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Welcome to the Z Michelson Travel Podcast. This podcast is devoted to the travel industry. Z says let your imagination run wild and start dreaming about where you want to go. And dream big, reach for the stars, and if you only get to the moon, at least you enjoyed the trip.

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Hey, Z Michelson here. Thanks for joining me today. Uh, what I'm gonna talk about today is a thing that is on my bucket list. I don't know about your bucket list, but I always thought I'd love to stay at some castles. And there are castles all over the world. But I'm gonna only give you the top ten castles that you can actually sleep in. With some of the castles that you visit, you can't actually stay there. Some people still occupy them. Oh well. But have you ever wondered what it would feel like being royalty just for one night? So these extraordinary castles have been turned into hotels. They're chateaus, palaces, and fortresses. These places look like they've been lifted straight out of a fairy tale, and you can check in any time. Basically if they have room. And you know what else? You don't have to worry about any medieval security issues if those marauders come knocking, those century-old walls have you covered. Well, I would be amiss if I did not talk about Ireland first. And in County Mayo, it is Ashford Castle. Our journey begins on Ireland's wild Atlantic coast, where an 800-year-old fortress rises above the mist. Ashford Castle looks every bit a conquering heroes prize. It has the towering greystone walls, the pointed turrets, and yes, the occasional suit of armor that's lurking in a corner. It was built back in 1228. It was expanded for centuries and lovingly updated over time. The castle blends medieval character with Victorian touches that were introduced by none other than the Guinness family. Yeah. The Guinness family took it over in 1852. They were there for about 87 years. The hotel became a hotel in 1939. However, today it's luxurious escape and it still feels like you're stepping back in time. Now that's one castle that I would like to see. I don't know about you. Now, number two on my list of castles is in Portugal. And I apologize if I'm saying this wrong, but Pussada, Castilo, Obidos. And here's the legend that goes with it. I love a legend. When it comes to castles, you always have to have a legend. Legend has it that when Queen Isabel traveled to marry King Dennis in 1282, she first saw the hilltop town of Obidos, and she fell instantly in love. And guess what the king did? He gifted it to her as a wedding present. Could you imagine that? Here's your wedding gift, dear. Have a castle and a whole town. Now within the walls that were once gloomy medieval keeps was now transformed into a warm, welcoming pulsada. You can forget the damp dungeons, think more comfortable rooms, air conditioning, and a sunny restaurant, and even a swimming pool. You can all stay in these hotels, which were castles. And this Pusada Castello Obidos is all wrapped in narrow cobblestone lanes with whitewashed houses and a flower cascading from the window boxes. They have all these window boxes with the flowers that are cascading. Doesn't that sound like a great little getaway? Boy, all these castles and all these places. So we've been to Ireland with one castle, and you know Ireland has a ton of castles, but this one you can stay at. Like I said, that was Ashford Castle. And now we went to Portugal with the Posada. Now we're moving on to France. Now we're gonna go to Hotel de la Cite Carcassonne. Now, Carcassonne is in France, and now this is unbelievable. Inside the double sandstone walls, some of which date to the first century. Could you imagine the history that's over there? It lies the former palace of a medieval bishop. Now it was restored in the 1840s and then later converted into a five-star hotel. But you still have parts of the Gothic church that are still there that you can see. And this was built back in the 13th century. Oh wow. It blends the modern luxury and one undeniable reminder of the past. Those Citadel's iconic towers. So between the Gothic Church, the iconic towers, blending all the new with the old, what a great place to stay. Now my mouth is watering for these hotels that were castles at one point. However, I'm gonna go over to Canada, Quebec City in Canada. Now there's Le Chateau Frontenac. I'm gonna say that again, Le Chateau Frontenac. Now this Chateau, Frontenac, was a town in France, but this hotel is in Quebec. Now you don't expect castles here in the New World, but Canada does have this little surprise for you. In the late 1800s, railway companies built opulent European-style hotels across the country. Naturally, they wanted people to stay in these hotels as the train was traveling through. And perched above Quebec City, overlooking the St. Lawrence River, stands this famous chateau. Now, in the wintertime, because yes it does snow over there, in the winter, when its pointed towers and slate roofs are dusted with snow, it looks like a real life snow globe. It is very pretty. I've seen this hotel many times. So again, Le Chateau, Front Canac, Quebec City, Canada. And again, it was named after a town in France. Now here's something that surprised me. I never thought of a castle in Japan. So Heratu Castle in Harado, Japan is really, really unique. It dates back to 1599. Though much of what stands today was reconstructed, and when they reconstructed it, it was reconstructed by the ruling Matsura clan, and they ruled Kaiushu for seven centuries. Now, they kept a lot of some of the older building with the turrets and the stone walls. But in 1960, they also had a museum honoring the Matsura clan. Now, in 2017, a special program allowed small groups to stay overnight in a redesigned turret. Wouldn't that sound cool? You can stay in the turret. It's a suite. It's ultra modern inside, historic outside. It's