Game of Thrones' 18 best castles, keeps, manors, and fortresses

(Image credit: Courtesy of HBO)

published 28 March 2019

So you want to buy a house in Westeros. Presumably you don't want somewhere too cursed, somewhere too steeped in blood, or somewhere that everyone with half an army will be looking to take from you the first chance they get. So what is a castellan-to-be to do?

There is all sorts of real estate lying around Westeros, from mysterious ruins to elegant castles rising high over rich gardens. Unfortunately, you frequently have to make a choice: Would you rather live somewhere cold and probably haunted, or warm but lurking with enemies? Yet there are good options if you know where to look. Here are the 18 greatest castles, keeps, manors, and fortresses of Westeros, ranked by how much you might be inclined to call them home.

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Any good deed in Westeros seems to land you the title of Lord of Harrenhal, although unlucky is he who becomes the keeper of these cursed ruins. Sure, one man's rubble is another's fixer-upper, but Harrenhal has a reputation for its lords meeting particularly grisly ends. The castle reportedly became cursed after its ruler and his sons were burned alive in one of the towers by Aegon the Conqueror's dragon; every house to hold the hall since has likewise gone extinct. Petyr Baelish, the most recent lord to be gifted the hall, never set foot in the place out of superstition, though even that didn't save him. Harrenhal might be one of the largest castles in all of Westeros — it has 35 hearths in its great hall, which impresses even Tywin Lannister — but it has since fallen into being not much more than a glorified ruin, and was used as the creepy makeshift prison camp where Arya was held in Season 2. Let's face it, as big as it might be, a castle without a roof isn't much of a castle at all.

Any real estate agent will advise you location, location, location, and unfortunately Castle Black doesn't have a setting to boast about. The austere home of the Night's Watch has a view basically limited to looking up at the Wall, and the nearest getaway from the 8,000-year-old stronghold is one of the worst villages in Westeros, Mole's Town. Want to pray in a godswood, possibly for your escape from such a dreadful place? You'll have to go north of the Wall. Plus there is that small detail about you being all that lies between the Seven Kingdoms and the horrors that lurk on the other side of the Wall. No wonder Castle Black needs to rely on impressment to get anyone to come.

You can have your pick of dreary places to live in the North, but perhaps none are as muddy and depressing as the aptly-named Dreadfort, home of the treasonous House Bolton. What qualifies as lively decorations here tend to be corpses flayed of their skin and skeletal hands holding torches, which protrude from the hallways' walls. The bastard Ramsay Bolton didn't exactly bring a lot of cheer to the place, either, when he was busy murdering his stepmother and half-brother, although he and Myranda admittedly seemed happy enough in the outpost. While you at least have a bit of scenery at the Dreadfort, with a view of the Weeping Water out your window and a grove for, uh, hunting nearby, there are far better castles you can come by in Westeros. Let another sucker have this one.

Reigning over what looks to be the Westerosi equivalent of Lord of the Rings' Dead Marshes, Moat Cailin is a collection of towers rumored to have been built by the Children of the Forest some 10,000 years ago. While in extensive need of repairs, with only three of its five towers still standing, Cailin is nevertheless a strategic stronghold for the North, and anyone who lives here will be a person of stature just due to the location (the castle changes hands several times in the series, going from the Starks to the Greyjoys to the Boltons to being held for the North by the knights of the Vale). Still, if you're hoping to rule subjects more significant than toads, mosquitos, and will-o'-the-wisp, ride on.

You can't exactly commend Walder Frey for doing wonders with the place, but the two castle towers that make up the Twins still get to enjoy the natural beauty of the River Trident in the idyllic Riverlands. Were someone not quite as stingy as Walder to succeed the Freys in this residence, one could imagine it might become as remarkable a castle as other Riverlands palaces, like Riverrun. Still, the breezeway between the two turrets is exposed to the elements, making a commute between one residence and the other — say, if you forgot your book — none too enjoyable in the rain or cold. And even if you can get past that inconvenience, do you really want to call home a place best known for hosting the Red Wedding?

