Fortresses

Despite being of the most short-lived republics in history, this small Chilean town won’t forget its two days of independence.

This Arab fortress was once the largest citadel in Western Europe.

Standing atop 2nd-century Roman ruins, this church is one of the oldest and most iconic in Old Cairo.

The little-known second castle that William the Conqueror built in York.

This 11th-century castle sits so low you can't see it behind the surrounding buildings.

The ruins of a fairytale castle with a tumultuous history stand high atop the mountains.

A star-shaped fortress town fort built in the geometric model of the Renaissance utopian city.

This tiny islet has somehow housed an ancient temple, two monasteries, a church, a fortress, and a restaurant.

Enjoy fresh-baked bread and fish from a repurposed Portuguese fortress.

Climb a set of vertiginous stone steps to the top of this impressive ancient edifice.

The oldest colonial fortress in the Americas was once the home and later prison of Christopher Columbus.

The largest medieval water tank on the Iberian Peninsula is preserved beneath the Cáceres Museum.

The castle was reconstructed to fit Kaiser Wilhelm II's romanticized vision of the Middle Ages.

Ruins of a 13th-century fortress perched above a breathtaking Mediterranean bay.

Legend has it fairies gathered at the site of this medieval castle.

This Ukranian fortress is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Europe.