13 Best Affordable Castle Hotels in Europe: Find Your Fairy Tale

Ever dream of that fairytale moment? You can have it by staying in these best affordable castle hotels in Europe.

I’m all about history, a huge Downton Abbey fan, and love touring castles, palaces and mansions. The closest I’ve ever stayed in something similar was a French chateau (although chateau does translate to castle).

Travel back in time with these historic castle hotels.

With travel hacking, you can travel the world and find that hotel you have always dreamed of staying in.

List of the Best (And Affordable) Castle Hotels in Europe

So if you’re traveling to Europe and looking for affordable castle hotels, here are 13 that I’ve added to my own bucket list.

Historic Castle Hotel in Austria: Schloss Matzen

• 12^th century castle built featuring Romanesque architecture
• Located in Tyrolean Inn Valley near Brixlegg in the Alps
• Only 45 minutes from Vienna
• Ancient staircase
• Luxurious antique marble bathrooms
• Rooms named after former owners
• Schloss Matzen has a beautiful courtyard
• Original character preserved with modern amenities
  • Complimentary WLAN
  • Flat screen-SAT-TV, minibar and phone in all rooms
• Historic tower from 1150 features a modern spa
  • Finnish sauna
  • Turkish steam bath
  • Gym
• Rattenberg is only 1.6 miles away – a small medieval historical town / pedestrian zone with numerous glass crafts shops
• Room rates start around $213 a night

Affordable Fairytale Castle Hotel in Belgium: Chateau d’Hassonville

• Fairytale setting for this 17^th century château
• Legend says it was the hunting grounds for King Louis XIV
• Nearly 136 acres with private walking paths nestled in the Ardennes Forest
• Lots of turrets
• Marche is a charming town nearby
• Chateau d’Hassonville is equipped with Modern amenities
  • Onsite restaurant with wine cellar
  • Wooden barrel sauna
  • Wooden outdoor hot tub
  • Game room, snooker, ping-pong
• Rooms from $169

Historic Medieval Castle in England: Amberley Castle

• 900 years of history nestled in the Sussex countryside
• Humble beginning as a timber-framed hunting lodge built in 1103
• Later transformed into a fortified manor, which still has many of its original features:
  • A high curtain wall enclosing the castle
  • Battlements on top of the castle walls (parapet and gaps to launch arrows back in the day)
  • Portcullis restored (vertical gate with a latticed grill)
• Only 60 miles from London; 35 from Gatwick
• 12 acres of formal gardens featuring medieval stonework, rose-covered arches, koi pond
• Amberley Castle has an18-hole putting course, tennis, croquet
• Greeted by suits of armor
• Drawing rooms
• Several castles in nearby Sussex to tour as well as museums and small towns
• Rooms as low as $168

Affordable Bed and Breakfast Castle in France: Prieure De La Chaise

• Regal stone manor dating back to 15^th century
• Converted into a 5-room B&B with antiques
• Cottage also available
• Chapel of the 12^th century listed as historical monument
• Surrounded by a park with an on-property vineyard
• Located near Chenonceau, the heart of Loire castles
• Prieure De La Chaise is decorated in Renaissance style throughout
• 15^th-century spiral staircase leads to three of the rooms
• Modern amenities include air conditioning, en-suite bathrooms, free Wi-Fi and mini-fridges
• Offers an outdoor pool and bike rentals
• Nearby attractions include
  • Castles including the 16^th-century Château de Chenonceau
  • Abbeys
  • Charming villages
  • Beauval Zoo
  • Miniature castles at Mini Chateaux park
    • 40+ castles reproduced at a scale of 1 / 25^th on nearly 5 acres
    • Several mini attractions for children including dressing up as knights and princesses, rides and inflatable playground
    • Room rates as low as $111 (includes continental breakfast)