your own private kingdom suspended between the centuries. This is something amazing to see. So if you're in Japan and you want to stay at a castle, Harado Castle in Harado, Japan. Now, Italy. There are some places in Italy that we had talked about. Like I said, you have palaces and you have fortresses and chateaus. In Italy, they have Gritty Palace. That's in Venice. Yes, Venice. So along Venice's romantic canals stands the palaces of its legendary Jose's. The Doges had all of these palaces by this canal. Now they had places of silks and arts, extraordinary wealth. These doges had lots and lots of money. The Gritty Palace was built in the 16th century and then later converted in hotel. And it still radiates that old world glamour. Now you can expect when you go to Gritty Palace to see terrazzo floors, damasque curtains, of course, antique furniture, and views, views, views of the Grand Canal that seemed like they were painted on the windows by the Renaissance itself. So Gritty Palace in Venice, Italy, home to the Nobel families. Or should I say the noble families? Now we're going to move over to India. And we're going to go to Taj Lake Palace. This palace in Udapur, India, was built for a young prince in 1746. Now imagine this. It was built for the young prince. The palace is built in the middle of a lake. That's right. A middle of the lake. Imagine a shimmering white marble palace floating right there in the middle of a lake. That's the Taj Palace. And like I said, it was originally built for a prince, but it was for his summer retreat. That would be a nice summer retreat, don't you think? And you can stay there. It's accessible only by boat. It was never a fortress. But its watery surroundings kept all its royals safe. Because, again, it was in the middle of a lake. Today it's a luxurious hotel. It has lily ponds, gardens, domed pavilions, and even a boat dedicated exclusively to spa treatments on the water. Oh, that sounds good. Doesn't it a spa treatment right there on the water? How exciting would that be? These are just ten of the castles that you can actually stay at. Not just visit, stay at. I'm moving over to the Loire Valley in France. Chateau du Revu. So if you ever dreamed of living in a fairy tale, this is the castle for you. The chateau has round towers with conical tops, spiral stone staircases, and narrow archer windows. Archer windows, you know where the archers would look out and protect the towers and protect the castle. It even has ties to Joan of Arc, believe it or not, whose soldiers also once stopped here for fresh horses. So this chateau dates quite back. However, if you're gonna stay there, you have to make reservations well in advance. It only has seven very romantic rooms. It feels very intimate, very magical, and timeless. It has wooden shutters on the windows that open up to beautiful garden views. So Chateau du Revu in Lois Valley, France. Now you wouldn't think Germany without a castle, would you? They have plenty of them. But you can't always stay at them. So this one you can stay at. And I'm gonna try to say it slowly because my tongue is gonna get tied around my teeth. Schloss Hotel Munchhausen. Schloss Hotel Munchhausen near Bremen, Germany. Okay. Now this is moat ringed. Yes. A castle with a moat ringed estates dates back to 1570 and once hosted Tsar Peter the Great, who came to marvel at its vast plant collection. So they have beautiful gardens. Now why he came was because this plant collection had pineapple cultivations. Pineapples back in the day were wildly exotic. Some royals used to pose with pictures with pineapples. So Tsar Peter the Great came to marvel at the vast plant collection, including the pineapples. Now this castle today is a five-star hotel. It has 68 modern suites and guest rooms, and it's known for its elegant rooms and also a Michelin-starred restaurant. It's a royal experience in every sense of the word. Schlosshotel Münchenhausen near Bremen, Germany. Now considering I'm up to number nine, that was number nine, believe it or not. I have one more for you on the list of ten. And again, these are hotels. They were converted to hotels. They were palaces, they were chateaus, and you can now stay at them. But you're gonna have to make reservations. The next one is in Malta. Yes, Malta is an island right there by Italy. And it's called Za Ru Palace. It's our final stop. The sun-soaked island where cultures collide and history is everywhere. It's a beautiful, beautiful location. And inside the fortified medieval city of Medina sits the palace. A 17th-century nobleman's villa that later became a dining hall for British officers and eventually a boutique luxury hotel. Now, when I say boutique luxury, you gotta remember that does not mean there's thousands of rooms. So if you want to make reservations, you have to make reservations for these. Now, if you're a fan of Game of Thrones, Troy, or Gladiator, you may recognize the city's golden sandstone walls. Wow. The stars certainly did. They stayed right here at the Zaru Palace during their filming. So you might be staying in the same room that some of these stars stayed in. How exciting is that? Well, there you have it. I only had a short podcast today because I wanted to let you know about 10 of the wonderful castles that you can make reservations and stay at. So contact your travel advisor and tell them you heard it here on Z Michelson Travels Podcast and tell them which castle they want to stay at. I don't know which one I'm gonna start with, but I think I'm either gonna start with Ireland or Germany, and then I'm gonna move around. So thanks for tuning in today. And remember, dream big, reach for those stars, and if you only get to the moon, at least you made the trip. If you're looking for great places to travel to, visit my website, zmichelson travel.com, and Z is spelled Z-E-E. And you've got a lot of ideas on that website. I really do. Yeah. And this is Z Michelson, making your travel dreams come true.