château du Plessis-Bourré Château du Plessis-Bourré is a château in the Loire Valley in France, situated in the Commune in France, commune of Écuillé in the Maine-et-Loire department. Built in less than 5 years from 1468 to 1472 by Finance Minister Jean Bourré, the ...

* Château de Trécesson * Château de Suscinio * Château de Sully * Château de Sully-sur-Loire

Germany

Baden-Württemberg

* Bad Rappenau Water Castle * Inzlingen Castle

Bavaria

* Brennhausen * Irmelshausen * Kleinbardorf *

Mespelbrunn Castle Mespelbrunn Castle is a late-medieval/early-Renaissance moated castle on the territory of the town of Mespelbrunn, between Frankfurt and Würzburg, built in a tributary valley of the Elsava valley, within the Spessart forest. It is a popular to ...

* Schloss Reichersbeuern

Berlin

* Köpenick Palace *

Spandau Citadel The Spandau Citadel () is a fortress in Berlin, Germany, one of the best-preserved Renaissance military structures of Europe. Built from 1559–94 atop a medieval fort on an island near the meeting of the Havel and the Spree, it was design ...

Brandenburg

Plattenburg Plattenburg is a municipality in the Prignitz district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is named after the water castle of Plattenburg which is located in the district. Demography File:Bevölkerungsentwicklung Plattenburg.pdf, Development of popu ...

in the

Prignitz Prignitz () is a ''Kreis'' (district) in northwestern Brandenburg, in northeastern Germany. Neighboring districts, clockwise from the north, are Ludwigslust-Parchim (in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Ostprignitz-Ruppin (Brandenburg), Stendal (dist ...

Wolfsburg Castle The Wolfsburg is a medieval lowland castle, lowland and water castle in North Germany that was first mentioned in the records in 1302, but has since been turned into a Renaissance ''schloss'' or palace. It is located in eastern Lower Saxony in th ...

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Schwerin Castle Schwerin Castle (, also known as ''Schwerin Palace'', ( or ) is a 19th-century ''Schloss'' built in the historicist style located in the city of Schwerin, the capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state, Germany. It is situated on an island in the ...

North Rhine-Westphalia

* Benrath House in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...

* Burgau Castle * Darfeld Castle * Gimborn Castle * Haus Kemnade in

Bochum Bochum (, ; ; ; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 372,348 (April 2023), it is the sixth-largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) in North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous German federa ...

* Morsbroich Castle in

Leverkusen Leverkusen () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the south, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne, and to the north the state capital, Düsseldorf. The city is part of the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan ...

* Moyland Castle in

Bedburg-Hau Bedburg-Hau is a municipality in the district of Kleve in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located approximately 5 km south-east of Kleve. One of its main attractions is Museum Schloss Moyland, a castle with a museum of ...

* Nordkirchen Palace * Rheydt Palace * Dyck Palace * Vischering Castle * Wilkinghege Water Castle in

Münster Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...

* Wittringen Castle in

Gladbeck Gladbeck () is a town in the district of Recklinghausen (district), Recklinghausen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Gladbeck is quite a young town, first recognised 21 July 1919 when it was given town rights. The town established itself aroun ...

* Lembeck Castle

Rhineland-Palatinate

* Alte Burg (Boppard) * Alte Burg (Koblenz)

Saarland

* Gustavsburg in Homburg * Kerpen Castle near Illingen

Saxony

Moritzburg Castle Moritzburg Castle () or Moritzburg Palace is a Baroque palace in Moritzburg, in the German state of Saxony, about northwest of the Saxon capital, Dresden. The castle has four round towers and lies on a symmetrical artificial island. It is name ...

* Hainewalde Water Castle

Saxony-Anhalt

* Calvörde Castle * Köthen Castle * Reinharz Water Castle * Flechtingen water castle

Schleswig-Holstein

* Eutin Castle *

Glücksburg Castle Glücksburg Castle (German: Schloss Glücksburg, Danish language, Danish: ''Lyksborg Slot'') is one of the most significant Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. The castle was the headquarters of the ducal lines of the house of Glücksburg an ...

