During my elementary school years, you'd often find me with my nose in a book engrossed in reading tales about King Arthur, Prince Valient and the merry adventures of Robin Hood. Our local library had this wonderful reading room that was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation that made you feel like you were hanging out in a castle with its woodworking and a fireplace they kept lit from Fall through Spring which was the perfect spot for a kid to immerse himself in tales of chivalry and swordsmanship. Since those days, I've dreamed of one day traveling to Europe to explore the castles and locations where those stories were set.
Alas, I've yet to make that dream a reality. If you are like me and taking a trip to Europe to trek around castles isn't really that practical on your family budget, there is another option that is closer to home where you don't have to use a passport to travel outside the USA. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains surrounding the alpine town of Helen, Georgia is Uhuburg Castle, a legitimate reproduction of a European fortresses from days gone by.
This Renaissance-style castle has twelve towers, one turret, three gatehouses, an eight story lookout tower, Great Hall, cloistered walls with rampart and lower walkways and two acres of courtyard gardens. The castle has spectacular views from each of the walls and towers of the breathtaking scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains around it. Based upon the Bavarian heritage of Helen, the structure takes its name from Uhu and Burg, the German words for Owl and Castle. Visitors can choose to spend a day touring the grounds or can spend the night at the castle's boutique hotel. Uhuburg Castle also hosts special events like Renaissance festivals throughout the year.
During the month of May this year, Uhuburg Castle will be featuring an immersive theatrical event on Friday and Saturday nights called Mirth & Mischief which features cirque-style acrobatics and cutting-edge video projections. Utilizing the ambiance of Uhuburg Castle, Mirth & Mischief will create a fantasy setting meant to fascinate and delight people. This is a ticketed event meant for ages 18+.
Head over to uhuburg.com to check out other events taking place at the castle throughout the year ranging from its CastleFaire Renaissance Festival to visits with Father Christmas at the castle. Would you be geeked to visit Uhuburg Castle? I know I would be!
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