Ancient castles where people live. The most terrible castles in the world are the door to otherworldly reality. Barciense Castle, Spain

Still, medieval architects were geniuses - they built castles, luxurious buildings that were also extremely practical. Castles, unlike modern mansions, not only demonstrated the wealth of their owners, but also served as powerful fortresses that could hold the defense for several years, and at the same time life did not stop in them.

Even the fact that many castles, having survived wars, natural disasters and the carelessness of the owners, are still intact, suggests that they have not yet come up with a more reliable home. And they are insanely beautiful and seem to have appeared in our world from the pages of fairy tales and legends. Their high spiers are reminiscent of the times when beauties fought for the hearts, and the air was saturated with chivalry and courage.

Reichsburg Castle, Germany

The thousand-year-old castle was originally the residence of the King of Germany, Conrad III, and then of the King of France, Louis XIV. The fortress was burned down by the French in 1689 and would have sunk into oblivion, but a German businessman purchased the remains in 1868 and spent most of his wealth rebuilding the castle.

Mont Saint Michel, France

Swallow's Nest, Crimea

Initially, on the rock of Cape Ai-Todor there was a small wooden house. And the Swallow's Nest got its current look thanks to the oil industrialist Baron Steingel, who loved to relax in the Crimea. He decided to build a romantic castle that resembles medieval buildings on the banks of the Rhine River.

Castle Stalker, Scotland

Castle Stalker, which means "Falconer", was built in 1320 and belonged to the MacDougal clan. Since that time, its walls have experienced a huge number of strife and wars, which affected the state of the castle. In 1965, Colonel D. R. Stewart of Allward became the owner of the castle, who personally restored the structure with his wife, family members and friends.

Bran Castle, Romania

Bran Castle is the pearl of Transylvania, a mysterious museum-fort, where the famous legend of Count Dracula, a vampire, murderer and governor Vlad the Impaler, was born. According to legend, he spent the night here during the periods of his campaigns, and the forest surrounding Bran Castle was Tepes's favorite hunting ground.

Vyborg Castle, Russia

Vyborg Castle was founded by the Swedes in 1293, during one of the crusades against Karelian land. It remained Scandinavian until 1710, when the troops of I drove the Swedes back far and for a long time. Since that time, the castle managed to visit both a warehouse, and a barracks, and even a prison for the Decembrists. And today there is a museum here.

Cashel Castle, Ireland

Cashel Castle was the seat of the kings of Ireland for several hundred years before the Norman invasion. Here in the 5th century A.D. e. Saint Patrick lived and preached. The walls of the castle witnessed the bloody suppression of the revolution by the troops of Oliver Cromwell, who burned soldiers alive here. Since then, the castle has become a symbol of the cruelty of the British, the real courage and fortitude of the Irish.

Kilchurn Castle, Scotland

The very beautiful and even slightly creepy ruins of Kilchurn Castle are located on the shores of the picturesque Lake Eyve. The history of this castle, unlike most castles in Scotland, proceeded quite calmly - numerous earls lived here, who succeeded each other. In 1769, the building was struck by lightning and was soon completely abandoned, as it remains to this day.

Lichtenstein Castle, Germany

Built in the 12th century, this castle has been destroyed several times. It was finally restored in 1884 and since then the castle has become a filming location for many films, including the film The Three Musketeers.

Medieval castles, shrouded in a halo of mystery, keep evidence of cold murders, betrayals and betrayals in their stone walls. The atmosphere reigning in them both frightens and fascinates, and goosebumps run from every creak and rustle and the heart stops. Not surprisingly, many people believe that such places are inhabited by the spirits of the dead and strange otherworldly creatures. The castles that will be discussed are full of mysteries, because paranormal things happen in them every now and then.

Cachtice Castle, Slovakia

The gloomy castle, located to the east of Bratislava, is now dilapidated and therefore looks even more sinister. Once upon a time, it belonged to Slovak and Polish nobles and, perhaps, would not have gained its terrible fame if it had not passed into the hands of Elizabeth Bathory in the 17th century, nicknamed the Bloody Countess. According to information that has come down to our days, by order of the mistress of the castle, dozens, or even hundreds of young girls were tortured and killed. The maximum number of victims attributed to Bathory reached the mark of 600 people, thus making her the most mass murderer among women.