Thuringia

* Kapellendorf Water Castle

Greece

* Bourtzi * Methoni Castle

Hungary

* Sárvár Castle * Tokaj Castle (ruined)

Indonesia

* Taman Sari Water Castle

Italy

Castello Estense The ' ('House of Este, Este castle') or ' ('St. Michael's castle') is a moated medieval castle in the center of Ferrara, northern Italy. It consists of a large block with four corner towers. History On 3 May 1385, the Ferrarese people, driven ...

* Castello di

Sirmione Sirmione (Brescian: ; ) is a comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy (northern Italy). It is bounded by Desenzano del Garda (Lombardy) and Peschiera del Garda in the province of Verona and the region of Veneto. It has a historical centre ...

* in a broad way, Venice Arsenal

Japan

* Imabari Castle * Nakatsu Castle * Takamatsu Castle

Lebanon

Sidon Sea Castle Sidon's Sea Castle () was built by the crusaders in the thirteenth century as a fortress of the Holy Land. It is one of the most prominent historical sites in the port city of Sidon, Lebanon. History The city of Sidon is located on the Mediterran ...

Netherlands

* Cannenburgh Castle * Hoensbroek Castle *

Muiderslot Muiden Castle (Dutch: ''Muiderslot'', ) is a castle in the Netherlands, located at the mouth of the Vecht (Utrecht), Vecht river, some 15 kilometers southeast of Amsterdam, in Muiden, where it flows into what used to be the Zuiderzee. It is one o ...

* Loevestein * Ammersoyen Castle * Kasteel Radboud * Brederode Castle

Poland

* Lidzbark Castle * Oporów Castle *

Szydłowiec Szydłowiec (; ; ) is a town in Szydłowiec County, Mazovian Voivodeship, south-central Poland, with 5,243 inhabitants (31 December 2005). It is the seat of Gmina Szydłowiec (commune). Szydłowiec is part of the historic region of Lesser Polan ...

Castle

Portugal

Belém Tower Belém Tower (, ; literally: Bethlehem Tower), officially the Tower of Vincent of Saragossa, Saint Vincent () is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers a ...

Slovakia

* Parič Castle (ruined) * Šintava Castle (ruined) * Štítnik Water Castle * Vranov Castle (vanished)

Slovenia

* Otočec Castle

Sweden

* Älvsborg Fortress * Bollerup * Dybäck Castle * Ellinge Castle * Gåsevadholm Castle *

Gripsholm Castle Gripsholm Castle () is a castle in Mariefred, Södermanland, Sweden. It is located by lake Mälaren in south central Sweden, in the municipality of Strängnäs, about 60 km west of Stockholm. Since Gustav I Vasa, Gripsholm has belonged ...

* Häckeberga Castle * Hjularyd Castle *

Kalmar Castle Kalmar Castle () is a castle in the city Kalmar in the province of Småland in Sweden. History During the twelfth century a round defensive tower was built on Kalmarsund and a harbour constructed. At the end of the thirteenth century King M ...

* Krageholm Castle * Krapperup Castle * Kronoberg Castle * Kulla Gunnarstorp Castle * Landskrona Citadel *

Malmö Castle Malmö Castle () is a Middle Ages, medieval castle located on ''Slottsholmen'' ("Castle islet") in Malmö, Sweden. It was built between 1526 and 1539. Malmö Castle is part of The Malmö Museum. It is owned by the Swedish state and managed by ...

* Maltesholm Castle * Örebro Castle *

Örup Castle Örup Castle () is a castle in Tomelilla Municipality, Scania, in southern Sweden. Located a few kilometers south of Tomelilla Tomelilla () is a locality and the seat of Tomelilla Municipality in Skåne County, Sweden with 6,444 inhabitants in ...

* Osbyholm Castle * Skabersjö Castle * Stegeborg Castle *

Strömsholm Palace Strömsholm Palace, sometimes called Strömsholm Castle (), is a Sweden, Swedish royal palace. The baroque palace is built on the site of a fortress from the 1550s, located on an island in the Kolbäcksån river at the west end of Lake Mälaren. T ...

