Eight breathtaking European castles you can SLEEP IN – from a regal bolthole beloved by King Henry VIII to an island fortress

Looking for a knight to remember?

A stay in any of these breathtaking castles is guaranteed to live long in the memory. 

From an English castle beloved by King Henry VIII to a ‘dream chateau’ in France and an island fortress in Norway, these historical properties offer guests fairytale experiences.

And they cost from just (£96/$124) a night.

Which one is your favourite? Vote in our poll… 

Jaunmoku Pils, Latvia 

A stay in any of these breathtaking castles is guaranteed to live long in the memory. Jaunmoku Pils (above), in Latvia, was originally designed as a hunting lodge and offers palace rooms as well as stays in the former stable

Built in 1901 for the former mayor of Riga, Jaunmoku Pils was originally designed as a hunting lodge in the heart of Latvia’s green western region.

Now, it’s a hotel with two rooms located inside the palace proper and 20 rooms in the former stable (don’t worry – there are no remnants of former residents). There’s also an on-site museum exploring the castle’s history.

The team says the palace reflects the ‘roots of our land and the legacy of the past’.

Palace rooms start from €115 (£96/$124) per night while rooms in the former stable cost as little as €55 (£46/$59).

Thornbury Castle, UK 

Edward Stafford built Thornbury Castle (above) in Gloucestershire but was convicted of treason and so Henry VIII took over the property with his lover-turned-wife Anne Boleyn. Guests can now sleep in the same room that the royal couple once occupied

Henry VIII generally didn’t take too kindly to competition in love or land. Edward Stafford – a man who rivalled the King in wealth and status – built Thornbury Castle in Gloucestershire in the 1500s. 

He was convicted of treason shortly after its completion and Henry took over the property with his lover-turned-wife Anne Boleyn. The team at Thornbury says the castle ‘served as a beloved retreat for Henry VIII and Anne’ and is ‘imbued with regal grandeur’.

The Castle’s 27 bedchambers are decorated in opulent Tudor style and guests can book a stay in the Henry VIII suite – the very room Henry and Anne slept in on their royal tour in 1535. Deluxe rooms start from £299 ($386) per night while the Henry VIII suite starts at £649 ($839) per night.

Schloss Hugenpoet, Germany

Schloss Hugenpoet, seen above, in Germany, has a billiard room, wine cellar, several lavish salons and a chapel. It sits within an extensive park and is surrounded by moats

Although the German meaning of Hugenpoet is ‘pool of toads’, this hotel just outside of Essen couldn’t be more luxurious.

The castle sits within an extensive park and is surrounded by moats (perhaps with some resident toads). The team behind it says it’s ‘a magically inspiring place, which invites you to stay and, even more, to return.’

The property has a billiard room, wine cellar, several lavish salons and a chapel. A classic double room costs from €216 (£180/$232) per night while the Ustinov suite with a King bed and separate living room costs from €590 (£496/$641) per night.

Oscarsborg Fortress Hotel and Resort, Norway 

Seen here, Oscarsborg Fortress Hotel and Resort was built to defend the area in the 19th century, but now it is a hotel that Visit Norway describes as a ‘historic pearl’ with 86 guest rooms

Oscarsborg Fortress wasn’t designed for luxury. The fort, 30 minutes south of Oslo, was used to defend Norway from Germany in World War II having been built as a defensive fortress in the 19th Century. Shells and torpedoes fired from the island fortress even sank the German ship, the Blücher.

Although Norway was occupied, the events at Oscarsborg are credited with giving the King and Parliament the chance to leave Oslo. So, this castle-like building has an impressive heritage. 

The fortress is now a hotel described by Visit Norway as a ‘historic pearl’ with 86 guest rooms.  Room prices start from 1,495 NOK (£107/$138) per night while the island can also be visited on a day trip.

Pousada Mosteiro Crato, Portugal 

Pictured above, Pousada Mosteiro Crato was built in the 14th century and served as both a monastery and castle. The property no longer has any monks in residency but it still has a ‘monastic feel’ that’s ‘calm and peaceful’, according to the hotel team

Located in Portugal’s Alentejo region, close to the country’s Spanish border, Pousada Mosteiro do Crato has served as a palace, monastery and castle. Built in the 14th century, the property no longer has any monks in residence but still has a ‘monastic feel’ that’s ‘calm and peaceful’, according to the hotel team.

The property has 24 rooms with one luxury suite located in a former dungeon in the hotel’s medieval tower. There’s also an outdoor swimming pool with a sun terrace.

Prices start from €120 (£100/$129) for a standard room and from €260 (£218/$282) for a master suite.

Castello Di Petroia Dimora d’Epoca, Italy

Castello Di Petroia Dimora d’Epoca’s medieval tower bedroom has views of the entire valley – guests will ‘feel like [they’re] sleeping back in the Middle Ages’. The Umbrian castle has housed many Italian nobles through the years

A medieval castle in Umbria, this hilltop hotel is surrounded by forest. Built in the 12th century, it has passed through the hands of many Italian noble families over the years.

The hotel team says: ‘It doesn’t get more fairytale than this, enchanting bedrooms, where you’ll feel like you’re sleeping in history, looking at the endless breathtaking views.’

Castello Di Petroia Dimora d’Epoca’s medieval tower bedroom has views of the entire valley and guests will ‘feel like [they’re] sleeping back in the Middle Ages’.

Rooms start from €120 (£100/$129) per night while the largest suite starts at €240 (£201/$260).

Chateau d’Origny, France

Seen here, Chateau d’Origny, in France’s Rhone-Alpes region, has just five suites, each individually decorated – and there’s even a helicopter pad for those who want to arrive in style 

Located in France’s Rhone-Alpes region, this chateau started life as the home of a wealthy pottery merchant in the 16th century. Now, the Chateau d’Origny has been transformed into a ‘dream chateau bed and breakfast,’ say the owners.

The chateau has just five suites, each individually decorated and there’s even a helicopter pad for those who want to arrive in style.

Rooms start from €190 (£159/$205) while the chateau’s largest Marquis de Luzy suite costs from €379 (£318/$411). 

Hotel Schloss Fernsteinsee, Austria 

Pictured is the Hotel Schloss Fernsteinsee, Austria, which sits above a lake and was a favourite retreat of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Now, it offers eight suites for guests to sleep in

A fairytale property situated above a lake in Austria’s Tyrol region, Schloss Fernsteinsee’s design spans three eras – with architecture from the 12th, 14th and 19th centuries.

The property team says: ‘The castle ambience has been consciously preserved throughout the building’ maintaining its ‘individuality’. The castle was a favourite retreat of King Ludwig II of Bavaria.

Guests who stay more than two days will receive a free diving permit for Fernsteinsee Lake while all eight suites are equipped with a private kitchen. Castle suites start from €110 (£78/$100) per person per night.