Historic homes may be bursting with charm and character, but they can come with their own problems – draughts, damp, and structural issues, to name just a few. However, there's something a little different about these period properties.
From extravagant Venetian-style palaces to medieval castles and French châteaux, each of these heritage houses hides a secret. Can you guess what?
Click or scroll through to find out...
Situated in the heart of Hamilton, Ontario, Ravenscliffe Castle is just down the road from the sights and sounds of the city, including Bayfront Park and the neoclassical Italianate villa Dundurn Castle.
The house was designed by famed architect James Balfour back in 1881, but has all the hallmarks of a medieval property. Constructed from Scottish stone, it boasts a five-storey tower that provides scenic views across the city and the harbour beyond.
The property extends more than 12,000 square feet (1,115sqm) across three floors, and it’s not difficult to picture 19th-century high society sipping cocktails in its many elegant entertaining spaces.
The front door opens into a huge entrance hall, with a grand timber staircase and shimmering hardwood floors. From here, you'll find cosy living rooms that are perfect for hosting and unwinding.
Everywhere you look, you'll spot incredible historic touches, like original carved woodwork, wainscoting, doors, mouldings, and ceiling medallions.
As well as 12 bedrooms and eight bathrooms, the property also benefits from a lovely billiard room, a formal dining room, a huge kitchen, a built-in bar, two home offices, and a basement level that looks like it might have been turned into a wine tasting room.
This magnificent property in the prestigious Toronto enclave of Bayview Ridge was designed by the famed Canadian architect Gordon Ridgely, who was inspired by classic French châteaux.
However, while it features a castle-like façade with endless windows and an elegant tower topped with a turret, step over the threshold and you'll find yourself in a remarkably modern home featuring plenty of classic architectural elements.
The home’s layout includes a three-car garage, a fully finished basement, a dining room, a library, a great room, an eat-in kitchen, six bedrooms, and 10 bathrooms.
Luxury extras also include a gym, a wine cellar, a wet bar, an indoor pool, and a wellness centre with a steam room. The best part? Every space screams luxury, from shimmering marble surfaces to statement ceilings and glossy hardwood floors.
The property also comes complete with more than three acres (1.2ha) of land featuring lawns, lush landscaping, and an outdoor pool. Just because the exterior looks like it stepped out of the 17th century doesn’t mean you have to compromise on 21st-century amenities.
It should come as no surprise that the glamorous modern home last commanded an asking price of CA$22.5 million (£12m/$16.2m) via Sotheby's International Realty.
Nick Fisher and Jo Jordan built this remarkable farmhouse in Suffolk, England, entirely from scratch without the help of an architect. Finished in 2011, but resembling a home from a bygone era, beautiful Belle Grove Farmhouse, aka the 'Dragon House', was just under four years in the making.
Impressively, the couple sourced all the building materials themselves, from fine French oak to quality marble from India. Once complete, they then filled the incredible self-built house with fabulous antiques from around the world.
Needless to say, this most unique of homes has won several prestigious awards to date, and in December 2011, the farmhouse was declared the overall winner of The Daily Telegraph Homebuilding and Renovating Awards, and it's not hard to see why.
Completed in 2009, this curious castle makes a real statement in its Connecticut neighbourhood. The regal residence, complete with turrets and battlements, was built on a gravel-covered artificial island by Christopher W. Mark, the great-grandson of Chicago industrialist Clayton Mark Sr.
Mark designed and built the amazing home for his daughters, Vivien and Christina. They dreamed of being princesses when they were younger, and he wanted to make that dream a reality.
A bona fide Gothic extravaganza, the castle features towering vaulted ceilings, painted murals, and a grand dining room fit for royalty. Meanwhile, historic memorabilia, including sarcophaguses and replica swords, adorn the otherworldly interiors.
Encompassing a vast 35,000 square feet (3,251sqm), it's hard to believe that this sprawling estate was completed in the 21st century. The Chris Mark Castle, as it's known, is available to rent out for private events and filming if you fancy experiencing this modern Gothic wonder for yourself.