The most famous castle in all of Westeros is also the most coveted — naturally, possessing the Red Keep means sitting on the Iron Throne, which tends to earn one a lot of enemies. Built by Aegon the Conqueror, the castle was in possession of the Targaryen dynasty until Robert Baratheon won the rebellion against Rhaegar (and the rest, as we know, is history). While the Red Keep embodies the very image of power in Game of Thrones, with its soaring towers and sweeping views of the sea, keeping a lower profile might be advisable these days. Besides, just think of the cost of upkeep.

There is something comforting about Winterfell, in the same way you might feel fond of your crummy hometown after spending years away. Winterfell, after all, still lies deep in the North, and you're going to have to enjoy wearing furs quite a bit if you want to call this place home. There are a few safety hazards in Winterfell that ought to be addressed, such as a decrepit tower that seems to exist for the sole purpose of defenestrating nosy children. Still, the capital of the North is rich in history, which can be revisited by descending into the tombs beneath the castle; a Maester could find plenty to keep himself busy. That being said, if you aren't one for spending your free time looking at statues of long-dead rulers, there isn't much else to do.

The Downton Abbey-esque home of Samwell Tarly comes complete with servants who will line up obediently to greet you when you arrive at the gates. Exuding the very image of extreme wealth, the manor still manages to be one of the friendlier-looking residences in Westeros, at least environmentally-speaking, and is surrounded by lush gardens and ponds. Ruler-wise, Horn Hill has been wanting; it was overseen by Sam's cruel father, Lord Randyll Tarly, until his execution by Daenerys Targaryen. But with Sam or his kind sister Talla now the likeliest inheritors, it's still hard to get past the blocky design of the home itself, which is something like the Westerosi version of a McMansion.

It is befitting of the wealthiest family in Westeros to have one of the most awe-inspiring homes in the kingdoms. But don't let its pretty face fool you: Casterly Rock is also one of the strongest places a lord can live, having allegedly never been captured (at least not willingly; while the Unsullied manage to take it in Season 7, Jaime Lannister admits that was all part of the plan). Sitting on rocky cliffs overlooking the sea, Casterly Rock serves a double purpose by jealously guarding the goldmine that lies beneath it, and whoever lives behind it gleaming walls will be a very rich lord or lady indeed. While Casterly Rock might not have a whole lot of character beyond its gleaming white walls, it is not hard to understand why it is the pride of the Lannisters.

Missandei tells Daenerys that "a thousand slaves died to build the Great Pyramid of Meereen," which seems like the kind of caveat emptor that should be disclosed before a home sale. Still, if you can ignore its dark history as a slaving capital before being liberated by the Breaker of Chains, the Pyramid of Meereen is one of the most impressive castles in all of Game of Thrones. Its throne room is the only one to rival the splendor of the Red Keep, and its decks afford its rulers' incredible views of the city below. While the customs of Meereen might be unusual for outsiders (remember that whole fighting pit plotline, neatly tidied up by Tyrion Lannister?), the lord or lady that earns the respect of the city's citizens has one of the greatest homes on either side of the Narrow Sea.

Pyke is not set up to be one of the most enviable homes in Westeros, with its storm-battered castle, dangerous-looking rope bridges, and reign over an uncouth population of sailors who love nothing more than to pillage the villages of the North. Still, no one is more dedicated to their home than the ruling family, the Greyjoys. While it was once believed to be impossible to seize Pyke, the island castle fell during a Greyjoy rebellion against King Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark, resulting in Theon Greyjoy becoming a ward of Winterfell. Even if salty Pyke might be tough to love, there is a sort of rough-hewn beauty about the capital of the Iron Islands that sets it apart from the polished walls of the great houses of Westeros. It is understandable that the Greyjoys fight so bitterly among themselves for its control.

Petyr Baelish frequently spoke of having been enchanted by Riverrun, and when we see it, we know why: With its red turrets rising above the misty Riverlands, the castle looks like something out of a fairytale. Though the location might get its fair share of rain, Catelyn Stark relishes the natural beauty of her home, from the "tall redwoods" to "birds [singing] from hidden nests" and an air that smells "spicy with the scent of flowers." It's hard to think of a better place to grow up as a child, or return to as an adult. Riverrun has fallen on hard times, though, with Brynden Tully — Catelyn Stark's uncle —killed defending the castle from Jaime Lannister's forces during a siege in Season 6. Edmure Tully, Catelyn's brother who married Roslin Frey in the Red Wedding, remains the rightful heir, despite being a hostage.

