Castle architecture is centuries old, but still resonates today with those looking for a regal home or vacation destination.
Castles, of course, are best known as the homes to noble families in Europe. They are identified by their stone structures, high walls and even higher watch towers. Traditional castles housed village-size populations and also acted as security apparatuses to fend off intruders or rival armies.
Since the days of castle combat are long gone, castle architecture has come to represent luxury and good old-fashioned excessiveness. You can still travel to old world countries and rent traditional castles, or you can find new age structures like ice castles and tree top castles.
With such a storied history, it's no wonder children gravitate towards creating these symbolic structures on beaches.
30 Castle Architecture Projects
30
Psychedelic Home Exteriors
Graffiti Artists Channel Bad Acid Trips to Attack Scottish Castle
29
Castle Parties
Andrej Lorenc's Exclusive Luxury Costume Parties in Europe
28
Celeb Fairytale Weddings
The Kevin Jonas and Danielle Deleasa Wedding at Oheka Castle
27
Colossal Ice Castles
These Roger Hanson Sculptures are Incredible Geothermal Ice Creations
26
Fairytale Garden Castles
Dreaming Spires Willow Playhouses are Designed for Imaginative Play
25
Modern Ruins
Russian Castles Rotting
24
Canine Castles
'Best Friend's Home' Makes Glamourous Dog Mansions
23
Fantasy Castles
Enchanting Architecture from DeviantART Creatives, From Spooky to Sparkly
22
Geometric Sand Castles
Sculptor Calvin Seibert Creates Modern Beach Artworks
21
Treetop Castles
The Duke of Northumberland's Swanky Forest Mansion
20
Concrete Coastal Castles
The Alvarez Beach House Has Contemporary Charm and Character
19
Castle & Palace Hotels
Global Fairytale Escapes
18
Eternal Damnation LEGO Depictions
Mihai Mihu Recreates Dante’s Inferno Using the Popular Blo
17
Compact Airport Castles
The Dream and Fly Micro Hotel is Jet Set on Making You Comfortable
16
Combat-Colored Bouncy Castles
The Inflatable Military Obstacle Course Will Keep You Fit
15
Epic Sand Castles
The Zhoushan Sand Sculpture Festival Boasts the World's Largest Sand Sculpture
14
Naturalistic Concrete Castles
The Andrea Kleboth House in Mattsee is an Isolated Abode
13
Papercraft Castles
Amazing Mini Architecture From Wataru Itou
12
Texturized Modern Castles
The Kanayama Community Center by Kengo Kuma
11
Sizzling 8-Bit Sandcastles
Guy-Olivier Deveau Brings Classic Nintendo Games to the Beaches
10
Hairy Regal Homes
Agustina Woodgate Hair Castles are Sculpted out of Human Hair
9
Epic Poem Sand Castles
Dante's Inferno Sand Sculptures Journeys to Hell on Earth
8
Urban Eco-Castles
The Augustenborg Green City Center by Deve Architects
7
Cardboard Castles
Four Guys Create a Fort Fit for Do-It-Yourself Kings
6
Fairytale-Themed Castles
The Enchanted Palace Sets Out a Quest to Find Seven Princesses
5
Compact Faux Ice Castles
The OrganiCube Looks Like A Gigantic Snow Fort
4
Towering Cardboard Castles
Nina Lindgren Creates Super-Sized Eco-Art
3
Bouncy Stonehenge Castles
Jeremy Deller Presents an Inflatable Version of the World Wonder
2
$65,000 Backyard Castles
Live the Fantasy You’ve Always Wanted with a DIY Fairy Tale Castle
1
Canned Fast Food Castles
The Canned White Castle Sculpture Brings Holiday Cheer to Hungry Families
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Fairytale Garden Installations
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Idyllic Canadian Abodes
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The Kevin Jonas and Danielle Deleasa Wedding at Oheka Castle
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Sci-Fi Themed Weddings
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The DIS Magazine Plank Girl Editorial is a Mix Between Memes and Couture
Cardboard Origami Shelters
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53 Colossal Castles and Mansions
From Hillside Party Mansions to Cardboard Castles
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Hallucinogenic Hallways
Fairytale Land Art Installation in Kiev
Sweetly Snowed-In Homes
The Sugar Bowl Residence's Design Was Dictated by its Cold Environment
Earthy Green Houses
The Suoi Re Village Community House is at Home With the Environment
58 LEGO-Inspired Electronics
From Digital Block Clocks to Toy Brick Picture Cameras
Cardboard Cars
Chris Gilmous Adds to his Amazing Cardboard Art with the McLaren M8B Replica
1940s Glamour Editorials
The Barbara Palvin Vogue Australia August 2011 Editorial is Retro Sharp
