Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England, is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and has served as a working royal residence continuously for over 900 years. Located 30 kilometres west of London, the castle occupies a prominent ridge above the Thames and the town of Windsor, visible from much of the surrounding county. The site divides into the Upper Ward, containing the State Apartments and the sovereign's private quarters, and the Lower Ward, dominated by St. George's Chapel. The State Apartments form the principal visitor attraction, showcasing rooms of extraordinary grandeur — the Waterloo Chamber displays portraits of the allied leaders who defeated Napoleon, and the Grand Reception Room is hung with Gobelins tapestries. Queen Mary's Dolls' House, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens to a 1:12 scale, is one of the most elaborately constructed dolls' houses ever made, with working plumbing, electricity, and a library of miniature books written by real authors. St. George's Chapel, a magnificent Perpendicular Gothic church completed in 1528, is the burial place of ten sovereigns including Henry VIII, George VI, and most recently Queen Elizabeth II in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. The Changing of the Guard at Windsor takes place at 11:00 on selected days and follows a route through the castle precincts. Windsor Great Park, stretching 5,000 acres to the south of the castle, contains the Long Walk — a three-mile avenue lined with trees leading to a bronze statue of George III — and is free to enter. The castle closes without notice for state occasions and private events; checking the official website on the day of visit is advisable.