* Tosterup Castle * Trolle-Ljungby Castle * Trolleholm Castle *

Vadstena Castle Vadstena Castle () is a former Royal Castle in Vadstena, the province of Östergötland,Sweden. History Vadstena Castle was originally built by King Gustav I in 1545 as a fortress to protect Stockholm from enemies approaching from the south. Th ...

* Vaxholm Fortress * Vegeholm Castle * Vibyholm Castle * Viderup Castle * Vittskövle Castle The Castle and the Mountain

Romania

* Făgăraş Castle *

Oradea Oradea (, , ; ; ) is a city in Romania, located in the Crișana region. It serves as the administrative county seat, seat of Bihor County and an economic, social, and cultural hub in northwestern Romania. The city lies between rolling hills on ...

fortress

Switzerland

* Bottmingen Castle * Chillon Castle * Hagenwil Castle * Hallwyl Castle * Wörth Castle * Wyher Castle

Turkey

Kızkalesi (castle) Kızkalesi () is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Erdemli, Mersin Province, Turkey. Its population is 1,781 (2022). Before the 2013 Turkish local government reorganisation, 2013 reorganisation, it was a town (''belde''). The to ...

, formerly Gramvoussa (Greek) and Gorygos (Armenian)

United Kingdom

England

Bodiam Castle Bodiam Castle () is a 14th-century moated castle near Robertsbridge in East Sussex, England. It was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III of England, Edward III, with the permission of Richard II of England, R ...

Caister Castle Caister Castle is a 15th-century moated castle situated in the parish of West Caister, some north of the town of Great Yarmouth in the English county of Norfolk (). The castle had a 100 ft (33 m) high tower and was built between 1432 and ...

Framlingham Castle Framlingham Castle is a castle in the market town of Framlingham, Suffolk, England. An early motte and bailey or ringwork Norman castle was built on the Framlingham site by 1148, but this was destroyed (Slighting, slighted) by Henry II of Engl ...

Herstmonceux Castle Herstmonceux Castle is a brick-built castle, dating from the 15th century, near Herstmonceux, East Sussex, England. It is one of the oldest significant brick buildings still standing in England. The castle was renowned for being one of the fi ...

Kenilworth Castle Kenilworth Castle is a castle in the town of Kenilworth in Warwickshire, England, managed by English Heritage; much of it is in ruins. The castle was founded after the Norman Conquest of 1066; with development through to the Tudor period. It ...

(moat drained) *

Leeds Castle Leeds Castle is a castle in Kent, England, southeast of Maidstone. It is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds and is a historic Grade I listed estate. A castle has existed on the site s ...

Scotland

* Caerlaverock Castle *

Castle Stalker Castle Stalker () is a four-storey tower house or keep in the Scottish county of Argyll. It is set on a tidal islet on Loch Laich, an inlet off Loch Linnhe. It is about north-east of Port Appin and is visible from the A828 road about midway b ...

Eilean Donan Eilean Donan () is a small tidal island situated at the confluence of three sea lochs ( Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh) in the western Highlands of Scotland, about from the village of Dornie. It is connected to the mainland by a footbrid ...

Wales

Caerphilly Castle Caerphilly Castle () is a medieval castle, fortification in Caerphilly in South Wales. The castle was constructed by Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Gloucester, Gilbert de Clare in the 13th century as part of his campaign to maintain control of ...

Beaumaris Castle Beaumaris Castle ( ; , ), in Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales, was built as part of Edward I of England, Edward I's Conquest of Wales by Edward I of England, campaign to conquer north Wales after 1282. Plans were probably first made to construct t ...

Notes

References

Citations

General

* * Fry, Plantagenet Somerset (1996). ''Castles of Britain and Ireland: The Ultimate Reference Book''. David & Charles. * Gothein, Marie Luise Schroeter and Walter P. Wright (2014). ''A History of Garden Art''. Cambridge: CUP. * Kaufmann, J. E. and H.W. Kaufmann (2004) ''The Medieval Fortress: Castles, Forts and Walled Cities of the Middle Ages''. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo. * Lepage, Jean-Denis (2023). ''Dictionary of Fortifications: An Illustrated Glossary of Castles, Forts and Other Defensive Works from Antiquity to the Present Day.'' Barnsley, UK and Havertown, PA, USA: Pen & Sword Books. *

External links

{{Authority control Castles by type