But the matter was not limited to murders: the countess drained the blood of her victims, and later took baths filled with it - this is how Bathory tried to prolong her elusive youth. Several years passed before rumors of atrocities reached the king. By court order, the Bloody Countess was imprisoned in one of the towers of the castle, where she died four years later. And although some historians agree that Bathory was the victim of political intrigues, locals still talk about chilling screams and devilish laughter coming from the castle at night.

Berry Pomeroy Castle, England

Berry Pomeroy Castle, surrounded by a dense forested valley, is also partly ruined. For several centuries, the silhouettes of two girls dressed in a white and blue dress have been seen within its walls. The White Lady is Margaret Pomeroy, who, being jealous of her boyfriend, was thrown to die in one of the cells of the dungeon by her own sister, depriving the unfortunate woman of food and water.

The girl in blue is another restless soul who has remained forever in the old castle. It is believed that this maiden from a family of aristocrats strangled her newborn child, conceived by her own father, and now she is trying to lure the guests of the castle into one of the towers in order to take her life there.

Glamis Castle, Scotland

The castle, where Elizabeth I spent her childhood, is inhabited by several spirits at once. The first, known as the Gray Lady, belongs to Janet Douglas, who fell victim to the intrigues of her embittered nephew, who accused her of witchcraft. A meeting with the ghost of Janet is considered a good sign, because the Gray Lady is an innocent martyr, and in the family chapel, where a ghost often appears, the castle workers gave her a personal place on one of the benches.

Another spirit that settled within the walls of the castle is Count Bierdi, a famous gambler and reveler, who decided to play a game with the devil himself, putting his soul at stake. Unfortunately, the count overestimated his strength and is now forced to wander forever through the corridors of Glamis, scaring the guests with terrible curses and abuse.

Dragsholm Castle, Denmark

The castle, which has managed to be a defensive fortress, a bishop's house and a prison, is very popular among lovers of mysticism. According to researchers, about a hundred otherworldly creatures are hiding in an inconspicuous building, which sometimes make themselves felt. Yes, by room. Dragsholma wanders the girl in white is the most famous ghost of this place. Her story is rather sad: being a lady from a noble family, she contacted a commoner, which her father found out about and, in a fit of anger, imprisoned the unfortunate woman in one of the rooms. And only 100 years later, restorers stumbled upon a female skeleton in white robes, immured in the depths of the castle.

Another spirit that lives in the castle belongs to a former maid who died from a painful shock. And in the courtyard of Dragsholm, the ghost of the prisoner of the count's dungeon walks Bothwell, who frightens the guests of the castle with his bestial voice, similar to horse neighing.

Leap Castle, Ireland

Lip was awarded the title of the most terrible castle in Ireland. For many years it belonged to the Okerrol clan, whose members did not disdain the killing of enemies and mercenaries within the walls of their own home. Under the dining room there was a dungeon with sharp stakes on the floor, where they threw off unsuspecting guests, adding poison to them or cutting their throats. When restoration work was carried out in the castle at the beginning of the 20th century, a terrifying picture appeared before the masters, because by that time there were about 150 skeletons in the dungeon.

Also, the local inhabitants claim that an unknown ancient beast, called the spirit Elemental, wanders along the gloomy castle corridors, the appearance of which is always accompanied by the smell of carrion.

Chillingham Castle, England

The castle where the film Elizabeth was filmed is the most popular haunted palace in England. Most often, within its walls you can meet a small radiant boy emerging from the Pink Room. Eyewitnesses have repeatedly seen the silhouette of a baby, similar to a bluish haze, before the workers who were reconstructing one of the sections of the fortress found the decayed remains of a man and a child immured alive in the wall.

Another inhabitant of Chillingham is the spirit of Mary Berkeley, who died of longing for her husband, who left her for her sister. In the torture room they often see one of the former owners of the castle - Torturer John Sage, who strangled his beloved Elizabeth Charlton, for which he was executed in the castle courtyard.

