Stay in snow castle in Kemi - Kemi ice castle hotel

Old beautiful brick and stone castles are always nice but if you want to experience something really unique in your next trip Kemi Snow Castle (Ice castle hotel) may be right place for you. The castle is built for each winter period using real snow and ice! Needless to say this snow/ice castle hotel is open only on wintertime. Wikipedia says that the SnowCastle of Kemi is the biggest snow fort in the world and that is very likely the truth.

The SnowCastle is rebuilt each year with different architecture. The SnowCastle usually has:

• SnowRestaurant that has furniture made of ice and covered with reindeer fur
• SnowHotel with special honeymoon suite
• SnowChapel which is very popular wedding place

Kemi SnowCastle usually includes some children activity areas and ice sculptures. This ice castle hotel is very popular tourist attraction and visiting it can be very unique experience even if you don't stay at the ice hotel. Visiting SnowRestaurant and other snow activities is something you cannot do anywhere else.

I haven't stayed at SnowCastle but visited the restaurant and if you are interested in this SnowCastle I recommend you an option to stay in some other hotel near this ice castle and visit the building and restaurant during your stay. Here you can see hotels near Kemi SnowCastle (ice castle).

Castle hotels in Finland - Hotel Vanajanlinna in Hameenlinna (less than 1 hour from Helsinki)

Hotel Vanajanlinna is one of the few castle hotels in Finland. In Finland castle hotels are not as common as for example in the western neighbour country Sweden. Hotel Vanajanlinna is a four star hotel near Hameenlinna city, which is less than 1 hour drive from the Helsinki capital. Hotel Vanajanlinna is very popular in Finland for all kinds of corporate events and weddings but it also attracts some foreign tourists that want to see Finnish countryside outside capital. There is also golf field next to Vanajanlinna Castle Hotel so it's also great place for golfers.

If you are interested in this castle hotel in Finland you can see more and book a room here:
http://www.booking.com/hotel/fi/vanajanlinna-paalinna.html?aid=1170706

Castle hotel in Estonia - Alatskivi Castle hotel Estonia - Alatskivi Loss in local language

Hotel Alatskivi Castle (Alatskivi Loss in Estonian) is a 16th century manor that's reconstruction was finished in the 19th century for Neo-Gothic style. In addition to standard guest rooms Alatskivi Castle has one guest room in the castle tower. Alatskivi Castle is located on beautiful garden area and only 200m from the Alatskivi Lake.

If you are interested in castle hotels but tight on budget, Alatskivi Castle is very good travel destination. Estonia has very low living costs in general and Alatskivi Castle hotel offers excellent value for the money. It's possible to book a double room at Alatskivi Castle with appr. 90€/$100. This is a good price for 16th century castle hotel room.

See more and/or book a room at Alatskivi Castle hotel.

Castle hotels in Sardinia - Castle like Villa in Sardinia Alghero

Sardinia, just like Corsica, is an awesome island on the Mediterranean Sea. Sardinia is officially part of Italy but has very special culture and nature. In this post we present a very unique castle hotel in Sardinia.

Castle hotel in Sardinia:

Villa Las Tronas Hotel & SPA

Location: Villa Las Tronas Hotel & SPA is located in Alghero. Alghero is a major city on the west coast of Sardinia.

The castle hotel: Villa Las Tronas Hotel & SPA is a five star hotel. As the name says it's not a castle but large villa that meets the criteria of castle hotel. This luxury hotel has a superb location and hotels outdoor pool has views over the Gulf of Alghero. The Las Tronas SPA features an indoor salt water pool, a hot tub and a gym. A variety of relaxing treatments are available including massages and beauty therapy.

See more and book a room at Villa Las Tronas Hotel & Spa.

Unique castle hotel (actually monastery) in Corsica

Corsica is a beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to France. There are several castle hotels in the French mainland bud in this post we present one very unique castle hotel in Corsica. Actually the original building is not castle but monastery.

The castle hotel in Corsica:

Hostellerie De L'Abbaye

Location: Hostellerie De L'Abbaye is located at city of Calvi in Montée de l'Abbaye (Northwest coast of Corsica) in Corsica. It's located only 150 meters from the sea.

The castle hotel: Actually Hostellerie De L'Abbaye is not in a castle. It is a converted 16th-century monastery. It features a courtyard with gardens and views of the sea and mountains. Hostellerie De L'Abbaye is a four star hotel with 43 guest rooms.

See more about Hostellerie De L'Abbaye and book a room.

Three unique castle hotels in the Czech Republic

Czech Republic's most famous tourist attraction is charming and wonderful capital Prague. However Czech countryside offers something crowded streets of Prague can never offer. Czech countryside is beautiful if we stay outside some industrial areas and living costs in Czech Republic are low compared to the European average price level.

In this blog post you'll find our favourite castle hotels in Czech Republic. The first castle hotel offers luxury, the second one is more affordable and the third one is for people looking for romantic place.

