Have you ever imagined living in castle? Dreamed of hearing your footsteps echo through acres of passageways and years of history? Then take note—with the current financial crisis still growing, it’s getting much easier for you to make the dream of owning a castle a reality. Built in the most picturesque and commanding locations in Europe to provide safety for their inhabitants and inspire awe in their visitors, castles are the definitive status symbol. This is why they have been home to kings and queens for centuries, right up to the so-called Hollywood royalty of today.

So—could you really own a castle? Yes. It is now possible to buy charming castles in many parts of Europe without paying a king’s ransom. Of course, for those with limitless funds, there are extravagant estates for sale, but castles can often be bought for little more than the cost of a vacation home, and might even be able to generate their own income as tourist destinations or hotels.

Rent your own castle for $25 per person per night
There are a variety of castles to rent in Europe, where you can stay for less than a 3 star motel, especially when you book in low-season. Why settle for box-like European hotel rooms when you could have your own drawing room, tower block, and manicured gardens?

Clomantagh Castle in County Kilkenny, Ireland is a basic medieval settlement surrounded by farmland. Guests have a chance to imagine historic rural Irish life and have access to both the tower house, built in 1430 and the farmhouse, built in the early 1800s. This rustic castle sleeps 10 people from only $1,800 a week. See:
www.irishlandmark.com. ($25 per person per night.)

In the 1700s a villa was built into the old medieval walls of the Tuscan village of Monterchi. Close to Arezzo, where Piero della Francesca created one of his most famous frescoes, this villa is furnished with antique pieces and boasts an Italianate terraced garden. Luckily for you, it’s now for rent and has been updated with a swimming pool, high speed Internet, and gazebo. To complete your Tuscan hideaway, you can hire a cook or indulge in the mouth-watering Tuscan dishes served by the local restaurants. Villa il Castello sleeps 14 people and can be rented from $4,580 a week. See: www.villeinitalia.com. ($46 per person per night.)

Easterheughs Castle, just 20 minutes from Edinburgh, is a stunning Scottish tower house set on the lapping waters of the Firth of Forth. Featuring a music room and drawing rooms, much of the interior woodwork dates from the 17th and 18th centuries. This castle rents from $3,550 a week, sleeps 12, and is the perfect base for exploring bonny Scotland. See: www.celticcastles.com. ($42 per person per night.)

Occasionally, it is possible to acquire a castle without paying more than a nominal upfront fee, as the national government may give a perpetual lease over a historic property in exchange for renovating it. In these cases, the government may also pay subsidies for the renovation work required.

Eastern Europe is where you will get the most value for your money. For $466,595, you can purchase a palace in Poland, built in 1681, complete with private park. Renovations could turn this historical property into a beautiful luxury hotel and resort. See: http://castles.glo-con.com.

In Bate, Hungary, there is a great deal for anyone wanting to renovate a country estate. For just $200,000 you can have your own 18th century, 20-room castle set alongside an idyllic forest and lake. See: http://castles.glo-con.com.

In the extraordinarily beautiful and romantic castle of Trnava, it’s easy to imagine a better life. For $170,000 you could own a 16th century baroque-style castle and become part of history. Once one of the grandest homes in the region, this southern Slovakian castle was attacked by Hungarian soldiers in 1918 and has been looking for a new owner to properly restore it ever since. It has 35 bedrooms and enormous potential as a sumptuous home or boutique hotel.
See: www.castlesforallbudgets.com.

Celebrities and their castles
European castles are popular with celebrities because of the luxury and privacy they provide, and many stars retreat to their stately homes to escape the attention of the public and the paparazzi.

In 2006, after years of living in a reproduction castle on the outskirts of Los Angeles, Nicolas Cage decided to get a taste of the real thing by purchasing a dilapidated 11th-century castle in southern Germany. Cage paid $2.6 million for Schloss Neidstein, which has 28 rooms and sits on a hill in the middle of a private forest near the small village of Etzelwang in Bavaria.

For $550,000, you can buy a seven-bedroom chateau in Normandy, France. This charming castle by the sea has already been converted into a B&B and would offer a healthy, cultured lifestyle change. It has all the benefits of the modern world, with a spacious American kitchen, double glazing, and broadband, coupled with the majesty of the past with its curling staircase, manicured gardens, and antique fireplaces. See:www.moulin.nl.

With more money to spend, you can find some extraordinary properties to fire your imagination: from historic Schloss Kartlow near the Baltic Sea in northern Germany ($2.1 million through: www.immoulin.com), to a grand country manor in Scotland ($17 million through: www.knightfrank.co.uk).