Houska Castle, Czech Republic

If for the most part castles were built to protect against external enemies, then the Czech Houska was built to protect against underground enemies. There are legends that the castle stands over a pit so deep that the locals considered it the gate to hell, and the most impressionable witnesses of that time spoke of terrible creatures getting out of the recess.

Residents of the surroundings tried to check what was at the bottom of the pit, and offered the convicts to descend into it on a rope in exchange for freedom. True, the first volunteer stayed below for only a few seconds, after which he turned gray, fell ill and died. Then they decided to fill up the pit, spending three years on it, and for reliability, build a chapel on top. But even after the appearance of the church, eyewitnesses heard screams coming from under the ground, and saw a black monk in the neighborhood, devoid of a face.

Medieval castles were actually not just large fortresses with massive stone walls. These were ingeniously designed fortifications that used many ingenious and creative ways to protect the inhabitants of the castle from attack by enemies. Literally everything - from the outer walls to the shape and location of the stairs - was very carefully planned to provide maximum protection to the inhabitants of the castle. In this review about the little-known secrets hidden in the construction of medieval castles.

Almost every castle was surrounded by a moat filled with water. It is generally accepted that this was an obstacle to the storming troops, however, in fact, this was not the main function of the moat.

Vischering Castle in Germany. The castle consists of an outer defensive courtyard, protective locks, a drawbridge thrown over a moat, the main building and a chapel.

One of the biggest problems for the inhabitants of a medieval castle or fortress was that the invading army could dig tunnels under the fortifications. Not only could the enemy get inside the castle underground, but the tunnels could also lead to the collapse of the castle walls. The ditch prevented this, since the tunnel dug under the ditch inevitably flooded with water and collapsed.

Nesvizh Castle. Belarus.

This was a very effective deterrent against tunneling. Often the moat was laid not around the outer wall of the castle, but between the outer and inner walls.

Concentric circles of defense

It was an extremely effective method of defense for the inhabitants of a medieval castle, and looked like a series of obstacles surrounding the castle.

Hochosterwitz Castle. Austria.

As a rule, such obstacles were (in proportion to the distance from the castle) a scorched and dug field, an outer wall, a moat, an inner wall, a donjon tower. The attacking army had to overcome each of these obstacles in turn. And it took a lot of time and effort.

main gate

The main gate of the castle was often the most dangerous place of the entire structure, since, if necessary, they could turn into a deadly trap.

Eltz Castle in Germany.

They often led to a small courtyard, at the other end of which there was also another gate, equipped with an iron descending grate. If the attackers broke through the first gate and found themselves in the yard, then the grate fell, after which the aggressors found themselves in a trap.

Svirzh castle in the village of Svirzh, Lviv region. Main gate.

At the same time, there were small holes in the walls of the courtyard through which the defenders could shoot from bows and crossbows at the enemy soldiers who were trapped.

Hidden secrets of stairs

Staircases in medieval castles were actually very elaborate. First, they were almost always helical, very narrow and built clockwise.

Spiral staircase in Mir Castle. Belarus.

This meant that it was very difficult for attacking opponents who climbed up the stairs (and one at a time, because the stairs were narrow), because they had a sword in their right hand. And since there was always a wall on the right hand, they had no opportunity to swing. The defenders, on the other hand, had the wall of the spiral staircase on their left hand, so they had more opportunities to swing.

Staircase with reverse twist and uneven steps in the Wallenstein castle in Germany.

Another original feature of the stairs was that they had uneven steps: some were very high and others were low. The defenders of the castle, being familiar with the local stairs, could quickly climb up and down them, and the attackers often stumbled and fell, exposing themselves to a blow.

secret passages

Many castles had secret passages that served various purposes. Some of them were made so that the inhabitants of the castle could flee in case of defeat, and also so that during the siege the defenders would not be cut off from food supplies.

Koretsky castle in Ukraine.

Secret passages also led to secret chambers where people could hide, food was stored and (which was quite common) an additional well was dug for water.

Predjama Castle in Slovenia.

Therefore, the medieval castle was much more than just a large glamorous palace with massive stone walls around it. It was a structure designed down to the smallest detail to protect the inhabitants. And each castle was full of its own little secrets.