American Pod Hotels
Rockwell Group's Yotel Times Square Expansion Rocks
Wildlife-Welcoming Rural Homes
Australia's Hinterland House is Designed to Let Animals Roam Free
Passionately Undead Portraits
The Jeff Hahn 'Dead Heaven' Photo Series Resurrects Dark Fashion
Palace Wall Backdrops
Ali Larrey Sets a Decadent Interior for Vogue Espana Editorial
Classy Gamer Weddings
Couple Ties the Knot With Nintendo Accessories
Supersized Sand Sculptures
JOOheng Tan Creates an Amazing Art Installation for Omo Promotion
Hairless Cat Couture
Sphynxwear Dresses Up Your Feline Friend
Folded Buildings
Rio de Janiero's Museum of Image and Sound Looks Layered
Fairytale Garden Castles
Dreaming Spires Willow Playhouses are Designed for Imaginative Play
Intricate Papercraft Lamps
7GODS Light Installments Embrace Delicate Decor
Ornate Cadet Couture
The Parure Citizen K International Editorial is Military-Inspired
Boxy Oceanside Abodes
The Javier Artadi Beach House is a Stone Enclosed Masterpiece
Comical Military-Inspired Editorials
The W Magazine July 2012 Demarchelier Photoshoot is Combative
Pixelated Gamer Illustrations
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Canned Christmas Trees
The Mountain Dew Tree is Illuminatingly Festive
Pyramidal Paper Ceilings
Swedish Architecture Firm Visiondivision Designs the Paper Cut Parlour
Fantasy Castles
Enchanting Architecture from DeviantART Creatives, From Spooky to Sparkly
Treetop Facade Abodes
The Nature Screen on the Nicholson House Creates a Perennial Shade
Comfy Waffle Seating
The Intricately Designed Cardboard Chick 'n' Egg Chair
Flat-Packed Playspaces
'My Space' Pop-Up Playhouse Designed by Liya Mairson
Treetop Castles
The Duke of Northumberland's Swanky Forest Mansion
Plastic Bottle Palaces
La Casa de Botellas Gives New Meaning to Green Living
8-Bit Sci-Fi Posters (UPDATE)
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Elaborate Ornamental Headpieces
Alessandro Mengozzi Makes Fashionista's Heads Beautiful
Inverted Pyramid Architecture
The Phenomenal GMP Architects Design for the Hanoi Museum
Inverted Octopus Architecture
Elk Grove by Zaha Hadid Spreads its Tentacles into the Community
100 Creative Canned Finds
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Game Boy Robots
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Nightmarish Sandcastles
Sandlistaverk is Scary, Horrific, and Strange
Boastful Australian Abodes
The 'Pretty Beach House' is an Architectural Marvel Nestled Down Under
Zigzag Rooftops
The Florida Beach House by Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects is Quirkily Haphazard
28 LEGO Movie Mashups
From Man-Hunting Alien Toys to Building Block Flicks
Canned Avian Creations
Angry Birds and More at Canstruction 2011 in NYC
Toy Pocket Monster Models
Mike Nieves Crafts Pokemon Figurines Using LEGO Blocks
Twisting Timber Abodes
Nieuw Leyden Project by 24H Harmonizes Interior and Exterior Form
Comic-Con Contest Fails
EA's 'Sin to Win' Promo for "Dante's Inferno' Crosses the Line
Blow-Up Party Pastimes
The Inflatable Outdoor Color Dot Game Brings Twister to Turf
Tropical Beach Hutels
Mandarin Oriental Dellis Cay Hotel and Beach House Residences
Toy Comic Cover Remakes
Mike Napolitan Uses LEGO to Parody Memorable Superhero Art
Combat-Colored Bouncy Castles
The Inflatable Military Obstacle Course Will Keep You Fit
Religious Gamer Virals
Virtual Mass Nintendo Wii Game Actually Promotes Dante's Inferno
Surreal Sand Sculptures
Carl Jara Creates Unexpected Beach Artwork
Star-Adorned Castle Structures
The 24° Studio 'Daphne' Installation is Mystical and Mesmerizi
Papercraft Puzzles
Prof. George W. Hart Creates the 'Frabjous' Out of Cardboard
Epic Sand Castles
The Zhoushan Sand Sculpture Festival Boasts the World's Largest Sand Sculpture
Contemporary Canine Homes
The CUBIX Dog House is Luxury Living for Your Pooch
Drive-In Museums
China's Automobile Museum Never Makes You Get Out of the Car
101 Pixelated Product Inceptions
From Floppy Disk Faces to Real-Life 8-Bit Animals
Inflatable Cultural Centers
The Mobile Cultural Mobilizarte is Beautifully Portable
Playhouse Auctions
Net Zero Ocean Adventure Lab Playhouse will Raise Funds for Real Housing
Avian Fauna Building Blocks
LEGO Birds by DeTomaso Pantera are Anatomically Accurate and Charming
Papercraft Castles
Amazing Mini Architecture From Wataru Itou
Living Tree Art
Richard Reames of Arborsmith Studios Grows Amazing Arborsculptures
Canned Hangover Remedies
The Mercy Drink Combats Hangovers Before They Start