Romantic and Historical Castle Hotel in Germany: Schönburg / Schoenburg

• Located above the medieval town of Obersel, a UNESCO World Heritage site of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley
• 56 miles from Frankfurt
• First mentioned in history between 911 and 1166
• Original castle destroyed by fire in 1689 and remained in ruins for two centuries before restored in late 19^th century until 1914.
• One of a very few medieval castles where all the sons became heirs to the castle after a duke’s death (rather than the eldest)
• Beautiful views of the Rhine River
• Bedrooms feature four-poster beds with canopies and curtains
• Beautiful private castle garden with stone pathways, brooks and pedestrian bridges
• Schönburg / Schoenburg has an onsite restaurant with inside or terrace seating overlooking the Rhine River
• Reduced admission to Old Gate Tower Museum, which tells its 700-year history, features a giant slingshot simulation and offers an incredible view of the Rhine River from the tower’s observation deck
• Rates begin around $283

Destination Wedding Castle Hotel in Ireland: Kilkea

• Castle dates back to 1180 and sits on 180 acres
• Only an hour’s drive from Dublin (see some other coastal towns in Ireland)
• 140 bedroom resort offers many options for all budgets
  • Castle bedroom
  • Carriage bedroom
  • Self-catering lodge
  • Lodge bedroom
  • 11-bedroom castle available for exclusive hire
• Kilkea has an onsite restaurant and bar
• Golfing, archery, horseback riding, fishing, spa, tennis, falconry (it’s a sport thing)
• Hiking/walking only minutes from the ancient Mullaghreelan Woods
• Moon High Cross Inn, an authentic Irish pub only one mile away dates back to the 9^th century
• Rates as low as $170
• These are some other castles in Ireland you can’t miss.

Historical Wine Resort and Hotel Castle in Italy: Castello di Lispida

• Dates back to 1150, home of a monastery until 1792
• Buildings now built on the foundations of the ancient monastery
• Headquarters forKing Vittorio Emanuele during WWI
• Located in the Euganean Hills Natural Park with free walking and bike trails
• Studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments with antique furniture, own kitchen, living room, and bathroom, all with free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, with some featuring vintage clawfoot tubs, jetted tubs, wood stove, washing machine, or billiard room
• Open fireplace for grilling
• Free onsite orchard picking
• 222 acres of grounds include a wine bar, thermal lake with hot springs thermal hot tub, and covered heated pool
• Castello di Lispida provide free bikes (including a tandem bike)
• Castle of Monselice, medieval village of Arquà Petrarca, golfing and mud-therapy spas nearby
• $186 to $271 a night (depending on type of apartment)

Only Historical Castle Hotel in Luxembourg: Urspelt

• The only castle hotel in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg dates back to the 18th century and classified as a national monument
• Fairytale setting in Natural Park of Our in the northern part of Luxembourg in the Ardennes – the border triangle of Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg
• Located outside the medieval city of Cherveaux
• Germans used the castle as their WWII headquarters for northern Luxembourg until forced to abandon it to the Americans during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944
• Urspelt is restored as a luxury hotel in 2005
• Onsite socially responsible restaurant and bar features French cuisine and vegan options with organic and fair trade ingredients; inside or terrace seating
• Features 57 modern rooms and suites, seasonal outdoor pool, spa, tub, and sauna
• Hiking, cycling, mountain biking nearby
• Rates from $90 to $242 a night

Mysterious and Affordable Hotel Castle in Poland: Czocha Castle

• 13^th-century castle is only a minute walk away from the shores of Lake Lesnia
• Nearby: Kaplica Św. Leopolda, a 17th-century chapel
• 7 themed rooms
• Due to historic character, 10 guest rooms do not include a bathroom; communal shower located in the corridor
• The restaurant features Old Polish cuisine prepared from scratch using regional ingredients
• Czocha Castle features a seasonal bar also offers light snacks and beverages
• The spa includes a sauna and a menu of massages
• Night tour of the castle reveals hidden nooks, torture chambers and mysterious secret passages.
• Rates as low as $20 a night

