Handmade from reclaimed hardwoods by “master blocksmith” Peter Dziulak, complete with balconies, crenulated towers, spires, turrets, and sweeping Roman arches, these might possibly be the finest looking blocks I’ve ever seen. This castle (pictured above) is constructed from the 67 piece starter blocks. Wait until you see the 200 piece deluxe set.

Dziulak’s block sets are made from a mixture of Cherry and Poplar hardwoods, and are available with or without a Danish oil finish. Each set comes with step-by-step illustrated instructions to teach you how the pieces work together, but regardless of skill level they can pretty much be arranged any way you like, from a sprawling kingdom to a towering citadel.

The starter set sells for $69 – your best value, which works out to just over a $1 per block. But if you’re as taken with them as I am, you’ll probably find yourself calculating the value of your added excitement into the price difference for the larger more intricate sets.

67 piece starter set (unfinished) $69
133 piece castle blocks (with Danish oil finish) $219
200 piece deluxe castle blocks (unfinished) $239

(images: The Village Blocksmith)