Sous-Storage Seating
Chaise Leaf by Petit Romain Needs No Coffee Table Companion
White Chocolate Statues
The 'World Heritage Monuments' Replica is Made Out of Chocolate
Luminescent LED Light Shows
Spark of Light is a Spectacular Interactive Sculpture
Bizarre Butterfly Exhibits
This Bik Van der Pol Design Isn't Your Everyday Musem Artwork
Medieval Manor Cake Molds
The Castle Bundt Pan Creates Imaginative Desserts
Timid Color-Blocked Shoots
Matt Feddersen
Cardboard Office Pranks
The Cardboard Office Prank is the Ultimate Workplace Joke
Sustainable Border Stations
Warroad Land Port of Entry by Julie Snow Architects is LEED Certified
Vacuum-Powered Spiderman Suits
The Ascending Aggies Lets People Climb Walls
8-Bit Pop Sensations
Paul Robertson Gives the World Pixelated Katy Perry
Block Sci-Fi Comic Mashups
The LEGO Batman Star Wars X-Wing Protects Gotham and the Galaxy
Military Inspired Lights
The Andromeda Lamp is Ready for Both Your Home and the Battlefield
Splashing Seashore Dishware
Sand Bowls by Leetal Rivlin Capture the Activity of the Coastline
Sky-High 90s Hairstyles
'Big Hair and True Love' By Richard Bram Captures Towering Coiffures
Military Beach Editorials
Warp features the Neighbourhood 'Less Than Zero' Collection
Stunning Stony Abodes
The Barnes Coy Architects St. Barths Residence is a Medieval Beach House
Block-Toy Writing Utensils
These LEGO Minifgure Crayons Add Some Character to Your Colors
Eco Science Centers
The New Italian Musuem of Science Will Be a Former Factory Gone Green
Texturized Modern Castles
The Kanayama Community Center by Kengo Kuma
Eco Desert Adobes
Kibbutz Lotan is a Sustainable Oasis Community
Castle Amphitheatres
Cloud Castle Concert Hall Entertains in Vienna
Bouncy Castle Sailboats
Three Men Interrupt an International Regatta on an Inflated Castle
Science-Defying Houses
The Kohki Hiranuma Time and Space House is a Private and Modern Haven
Sizzling 8-Bit Sandcastles
Guy-Olivier Deveau Brings Classic Nintendo Games to the Beaches
$90,000 Rodent Mansions
Brad Pitt Designs an Over-the-Top Luxurious Gerbil House
Egg Cup Architecture
Check Out the Soumaya Museum in Mexico City by Lar & Fernando Romero
Hairy Regal Homes
Agustina Woodgate Hair Castles are Sculpted out of Human Hair
Epic Poem Sand Castles
Dante's Inferno Sand Sculptures Journeys to Hell on Earth
Charming Fairy Tale Chambers
The 'Once Upon a Time' Room by Ontwerpduo is Magically Magnificent
Culinary Crystal Castles
The VONSUNG Glasshouse Breeds Confusion and Awe
Oriental Delight
Mandrin Oriental Opens Hotel in Barcelona
Cardboard Castles
Four Guys Create a Fort Fit for Do-It-Yourself Kings
Hairy Human Sculptures
Fred Laforge Builds a Beastly Being Using Synthetic Locks
Clustered Play Forts
Gregg Fleshman's 'Playgoda' is a Flat-Packed Playhouse
8-Bit Pop Parodies
The Rebecca Black Gameboy Video is Hilariously Geeky
Tunneled Art Museums
The Museum Liaunig Takes Artistry Underground
16 Luxurious Castles
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Multi-Color Museums
Modern Art is Somewhere Over the Rainbow at Brandhorst Museum
Beachside Sand Chariots
The Sand Castles of Oregon Puts Oregon on the Map
World's Tallest Sand Castle
The Ed Jarrett Sand Castle is an Artistic Masterpiece Fit for a King
Cake Golf Courses
Selfridges' The Big Rooftop Tea & Golf Party Celebrates All Things British
Canine Hobbit Homes
The All Natural DIY Dog House by Fibrillaria Made of Straw, Manure
Contemporary Seaside Communities
Beach Town Kronborg by Arkitema Updates Oceanfront Living
Citrus Fruit Sculptures
The Fete Du Citron Features a Vitamin C Packed Village
Retro 80s Arcade Counters
Dine and Drink Vintage Style on the Pacman Ghost Coffee Table
Present-Day Parthenons
The New Acropolis Museum is Located in Athens
Sandy Sculptures
Jesolo Lido's Annual Sand Sculpture Festival Has Dante's Inferno Them
Deconstructed Cardboard Art
The ‘Studies Sleeping Reorganization' Series by Anne De Vr
Recycled 8-Bit Instruments
Benjamin Gaulon Transforms Nintendo Controllers Into MIDI Inputs
Inflatable Churches
Transparante Kerk is a Pop-Up Church That is the First of its Kind
Suspension Rug Huts
Rughut Mat Transforms from Floor Covering to Personal Space
Castle Turret Slacklines
Maverick Slacklines Performs Death-Defying Stunts
Swashbuckling Playgrounds
The Pirate Ship Playhouse Offers Luxury Area for Boundless Imaginations
Magma Power
Iceland Deep Drilling Project Uncovers the Geothermal Energy Potential of Lava
Robotic Bumper Cars
The Bionic Bopper Car Lets Users Duke it Out Safely