If you are a fan of traveling to places with a centuries-old history that smells of archaism, take a look at what ancient castles are still inhabited by people and even ghosts.

Modern skyscrapers and designer exhibition centers are gradually replacing traditional architecture from cities. Against the background of their popularity, the desire to live in a secluded castle seems extravagant. However, in every corner of Europe you can find old houses that have been preserved thanks to the efforts of loving owners. And while they may not be as comfortable as state-of-the-art penthouses, castles have their own charm.

1. Château Plessis-Bourret, France

Its appearance is so severe that the castle is more like a defensive fortress. Its interior decoration will amaze even the most sophisticated person who is accustomed to luxurious decorations. It has not undergone any modifications: the absolute preservation of the original design makes the chateau truly unique. Plessis-Bourret was built in 1472 by Jean Bourret, who served as Minister of Finance under King Louis XI. The bribe-taker Bure was so afraid of the uprising of the inhabitants of his lands that he ordered the palace to be fenced with the widest moat in France. The drawbridge, which makes it possible to leave it, is still used for its intended purpose.

Modern owners do not hide their historical monument either from curious tourists or from filmmakers. In 2003, Penelope Cruz spent several unforgettable weeks in the castle, filming in the film "Fanfan Tulip" with Vincent Perez. Today, anyone can follow her example by renting one of Plessy-Burret's rooms as a hotel room. For those who prefer five-star hotels, there are free and individual guided tours lasting several hours.

2. Residence of the Queen of Great Britain in the county of Berkshire, England

Windsor Castle is the largest and most famous among the brethren that are still considered residential. Its splendor and scale frighten and amaze at the same time: on an area of ​​45,000 m² there is a complex of buildings with 1,000 residential premises. For 900 years, Windsor has belonged to the ruling dynasty and all its members have the right to upgrade the estate to their taste. Each new monarch expanded and expanded the area of ​​​​possessions, until the adjacent hardwood forest began to be considered a Berkshire park. At the end of the last century, the Queen's residence was urgently reconstructed due to a massive fire.

The Queen of England today uses Windsor as a means of defeating other heads of state and other eminent guests. She invites them to live in rooms decorated with originals by Rembrandt and Rubens, antique candlesticks and gilded moldings on the ceiling. Who after that will be able to refuse a political request to a royal person?

3. Berkeley Castle, England

The second most populous palace in England after Windsor. At the end of the 12th century, it was bought by the Berkeley family, which is in the title of Lords. In 1327, members of an influential family involuntarily became prison guards in their own house. Opponents of King Edward II deposed him and placed him in Berkeley, demanding from his owners an obligation to prevent any attempt to escape. In the same year, the estate began to be distinguished from the rest of the castles in the area by a high fence instead of a moat with water that was familiar to the eye in those days. For six months, the prisoner tried to leave Berkeley twice, after which he was executed by the new ruler.

The heirs of the castle inhabit only 20% of its area: the rest is used as a hotel and a museum. But the main source of their income is cinema. Berkeley's interiors can be seen in the TV series Wolf Hall, Castle in the Country and the film The Other Boleyn Girl.

4. Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Built on an extinct volcano, the palace rises 120 meters above sea level. Scientists have found that the first walls appeared here in the Iron Age: they were built by warriors planning a raid on the Anglian tribes. Edinburgh Castle has changed over the centuries from English to Scottish property and vice versa. Ten years ago, the British Ministry of Defense finally abandoned it. Residents of Scotland's largest tourist attraction were not affected by the decision. Since the beginning of the 20th century, a dynasty of caretakers has been living in the castle, whose only duty is to fire a cannon every hour during daylight hours.

5. Warwick Castle, England

The vast majority of the residents of the house are TV and Youtube stars. The estate, built back in 1068 by William the Conqueror, is a regular participant in the show with psychics, "ghost hunters" and magicians. It even made it into the book Haunted Houses of Great Britain and Ireland. Anyone can find footage of internal surveillance cameras with evidence of their existence on video hosting sites.

