Kasteel Vianden Vianden - Castle

City Castles: This is a noble residence in an average city. It is a defensible tower or house that housed someone important such as a knight or nobleman.

< b>Concentric castle: This kind of castle originated from the crusades. The people in the Crusades encountered such fortresses in the Middle East. In a concentric fortress, the important buildings are located in the middle, in the courtyard. A solid wall or moat has been built around it for defence.

Ringwalburcht: This is one of the oldest kind of castles. This was often a settlement, inn or other building surrounded by an often wooden wall for protection only. So it was not actually a traditional castle as we recognize it today.

Residential tower or donjon: This is a heavily fortified tower that could serve as both a residence and a place of last refuge. The keep was very heavily guarded and difficult to take. Often the keep was used as part of a castle, but there are also examples in which a keep is used as a separate castle.

Motte: A highly secured castle that was built on an excavated hill, giving tactical advantages. A motte was often accompanied by a few Donjons and at the bottom there was often a forecourt with a few stables.

Moated castle or moated castle: One of the most common types of castles. Moated castles are always surrounded by a moat or some other form of water (for example a lake) and have only a few defensive walls as the main defenses. Inside, there was often a courtyard surrounded by outbuildings and the castle.