A water castle, sometimes water-castle, is a castle which incorporates a natural or artificial body of water into its defences.Forde-Johnston (1979), p. 163.Lepage (2023), p. 331: "Water castle: A medieval castle in which natural or artificial water was part of the defences." It can be entirely surrounded by water-filled moats (moated castle) or natural waterbodies such as island castles in a river or offshore. The term comes from European castle studies, mainly German Burgenkunde.Kaufmann & Kaufmann (2004), p. 229.12 Wonderful Water Castles at theworldgeography.com. Retrieved 12 March 2021. 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. Topographically, such structures are a type of low-lying castle. Such a castle usually had only one entrance, which was via a drawbridge 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 ponds, 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 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. 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, Bonn and Cologne which links 120 castles and palaces.Water castle routeat aachen-tourismus.de. Retrieved 12 March 2021. Water Castles Route at nrw-tourism.com. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
Examples Austria Franzensburg
Baltic
Āraiši (Arrasch) Trakai Island Castle
Belgium
Beersel Castle Bossenstein Castle Château de Corroy-le-Château Cleydael Castle Cortewalle Castle Crupet Castle Gravensteen Havré Castle Kasteel van Horst La Royère Castle Ooidonk Castle Solre-sur-Sambre Castle Wijnendale Castle
Czech Republic Blatná Castle Červená Lhota Castle Švihov Castle
Denmark Egeskov Castle Spøttrup Castle
Finland Kajaani Castle Olavinlinna
France
Please notice that in French "", literally 'water castle', means water tower. Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers Château de Pirou Château du Plessis-Bourré 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 Schloss Reichersbeuern
Berlin Köpenick Palace Spandau Citadel
Brandenburg Plattenburg in the Prignitz
Bremen Blomendal Castle Schönebeck Palace
Hamburg Bergedorf Palace
Hesse Friedewald Water Castle in Friedewald Fürstenau Palace near Steinbach
Lower Saxony Celle Castle Fallersleben Castle Hülsede Water Castle Lütetsburg Osterburg Schelenburg Wendhausen Castle Wolfsburg Castle
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Schwerin Castle
North Rhine-Westphalia Benrath House in Düsseldorf Burgau Castle Darfeld Castle Gimborn Castle Haus Kemnade in Bochum Morsbroich Castle in Leverkusen Moyland Castle in Bedburg-Hau Nordkirchen Palace Rheydt Palace Schloss Dyck Vischering Castle Wilkinghege Water Castle in Münster Wittringen Castle in Gladbeck Lembeck Castle
Rhineland-Palatinate Alte Burg (Boppard) Alte Burg (Koblenz)
Saarland Gustavsburg in Homburg Kerpen Castle near Illingen
Saxony Moritzburg Castle Hainewalde Water Castle
Saxony-Anhalt Calvörde Castle Köthen Castle Reinharz Water Castle Flechtingen water castle
Schleswig-Holstein Eutin Castle Glücksburg Castle
Thuringia Kapellendorf Water Castle
Greece Bourtzi Methoni Castle
Hungary Sárvár Castle Tokaj Castle (ruined)
Indonesia
Taman Sari Water Castle
Italy Castello Estense Castello di Sirmione in a broad way, Venice Arsenal
Japan
Imabari Castle Nakatsu Castle Takamatsu Castle
Lebanon Sidon Sea Castle
Netherlands
Cannenburgh Castle Hoensbroek Castle Muiderslot Loevestein Ammersoyen Castle Kasteel Radboud Brederode Castle
Poland Lidzbark Castle Oporów Castle Szydłowiec Castle
Portugal Belém Tower
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 Häckeberga Castle Hjularyd Castle Kalmar Castle Krageholm Castle Krapperup Castle Kronoberg Castle Kulla Gunnarstorp Castle Landskrona Citadel Malmö Castle Maltesholm Castle Örebro Castle Örup Castle Osbyholm Castle Skabersjö Castle Stegeborg Castle Strömsholm Palace Tosterup Castle Trolle-Ljungby Castle Trolleholm Castle Vadstena Castle Vaxholm Fortress Vegeholm Castle Vibyholm Castle Viderup Castle Vittskövle Castle
Romania Făgăraş Castle Oradea fortress
Switzerland Bottmingen Castle Chillon Castle Hagenwil Castle Hallwyl Castle Wörth Castle Wyher Castle
Turkey Kızkalesi (castle), formerly Gramvoussa (Greek) and Gorygos (Armenian)
United Kingdom England Bodiam Castle Caister Castle Framlingham Castle Herstmonceux Castle Kenilworth Castle (moat drained) Leeds Castle
Scotland Caerlaverock Castle Castle Stalker Eilean Donan
Wales Caerphilly Castle Beaumaris Castle
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