A water castle is a castle or stately home whose site is entirely surrounded by water-filled moats (moated castles) or natural waterbodies such as island castles in a river or offshore.
Topographically water castles are a type of lowland castle. The term is mainly found in European-language sources, e.g. under its German names of German: Wasserburg or Wasserschloss, but is also used in English-language sources, usually those referring to European castles of this type. Forde-Johnston describes it as "a castle in which water plays a prominent part in the defences..."
There is a further distinction between:
Water castles, that are protected by artificial water-filled moats or ponds (man-made defences) i.e. a moated castle
Water castles, whose primary means of protection is from river courses or which stand on islands in a lake or natural pond (natural defences). Island castles are an example.
In all cases, water is used as an obstacle to hinder an attacker. That apart, an abundant supply of water was also an advantage during a siege. Such a castle usually had only one entrance, which was via a drawbridge and that could be raised for protection in the event of an attack. To some extent these water castles had a fortress-like character.
In many places in Central Europe castles that had formerly been fortified changed their role or were converted over the course of time so that they became largely representational and residential buildings. The characteristic moats thus lost their original security function, but were retained in some cases as an element of landscaping. Today, in monument conservation circles, they are often described as burdensome, cost-intensive "historic legacies" because of the water damage caused to their foundations. As a result, many moats around castles in Germany have been drained, or more rarely filled, especially since the 1960s.
Āraiši (Arrasch)
Trakai Island Castle
Wijnendale Castle
Blatná Castle
Červená Lhota Castle
Švihov Castle
Egeskov Castle
Spøttrup Castle
Bad Rappenau Water Castle
Inzlingen Castle
Brennhausen
Irmelshausen
Kleinbardorf
Mespelbrunn Castle
Köpenick Palace
Spandau Citadel
Brandenburg
Plattenburg in the Prignitz
Blomendal Castle
Schönebeck Palace
Bergedorf Palace
Friedewald Water Castle in Friedewald
Fürstenau Palace near Steinbach
Fallersleben Castle
Hülsede Water Castle
Lütetsburg
Osterburg
Schelenburg
Wendhausen Castle
Wolfsburg Castle
Schwerin Castle
Benrath House in Düsseldorf
Gimborn Castle
Haus Kemnade in Bochum
Morsbroich Castle in Leverkusen
Moyland Castle in Bedburg-Hau
Nordkirchen Palace
Rheydt Palace
Dyck Palace
Vischering Castle
Wilkinghege Water Castle in Münster
Wittringen Castle in Gladbeck
Rhineland-Palatinate
Alte Burg (Boppard)
Alte Burg (Koblenz)
Saarland
Gustavsburg in Homburg
Kerpen Castle near Illingen
Moritzburg Castle
Hainewalde Water Castle
Calvörde Castle
Köthen Castle
Reinharz Water Castle
Eutin Castle
Glücksburg Castle
Kapellendorf Water Castle
Bourzi
Methoni Castle
Sárvár Castle
Tokaj Castle (ruined)
Castello Estense
Castello di Sirmione
in a broad way, Venice Arsenal
Imabari Castle
Nakatsu Castle
Takamatsu Castle
Netherlands
Cannenburgh Castle
Hoensbroek Castle
Muiderslot
Loevestein
Ammersoyen Castle
Kasteel Radboud
Brederode Castle
Belém Tower
Parič Castle (ruined)
Šintava Castle (ruined)
Štítnik Water Castle
Vranov Castle (vanished)
Otočec Castle
Älvsborg Fortress
Bollerup
Dybäck Castle
Ellinge Castle
Gåsevadholm Castle
Gripsholm Castle
Häckeberga Castle
Hjularyd Castle
Kalmar Castle
Krageholm Castle
Krapperup Castle
Kronoberg Castle
Kulla Gunnarstorp Castle
Landskrona Citadel
Malmö Castle
Maltesholm Castle
Örebro Castle
Örup Castle
Osbyholm Castle
Skabersjö Castle
Stegeborg Castle
Strömsholm Palace
Tosterup Castle
Trolle-Ljungby Castle
Trolleholm Castle
Vadstena Castle
Vaxholm Fortress
Vegeholm Castle
Vibyholm Castle
Viderup Castle
Vittskövle Castle
England
Bodiam Castle
Herstmonceux Castle
Leeds Castle
Scotland
Caerlaverock Castle
Castle Stalker
Eilean Donan
Caerphilly Castle
Beaumaris Castle
