A breath-taking bird’s eye view journey leads to Europe’s most interesting castles and palaces, to otherwise closed worlds, extraordinary contemporaries and magnificent landscapes.
They dot the countryside of our continent like so many priceless pearls, steeped in history and an aura of mystery: Europe’s castles. No other part of the world boasts as many castles and palaces as Europe.
These “stone giants” are an integral part of our culture and our landscapes. Some nestled among gently rolling hills, others erected on the banks of raging rivers or on mountain ridges, they are testament to compelling stories and regional identity. Kings and princes built their palaces and summer residences in some of the most beautiful and strategically located spots in Europe. As we follow in their footsteps to visit Europe’s best known and most striking castles, châteaux and palaces, our journey will lead us through the Loire Valley in France, to southern Germany, the southeast of England, the Piedmont in Italy and along Portugal’s coast.
Breathtaking aerial views of these landscapes and tantalizing glimpses of their palaces and castles will draw viewers in and make them curious to find out what lies behind their walls. Extraordinary discoveries await them there – bizarre collections; the sheltered, privileged world of royalty; stunning works of art. The ideas, dreams and attitudes reflected in these monuments continue to inspire the imagination of people in their environment to this day. The series will also seek to find traces of traditions that still live on in and around Europe’s castles and châteaux, palaces and royal manors and find out how they are being creatively reinterpreted today. By putting the spotlight on these impressive edifices and the unusual “habitat” they provide, Castles of Europe aims to make a remarkable aspect of European history and culture accessible to a wider public in all its regional diversity.
The production “Castles and Palaces of Europe“ was awarded with the “Silver World Medal“ in the category “Cultural Issues“ at New York Festival 2014.
Directed by Jeremy JP Fekete:
– Baden-Württemberg in Germany
– Piedmont in Italy
– Estremadura in Portugal
Directed by Gero von Boehm and Julia Zantl:
– Southern England and the Midlands
– Loire Valley in France
Castles and Palaces of Europe
