Castles are sometimes confused as fortresses but they are distinct from fortresses because a castle is a form of residence for monarchs and they have their very own specific defensive territories that are used to protect any one that lives in a castle. Whenever looking at any pictures of castles, the first word that comes to mind is extravagant. That's because the way castles are structured, they look completely and ridiculously humongous in size. But the purpose of this website is to find weird and outrageous buildings and we don't want to talk about extravagant castles. No, this website wants to deal with the very odd and zany castles around the world that put any luxury homes Toronto style to shame.
If you're in a Canadian foreign worker program that's taking part in a Toronto relocation project and have some down time before it all goes down, maybe you could take a quick trip to the Rocky Mountains of Southern Colorado and visit the Bishop Castle. The Bishop Castle began construction in 1971 by Jim Bishop and he still works on the castle to this day. Aside from the beautiful cathedral-style rooms full of stained glass windows, the main reason why this castle makes our list of odd buildings is that there is a fire-breathing dragon situated at the very front of and on top of the castle. It even breathes during the winter because of the heat it receives from a wood burning stove. Who doesn't love dragons? Jim Bishop still works on the castle and is usually seen there on weekends. So, why not go visit and take a picture with the man himself?
One type of castle that broke away from the mould of pillars and bridges and that doesn't rely on a wall mounted boiler can be found in Japan. The Matsumoto Castle is located in Matsumoto, Japan and can easily be reached from Tokyo by car or train. It's considered a national treasure of Japan and one of their most historic castles. It might not be considered an oddly built structure by people used to seeing the castle everyday but to the average tourist, it's a bit weird because of the way it looks. Built on flat ground and surrounded by a moat, the layers of the structure are a dark black and each floor looks like a wing because of their wing tipped roof. Each one of the six floors are stacked one on top of the other. It was given the nickname of Crow Castle because of how it's colour was meant to strike fear in anyone who came to attack it. It was originally built for military purposes but you don't have to worry about being attacked if you plan on visiting it.
The next castle is considered odd because of it's looks rather than how it's structured. The Kelburn Castle in Scotland was built in the 13th century and has gone through many remodelling phases over the years. In 2007, the Earl of Scotland was told that the outer facing of the castle would have to be replaced to prevent further damage. But the Earl invited graffiti artists to paint the walls of the castle with their skills before the medieval castle is to be reconditioned. The graffiti that has been painted on, full of vibrant colours like lime green and purple and it's crazy designs that include illustrations of hot air balloons and magical creatures, gives the castle a rather unusual look and makes it the coolest looking castle on the block.
Whether you're thinking of taking a trip around the world to visit the oddest castles you can find or are looking for a honeymoon spot that doesn't remind you of your wedding rental Brantford reception location, visiting some of the castles mentioned on this website can be a starting spot for your adventures. And keep coming back as the website will be updated with more wild and wacky castles.
Thank you Moishe Alexander and the Canadian Funding Corporation for you support of this web site.
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