These Before-and-After GIFs of Reconstructed Castles Are Fairytale Fantasies Come To Life

There’s something mysterious and eerie about castle ruins. They were once home to some of the most powerful people in history, and yet they sit abandoned, being slowly reclaimed by their natural surroundings. What did they look like when they were used, loved, and lived in centuries ago? Budget Direct played fairy godmother to these castle ruins, and by working with experts, the company created stunning before-and-after GIFs showing off the castles’ glow-ups.

The insurance website called in a team of designers and architects to virtually reconstruct some of the world’s most impressive castle ruins. The team extensively researched each location to accurately portray the castles’ architectural features, floorplans, and aesthetics. The result is a library of magical GIFs that show what the castles looked like before nature took its course.

This digital reconstruction of Sambobar, Croatia’s Samobor Castle, built between 1260 and 1264 by Czech King Ottokar II of Bohemia, shows the fortress structure in its glory days, including the now-destroyed tall tower situated at the back of the “central core.”

Château Gaillard in Les Andelys, France was built between 1196 and 1198 by Richard I, King of England. It was an incredible feat to build such a palace in just under two years, and the castle ended up changing hands several times throughout France and England’s history. It was demolished in 1599 by King Henry IV of France, and was used as a stone quarry until 1611.

Menlo Castle in Galway City, Ireland was built in the 16th century by English nobles. Now, camouflaged by its ivy-covered walls, the castle sits empty and ruined after being destroyed in a house fire in 1910.

You can browse through the entire ruin-reconstruction project on Budget Direct’s blog “Simply Savvy.” Chances are you’ll be adding most of these castles to your “To-Visit” list.