Castle hotels in Czech Republic:

Rubezahl-Marienbad Castle Hotel & Wellness Resort

Location: Rubezahl-Marienbad Castle Hotel & Wellness Resort is located in the Mariánské Lázně spa town in the Karlovy Vary region of the Czech Republic. The town, surrounded by green mountains, is described as a mosaic of parks and noble houses. The town is located very close to the German border.

The castle hotel: Rubezahl-Marienbad Castle Hotel & Wellness Resort is a five star hotel. Hotel Rübezahl was built in Marianske Lazne in 1903, evoking the style of a fairy-tale castle, now one of the oldest spa hotels in Western Bohemia. Today, after extensive renovations, Hotel Rübezahl is an exclusive location for travelers wishing to treat themselves to reenergizing relaxation in one of the comfortably appointed rooms, savor exquisite dishes accompanied by the tones of classical music in the elegant castle restaurant, or experience an array of outdoor activities in the fresh air such as golf, skiing or horseback riding, to mention but a few of the countless possibilities.

Here you can see more about Rubezahl-Marienbad Castle Hotel and book a room

Castle hotels in Czech Republic:

Zámecký Hotel Třešť, Třešť Castle

Location: Zámecký Hotel Třešť is located in Třešť. It is a town in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It's southeast from Prague and between two largest city in Czech Republic Prague and Brno. Access to the hotel is easy by car both from Prague and Brno. The castle hotel is not far from the E50 highway that connects Prague and Brno.

The castle hotel: Zámecký Hotel Třešť is not as luxurious castle hotel as Rubezahl-Marienbad castle hotel but it's also more affordable. Zámecký Hotel Třešť is a three star hotel.

Here you can see more about this castle hotel and book a room.

Castle hotels in Czech Republic:

Chateau Herálec Boutique Hotel & Spa by L'Occitane

Location: Chateau Herálec Boutique Hotel & Spa by L'Occitane castle hotel is located in Heralec. Herálec is a village and municipality in Žďár nad Sázavou District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It's located 122 km east of Prague.

The castle hotel: Chateau Herálec Boutique Hotel & Spa by L'Occitane advertises itself as one of the most romantic places in the Czech Republic. This castle hotel is a five star hotel. Accompanied by an English park from the 18^th century, Chateau Herálec is located in the Vysocina region that has the highest amount of UNESCO World Heritage sites in the country and is dominated by pristine and beautiful nature filled with deep forests, blooming pastures and breathtaking panoramas.

This romantic hotel is also on the TOP 10 best castle hotels in the world.

Here you can see more about Chateau Heralec and book a room.

Top 10 Castle hotels in the world

The world's 10 best castle hotels, according to TripAdvisor are in the list below. The Top 3 castle hotels in the world are presented with more details in my previous post "Top 3 Castle hotels in the world"

1. Fonab Castle in Pitlochry Scotland, see more details: Top 3 castle hotels in the world
2. Hotel Auf Schoenburg in Oberwesel Germany, see more details: Top 3 castle hotels in the world
3. Hotel Castello di Sinio in Italy, see more details: Top 3 castle hotels in the world
4. Castello di Petroia in Italy. This castle hotel dates back to the 12th century and features 13 rooms built inside the original castle walls. See more about Castelli di Petrioa.
5. Castello di Monterone, nestled in the countryside of Perugia, Italy, originally stood as a military base before being converted into a gorgeous hotel. This castle hotel has 18 rooms and a calming Turkish bath. See more about Castello di Monterone.
6. Rowton Castle in Shropshire, England. With 19 lavish rooms and breathtaking views of the surrounding gardens, the castle is also one of the West Midlands’ most exclusive wedding venues. See more about Rowton Castle.
7. "Rapunzel's Tower," South Africa. This Castle in Clarens is a medieval manor with a fairytale atmosphere. It's ideal for private retreats, as it was only built to accommodate four people. Rooms are decorated with scenes from the story of Rapunzel.
8. Chateau Heralec Boutique Hotel & Spa by L’Occitane  in the Vysočina region of the Czech Republic. See more about this castle hotel in Czech Republic.
9. Ashford Castle, located in Cong Ireland, has hosted everyone from King George V to John Lennon. The presidential suite is named after one if its most illustrious guests, former President Ronald Reagan.
10. Castle Durrow, located in County Laois, Ireland, was built by Colonel William Flower in 1716 as his family home. Its pre-Palladian design and gardens were considered the height of fashion in their day.

As you can see from the list above the best castle hotels in the world ranking is dominated by European castle hotels. In the top 10 ranking you can find:

• three castle hotels in Italy
• two castle hotels in Ireland
• two castle hotels in Great Britain (Scotland and England)
• one castle hotel in Czech Republic
• one castle hotel in Germany and
• one castle hotel in South Africa