Hungary's Taj Mahal, Bory Castle, was built almost single-handedly by architect and sculptor Jenő Bory over a period of 36 years and finished in 1959. The visionary creative dedicated the concrete castle to his wife, who provided a wealth of decorative artworks for the property.
The castle is a hodgepodge of clashing styles, incorporating elements of Gothic, Romanesque, Scottish Baronial, and Flemish architecture. Despite this, the castle works beautifully as a cohesive, period-inspired structure and would make a wonderfully unique home.
But by the 1980s, the fairytale castle had fallen into disrepair, and Bory's grandchildren set about restoring the property to its former glory. The work was completed in 2014, and Bory Castle now functions as a museum, which is open to the public all year round.
While it once promised to be a high-end European-inspired châteaux complex with lavish amenities for its well-to-do buyers, the Burj Al Babas resort site is still languishing with no hope of rescue more than a decade on from the project’s inception.
Sequestered in the hills of northwestern Turkey, what was intended to be a bustling new community filled with affluent residents is now a surreal ghost town.
Row upon row of hundreds of turreted, identikit houses meet and part in orderly lines, looking like fairytale castles out of a children’s storybook.
The Sarot Group, the masterminds behind the project, splashed out on an idyllic 250-acre (101ha) site just outside the historic town of Mudurnu in northwestern Turkey, with construction costs starting around £148 million ($200m). Development began around 2011, but never reached completion…
Each of the proposed 732 residences was designed in the same whimsical architectural style, as though straight out of a storybook.
Consultant Architect Naci Yoruk has revealed that it was the clients who insisted on the distinctive château design. Needless to say, he went all-out, throwing in Disneyesque turrets, mansard roofs, dormers, balconies with stone balustrades, and copious decoration.
This elaborate estate appears to be plucked from the banks of Venice's Grand Canal or even atop a hill in Ancient Greece. However, this palatial property can be found moments from Cannes' glistening coastline, a high-end resort town on the French Riviera.
Known as Palais Vénitien, its impressive interior measures a staggering 32,291 square feet (3,000sqm) and combines old-world opulence with high-end fixtures.
Although we don't know the exact year it was built, the modern masterpiece was recently redesigned by the interior experts at COGEMAD. Every single room is lavish and reflects the best of traditional French design. Think monumental columns, elegant mouldings, gilded Venetian details, and crystal chandeliers.
There are eight enormous living areas, multiple dining spaces, nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms. What's more, its light-filled kitchen could have been plucked from a top restaurant.
Despite its historic appearance, there are plenty of unexpected extras, too. For example, the luxurious basement rivals a nightclub, with a dancefloor, bar, velvet seating, and professional lighting.
Unsurprisingly, grandeur like this comes at a price, and it was most recently for sale via Knight Frank for an impressive €120 million, which equates to around £104 million ($140m).
When you think of quintessential Australian homes, you may picture glass-walled apartments overlooking Sydney Harbour or a bespoke treehouse hidden in a North Queensland rainforest, but rarely a storybook castle in the woods.
Enter Evermoore Castle, a one-of-a-kind European-style château located beneath Old Man Dreaming mountain and edged by the Never Never River. Does it get any more magical?
Inside, the fairytale continues. The Great Hall is at the heart of the castle, with soaring ceilings, stained glass windows, and a vast sandstone fireplace. Authentic details make it fit for a king or queen, thanks to grand wagon wheel chandeliers, ornamental weaponry, and plenty of opulent textiles like velvet and brocade.
There are four bedrooms in total, each with historic-inspired décor, including elegant ceiling roses, solid wood canopy beds, and medieval-inspired wall tapestries. A spiral staircase connects the Grand Hall to a further mezzanine twin bedroom and a turret double bedroom.
Outside, there's an enchanting orchard, a unique cactus garden, and a romantic hedge maze. Here, you'll also find additional sleeping quarters within the Octagon Suite. If you fancy staying the night with your entourage, it's available to rent via Airbnb.
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