Extreme temperature fluctuations, light anomalies and mysterious rustles are arranged by the "Gray Lady" and her assistants. The pensioner, who is the heiress of the earl-owner of Warwick, is also familiar with her. For 100 years, her figure has been bumping into the inhabitants of the palace in its long corridors and scaredly shied away at the sight of children. She can't walk through walls, which is why Warwick is used to suddenly opening doors. Those who have seen her up close say that she is the ghost of an old woman dressed in a gray dress. The "Gray Lady" is assisted by the county poet Fulk Greville, who was strangled in the Water Tower in 1628. His chilling screams are heard from the Tower several times a week. In addition to this couple, there are more than 10 unidentified ghosts living in Warwick.

6. Rock of Cashel, Ireland

In the castle on the rock of Cashel lives the caretaker of the cemetery, which spontaneously arose near its walls. A group of medieval buildings built between the 12th and 15th centuries is adjacent to the Cormac Chapel, a small Romanesque church that houses the sarcophagus of the first owner of the fortress, after whom it is named. During an unexpected attack by the enemy, the locals tried to hide in the church, but everyone was brutally killed. They were buried there, and soon new burials began to appear around the graves of the unfortunate victims. According to legend, dozens of spirits also live there.

7. Kronborg Estate, Denmark

Built in 1420, the castle on the outskirts of Copenhagen is officially included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In order to prevent capture by the Swedes, it was designed as a complex system of labyrinths and underground passages. Creative personalities live in Kronborg - directors, actors, screenwriters. Every spring they create a new interpretation of the theatrical production of William Shakespeare's Hamlet and present it to the audience.

8. Bran Palace, Romania

In picturesque Transylvania is the estate of the bloodiest Romanian of all time - Count Dracula. Bran is a famous tourist attraction in the country, as well as a hotel with rooms in the form of wooden log cabins decorated with tiles. The legendary vampire liked to stay there during his lifetime, but he left no trace of himself in Bran. The interior decoration of the castle has been preserved since the time of Queen Mary: she lived in it after the count and decorated it with a large number of books, porcelain and icons. The latter, according to rumors, she needed to prevent the nightly visits of the vampire.

9. Pfalzgrafenstein Estate, Germany

Even native Germans are unable to pronounce the name correctly the first time. It is located in the middle of the Rhine River: the island of Pfalzgrafenstein used to be completely deserted and uninhabited. A fortress was built on top of it as a royal customs house to check on ships passing by. Later it became the residence of the local nobility. In the 20th century, the state needed to use the Pfalzgrafenstein as a lighthouse. Now the caretaker lives there, and in order to visit him, you will have to cross the Rhine in the old fashioned way by boat.

10. Fortification of Castel del Monte, Italy

The author of this building was never found. In the 15th century, it was created as an astronomical calendar, in each room of which you can find out the time by a sundial or the date by a light calendar. There are 8 floors in Castel del Monte, 8 rooms are designed on each of them. Modern astronomers have managed to prove that the location of the fortress is really ideal for observing the starry sky. It was equipped as an observatory in which scientists live all year round.

18 chose

Nowadays, when speeds are high and distances are short, getting to Languedoc is easy. You can fly to Toulouse or take the high-speed train Paris - Montpellier. Or rent a car in Nice, already mastered by our compatriots. But I like the other way - the one that leads from the south, from Spain. Moreover, it is much more interesting to drive not along the coastal highway (it exists in two versions - an excellent paid one and a good free one), but along a serpentine winding through the Pyrenees. Once Hannibal's army went this way - this thought, I confess, encouraged us at a particularly dashing turn or when, at an altitude of under 3000 meters, the engine of a rental car began to cough treacherously ... If the ancient commander led soldiers, horses and even elephants (!) can't we make it?

The majestic mountain peaks set in a solemn and romantic mood, and already in the foothills Languedoc awaits us - probably the richest region of France in secrets and mysteries.

The current administrative division of the country has redrawn the historical borders, and the ancient Languedoc ended up in two different regions, but for travelers, it’s not the name that matters, but the essence, right? And in order to understand the essence of Languedoc, it is not enough to admire the landscapes and see the sights that come across at every step - no, you can’t do without history! Let's start with the fact that it was not the French who lived in Languedoc, but the Occitans, who spoke their own language. This beautiful melodious language, in which the most famous troubadours of medieval Europe composed songs, exists to this day, and it is to this that the region owes its name. Languedoc translates as "language ok" - this is how the word "yes" sounded in the local dialect.