The edenic castle of Highgarden is surrounded by gold roses and lush orchards and meadows. Controlled until recently by Olenna Tyrell, the grandmother of Margaery and Ser Loras, Highgarden is famous for supplying Westeros with food as well as for its Babylonian beauty. But like an exotic flower, it is also easily plucked; the Lannisters sacked Highgarden in Season 7 for gold to repay their debts to the Iron Bank. In times of peace, nowhere offers greater pleasures than Highgarden. Alas, times of peace are hard to come by in Westeros.

While the adornments of Dragonstone might be a bit on the obvious side — as one might expect of a former Targaryen keep, there are lots and lots of dragons — this is still one of the mightiest fortresses one can come by, particularly if you're in the market for high security. With a gorgeous war room that looks out at the sea, and a location just off of Blackwater Bay, it is the perfect place to plot an assault on the mainland, as Stannis Baratheon and Daenerys Targaryen both realize. The castle is also the birthplace of Daenerys, whose mother was sent to the island when the tide started to turn against the House Targaryen during Robert Baratheon's rebellion. When one isn't fighting a war, Dragonstone's isolated location offers relief from the drama and overwrought finery of Westeros. Plus, who doesn't want to rule their own private island?

Perhaps the most memorable castle in all of Westeros is the Eyrie, with its dreaded Moon Door and vertigo-inducing sky cells. Despite the dramatic local method of dealing with one's enemies, the Eyrie offers its rulers — most recently Robin Arryn, after Petyr Baelish secretly murdered his mother — a magnificent view from far above the Vale. The Eyrie is as splendid inside as it is outside, with delicate mosaics and courtyards for sneaking kisses with forbidden lovers. The castle also gives its residents a great deal of safety, at least if one isn't being assaulted by something with wings.

Think of the Water Gardens as the world's greatest vacation home. The lovely Dornish residence has all the natural beauty of Highgarden, but without the same allure to one's enemies as a regional capital (Dorne's castle lies instead in Sunspear, which hasn't yet appeared in the show). The Water Gardens are also one of the most expensive homes in all of Westeros, with an expert at the real estate agency Engel & Völkers estimating to the German newspaper Die Welt that it is worth a real-world $38.4 million (Dragonstone, by comparison, is in the $11 million ballpark). You might want to watch your back here, though: Doran Martell and his son are killed by Ellaria Sand and her daughters in a coup. On the plus side, unlike many of Westeros' great houses that are thousands of years old, the Water Gardens are relatively new, meaning you don't have to worry about replacing the fixtures anytime soon.

The best real estate in the North is undoubtedly Bear Island, the proud home of House Mormont. You might describe its style as "rustic-chic," as if it'd been decorated the Westerosi version of Restoration Hardware. Really, there isn't much more to look at inside than some dusty, unlit chandeliers and the house's rearing bear banner. But don't let the cold and lack of finery deter you: The island is home to a strong, fiercely loyal matriarchal warrior people led by the trustworthy 10-year-old, Lyanna Mormont. That's not for nothing; when it comes to being surrounded by friends in Westeros, you'll be hard pressed to find a better neighborhood than this. Even Jorah Mormont, exiled from the island for selling poachers into slavery, recalls his home fondly to Daenerys. And while Bear Island might be dark, its large hearths create a cozy oasis in the North that won't attract too much attention. Well worth a long stay.

Castle Stokeworth might not exactly have the realm's prettiest ladies, the most impenetrable walls, or the most imperial appearance, but there is something to be said about not being too ostentatious when there are power-hungry armies milling about. Stokeworth is the kind of modest castle-by-the-sea that one could see themselves really settling down in, with its ocean-facing patios and various intimate verandas where one can enjoy the sunset with a nice glass of Dornish wine. Ser Bronn finds himself in line to inherit it after he is betrothed to Lollys Stokeworth in a deal with Queen Cersei (okay, while Lollys might not exactly be next in line after her mother dies, her older sister, Falyse, has no heirs, and Bronn muses that an "accident" will befall her that would make him lord of the house). Close enough that you can pop over to King's Landing if you're looking for entertainment, but far enough away to avoid the capital's politics and wars, Stokeworth is just the place to enjoy one's riches while not attracting too much attention.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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