20 Impressive Moats Around the World




Bodiam Castle – East Sussex England



A moat is a deep, broad ditch, typically filled with water, that surrounds a castle, building or town. Historically, it provided a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices. In later castles the moat or water defences may have been largely ornamental. Regardless, moats are an impressive sight to behold, and any building that calls for such design is likely quite important and/or expensive. While many of the moats are found in Europe, we also check out Asia and even touch down in Miami for a contemporary spin on this largely medieval phenomenon.




Matsumoto Castle, Japan






Angkor Wat, Cambodia






Burg Gudneau, Germany






Caerphilly Castle, United Kingdom






Forbidden City – Beijing, China






Beloeil Castle, Belgium






Egeskov Castle, Denmark






Vadstena Castle, Sweden






Bodiam Castle – East Sussex, England






Château de Chambord, France






Château de Chenonceau, France






Muiderslot Castle, Netherlands






Oerebro Castle, Sweden






Leeds Castle, England






Bodelschwingh Castle – Dortmund, Germany






Frederiksborg Palace, Denmark






Fagaras Castle, Romania






Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban (National Assembly Building), Bangladesh






Home of Charles Sieger – Miami, Florida








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