The mild climate with enough sun and rain, the fertile foothills, where lush green meadows, vineyards and orchards are located, and the coast, indented with convenient bays, have long attracted people who have left us a lot of mystery.

Who and why, for example, erected these dolmens and menhirs in ancient times? And most importantly, how?

When you stand next to stones that are thousands of years old, it is easy to understand why some church of the 17th century is perceived by the locals almost as a remake ...

And the question is: "In what way?" during a trip to the Languedoc will occur repeatedly - even if the "who" and "why" are clear. Here's how, using simple medieval technology, it was possible to build such a castle on a sheer cliff?

Peyreperthuse Castle is one of the most picturesque in the region.

By the way, how it was stormed in the 13th century is also not very clear to modern man ... After all, even today a stubborn tourist has to climb for about half an hour along a winding rocky path - it seems that its quality has not improved much over the centuries.

The ascent to the castle (however, the descent is not easier) requires some preparation, but a few kilometers away you can refresh yourself by swimming in a mountain river right under a small waterfall. I wanted to apologize to readers for digressing from the topic of "secrets and mysteries", but changed my mind - after all, a beautiful old legend is associated with this place. It is quite confusing, but the bottom line is that, having plunged, you will certainly look younger.

I don’t know how about “getting younger”, but 12-degree water takes away fatigue!

As for castles in general, hunting for them in Languedoc is not required. Almost every mountain or hill is crowned with some kind of castle - of different centuries, sizes and degrees of destruction. And these are not some "sleek" and "cultivated" castles of Central France. No, these are the very, real, medieval ones that did not differ in either luxury or convenience, but were impregnable and (this is sure!) Mysterious.

Where did the mysteries and secrets of the Languedoc castles come from? To answer this question, one has to turn to history. The fact is that the region has always been distinguished not only by natural beauties and riches, its own language and unique culture, but also by the peculiarities of the religious worldview. In short, the Languedoc was full of all kinds of heresies, the most famous of which was the doctrine of the Cathars, or Albigensians (from the name of the city of Albi). The Cathars, who did not agree with the Catholic Church, built impregnable castles, as it seemed, not in vain - the Crusade against heretics was soon declared ... In the XIII century, all the castles were taken, Languedoc was suppressed, but ... This is where the mysteries begin - the treasures of the Cathars, among which there were many noble and rich people, but they were never found ... Stories about the untold riches of the Knights Templar who fled to the south of France from the persecution of King Philip the Handsome (we recall the novels of Maurice Druon) ... I will say more - there are also legends about the treasures of the Jerusalem temple, you know what ways got to Languedoc ... In general, at your service is a real tangle of unsolved mysteries and unsolvable mysteries!

Where to look for these treasures? Maybe in the most famous castle of Languedoc - the "father of the Cathar castles" - Carcassonne?

Carcassonne is probably the most visited attraction of Languedoc, attracting a huge flow of tourists. They walk around the medieval part of the city - Cité, marveling at the authenticity of the building, admiring the Gothic basilica of St. Nazarius and the inner castle, listening to the legends about the Saracen woman - Lady Karkas, who saved the city from the troops of Charlemagne ...

... and they do not suspect that the medieval splendor that opens before them is in many respects the fruit of a very free reconstruction of the 19th century. The French architect and restorer Viollet-le-Duc presented us with his romantic and sublime Middle Ages of valiant knights, beautiful ladies and sweet-voiced troubadours. But the monument was preserved for posterity and still makes an indelible impression!

Much better suited for searching for hidden treasures is the powerful and impressive fortress of Keribyus, even in a dilapidated state, frozen on top of a rock like a huge eagle's nest.

Keribus was the last Cathar castle taken by the crusaders, and this alone attracted the attention of treasure hunters of all ages. It is unlikely that you will be able to find secret passages and dungeons full of treasures that have not been discovered over the centuries, but the ascent to the castle will be rewarded with a magnificent panorama from the top.

