About

Hello, fellow castle enthusiasts, and welcome!

I’m Mary – the voice, suitcase carrier, and enthusiastic “Can I climb that tower?” asker behind Castle Visits. If it has turrets, tapestries, secret staircases, or a history of questionable royal decisions, I’m already halfway up the ramparts.

My goal? To help you explore the world’s castles, palaces, châteaux, manor houses, fortified sites, and historic estates – the entire glorious spectrum of “big old buildings with incredible stories.”

Whether it’s warm, rainy, snowing sideways, or cold enough to freeze a knight’s armor, I’m out there exploring (usually with numb fingers and a big grin).

My Professional Journey

I’ve been in the travel industry since 1984 – designing dream trips, booking adventures, solving travel puzzles, and collecting more passport stamps than I can count.

It sounds glamorous (and sometimes it is), but mostly it’s been decades of helping real people see the world one “Where do we go next?” at a time.

Travel is my career. Castles are my calling.

A Lifelong Love Affair with Castles

My castle obsession began at age 13, when I stepped onto European soil for the first time and stared up at an ancient fortress thinking: “Oh. I’m going to need to see all of these.”

Since that first fateful fortress at age 13, I’ve been joyfully committed to visiting every variety of grand historic home I can find, including:

  • Castles
  • Palaces
  • Châteaux
  • Manor houses
  • Fortified estates
  • Ruined towers
  • Grand imperial residences
  • & even those “technically not a castle but close enough” places

I even love books that feature these places – and sometimes feature them in articles that I write on my book blog, Looks Like Books.

As a part-time expat bouncing around Europe for months each year, I’ve turned this passion into a wonderfully impractical hobby that somehow became a website.

I’ve peeked into royal apartments, wandered through labyrinthine gardens, climbed towers I probably shouldn’t have, slept in castle hotels, and once or twice uttered the famous traveler phrase: “Oops…this area might not be for tourists.”

Why ‘Castle Visits’?

Because these places are more than stone walls. They’re storytellers – whispering centuries of art, power, culture, ambition, triumph, and more than a little scandal. And Castle Visits is where I share those stories with you, mixing:

  • Historical insight
  • Architecture
  • Practical travel tips
  • Photography
  • A dash of humor
  • And personal mishaps I probably shouldn’t admit to

I want this to be the place where you discover which castles, palaces, or estates to visit next, what makes them fascinating, and how to plan your own unforgettable castle adventures.

Join Me on This Grand Journey

It’s time to slip on your best ‘I belong in a castle’ attitude – because the next grand doorway is already calling your name. So grab your curiosity and your comfiest castle-climbing shoes. The drawbridge is down, and adventure awaits.