Stay at an Affordable Hotel Castle in Portugal: Pousada Castelo Óbidos

• Medieval castle from the 15th century is only 70 miles from Lisbon
• Castle given as a wedding present by King D. Dinis to Queen Santa Isabel during their wedding (which took place onsite)
• 11 rooms in the castle with three of them in the castle keep (located within a courtyard and surrounded by a curtain wall)
• 8 rooms located in the Casa de Castelo
• Some rooms in Pousada Castelo Óbidos feature four-poster beds, fireplace, historical vaulted ceilings, tiled walls and ogival doors (curved pointed shape of a Gothic arch)
• Medieval theme with stone walls throughout
• More than 1,000 years of history in this region
• On-property restaurant and bar and esplanade
• Modern amenities include free Wi-Fi, minibar, dressing gown, air conditioning and bathrooms
• Rooms are named after kings and queens; QR codes on the doors will provide a little history about them. With this type of history and play in medieval times, this is one of the best affordable castle hotels in Europe without a doubt.
• Several activities nearby: water sports, sailing schools, golf, horseback riding, boat and rowing trips, fishing
• Room rates beginning at $203 a night

Haunted Historical Castle Hotel in Scotland: Tulloch Castle  

• Located in the Scottish Highlands, this castle dates back to the 12^th century and offers stunning views of The Cromarty Firth and Black Isle
• Features a 250-year-old paneled Great Hall, restored original fireplaces and ceilings
• Word in the castle says one of its guests is a ghost known as The Green Lady, thought to be the daughter of a former owner
• Tulloch Castle has a secret tunnel leads from the basement across town to the ancient Dingwall Castle (it’s now closed as it has caved in and considered dangerous)
• 20 charming bedrooms, some with four-poster beds and others perfect for families
• Modern amenities include coffee and tea-making facilities, laundry service
• Note there are no ground-floor rooms and no elevator / lift
• Onsite restaurant and bar
• Nearby you can find championship golf courses, dolphin-watching on the Moray, historic Cawdor Castle and Gardens, Cairngorms National Park with walking trails, a distillery, and more
• Loch Ness is only 28 miles away
• Loch Ness is only 28 mile
• Dog-friendly
• Rates average $141 a night (some as low as $77)

Romantic Hotel Castle in Spain: Posada Real Castillo del Buen Amor

• Translation: Castle of Good Love
• Located two hours from Madrid
• Surrounded by vineyards and a formal garden featuring a vegetable maze / labyrinth
• Each bedroom in Posada Real Castillo del Buen Amor adapted to its original construction
• Traditional restaurant or private dining in the tower
• Medieval fireplace and library
• Modern-day luxuries: pool, free internet and air conditioning, room service, mini bar, concierge, non-smoking, breakfast included
• Medieval villages nearby to tour
• Rates: $113 to $217

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Affordable Hotel Castle in Switzerland: Wartegg Castle

• The first Swiss Historic Hotel in Eastern Switzerland
• A castle rich in history, it dates back to 1557
• Located next to Lake Constance and a 32-acre English park
• 25 modern / minimalist rooms with views of Lake Constance or the hills of Appenzell (Alpine region)
• Mini suite or family room available
• Onsite organic restaurant with a garden terrace
• Spa features a 5.5-meter historic turquoise bath, sauna and massages
• Wartegg Castle features a playground and children’s room
• Modern amenities: natural mattresses, LAN, TV
• Activities: cycling, swimming, boat tours, walking trails, mountain climbing
• Nearby: Lindau Peninsula with the Bavarian lion and historic lighthouse, Ravensburg theme park for kids; historical Saint Gallen; Heiden’s historical mountain railway
• Organic breakfast included in room rate from $175 a night

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Final Thoughts: Best Affordable Castle Hotels in Europe

Your dream moment is just around the corner. Staying in one of these hotels will provide an everlasting and life-changing experience. Travel is one of the most enlightening experiences that you can enjoy in the modern world.

Go out and explore some of these castle hotels to see the world while traveling back in time.

What do you think are the best affordable castle hotels in Europe? Let us know in the comments below.

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