For romantic discoveries, Piyuloran Castle is suitable, standing on a mountain surrounded by dense coniferous forests. Piyuloran was once famous for its troubadours and romantic love stories of these very troubadours for beautiful ladies. Here they like to tell legends about the ghosts of unfortunate lovers and dead prisoners of the dungeons.

But, perhaps, most of the legends are associated with Montsegur, which has become the center of Languedoc mysteries. Do you remember the novel by Yeremey Parnov "The Casket of Mary Medici" and the film of the same name? So, the plot of this whole story is in Montsegur! Montsegur, almost wiped off the face of the earth by the crusaders, where some of the defenders of the fortress committed suicide, and the rest, who did not renounce their beliefs, were burned ...

The picturesque ruins of the castle, however, have nothing to do with the era of the Cathars - we see the ruins of a fortress of a later time. Still impressive, right?

And this does not bother either tourists climbing to the ruins, or, even more so, treasure seekers. And among the seekers were, among other things, specialists from the Nazi Ahnenerbe ... Mystics and occultists from the Ahnenerbe could not pass by the legendary place where once there were mysterious sanctuaries, the knight Parsifal lived and in general there was the Holy Grail! And it was he, and not material values, that was the main treasure of Montsegur, and it was he who was saved from the besieged fortress ...

The Holy Grail is another important Languedoc theme. The notorious Dan Brown, inventing the plot of The Da Vinci Code, of course, turned to the legends of the south of France. The story of the Priory of Sion, the saved Jesus, Mary Magdalene and their descendants who have survived to this day, was not invented today or even yesterday. And the most suitable place to see this is Rennes-le-Chateau.

At first glance, there is nothing outstanding in the village of Rennes-le-Chateau. From Carcassonne, a beautiful road winding through the hills leads to it, nearby is the town of Limou, famous for its sparkling wines (they are much older than champagne) ...

…and famous since Roman times, the tiny thermal resort of Ales-les-Bains.

And in Rennes-le-Chateau itself, surrounded by vineyards and thickets of semi-wild figs, there is, at first glance, nothing special. The church, leading its history from the 5th century (who will be surprised by this?) and rebuilt in the century before last, the most ordinary houses, a village square ...

But behind this ordinary facade, real secrets are hidden, almost forgotten by the end of the 19th century. Perhaps they would have remained so if it were not for the local curate, Beranger Sauniere. When repairing a dilapidated church, he found mysterious scrolls and ... away we go! Suddenly and it is not clear how the rich priest begins to behave very mysteriously. He restores the church, decorating it, to put it mildly, with non-canonical frescoes and sculptures.

Saunière then builds a tower called Magdala (obviously alluding to Mary Magdalene).

He is visited by aristocrats and the powers that be from all over Europe, and relations with the official church become very strange - on the one hand, he is allowed to erect dubious buildings, and on the other, he is denied the last communion ... It is still unknown what Saunière found? A treasure hidden by the Templars / Cathars / Merovingian kings / fugitives from the Holy Land? Or has the curé discovered another secret that can turn the whole Christian world upside down - about the surviving Christ, Mary Magdalene and their descendants, guarded by the Priory of Sion for centuries? Hardly anyone can answer this question. But until now, in the vicinity of Rennes-le-Chateau, lovers of the mysterious and mystical come together and try to find the tomb of Christ, the treasure of King Solomon not completely dug out by Saunière, and God knows what else ... However, to be fair, I will say that there are more simply curious visitors. In a seven-year-old guidebook, I read that, they say, the villagers are dumbfounded by the invasion of tourists, and some, especially active ones, are even afraid. Now the locals seem to have gotten used to it and even learned to take advantage of it: tickets to the Sauniere Museum are not cheap, and a cup of coffee in a local cafe costs more than anywhere on the Champs Elysees in Paris. But this cannot deprive Rennes-le-Chateau of its halo, if not mystery, then at least unusualness.

Of course, Languedoc is not limited to secrets and mysteries. There are many interesting places to see which are a real success. The ancient Celts and Romans, the knights and powerful kings of the Middle Ages, the Huguenots persecuted by the Catholics and the great artists of the New Age - they all left their mark on the life of the Languedoc ... But that's another story.

Svetlana Vetka , specially for Etoya.ru