Tag Archives: Castle

Dragons! Knights in shining armor! Trebuchets & ballistas! From enormous LEGO castles buttoned up for battle to peaceful village market scenes, we’ve got your LEGO Castle needs covered right here.

A floating castle under glass

This microscale castle by Jaap Bijl (jaapxaap) is a miniature version of their full-scale build from 2018. Fitting snugly under a glass dome, this tiny wonder is full of fun details like golden unicorn spire-toppers and an icy base. There’s also complex building going on with the inversion of part orientations and somehow supporting the castle’s weight on just a couple of tiny minifigure ski poles. This creation is a great display piece, a tiny moment of wonder preserved for all time.

If miniaturization is your jam, check out our microscale tag for more tiny goodness!

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Inspiration comes from many places

In the case of this outpost among the crumbling ruins of a much older structure by Khang Huynh that inspiration came from a Duplo baseplate. The choice of colors for the fort walls and the twisting tree trunk are very well matched to the style of the base, and that pillar in front is the perfect spot for a grand statue. Down at the water’s edge, a dilapidated dock looks like it needs repairing, but with so few trees around, that might have to wait until another day.

Roll out the barrel with this medieval cooper’s workshop

Back in “the olden days”, if a town had a brewery or distillery, chances are it also had its own cooperage. The craft of barrel-making is now much less prevalent — even in a place like Scotland, which boasts hundreds of whisky distilleries, there are only a small handful of cooperages left. seb71‘s LEGO version of a medieval cooper’s workshop was always going to capture my attention for its subject matter, but the building techniques and styling mean it’s also a lovely model. The wooden beams are nicely done, and the jagged stonework of the walls and arched doorway create an eye-catching depth of texture. However it’s the smaller touches of additional detail which make all the difference — don’t miss the weathered effect created by the dark tan plates used for the wall under the eaves, and the wonderful shaping of the base.

Even better, this medieval model includes a detailed interior, visible from the open-sided rear. The ground floor is the cooper’s workshop, including the scorching of a barrel, and the family’s accommodation above…

Cloudstone Castle welcomes visitors – bring a sword

Sometimes it’s about the design, sometimes it’s the techniques, sometimes it’s the colour scheme, and then very occasionally there’s a LEGO castle that has it all. Cloudstone Castle is a collaborative build between Joel Tyer and Spartan Bricks, and it’s an excellent addition to the ranks of the larger LEGO castle creations. The texture and detail in the fortifications are nicely done, and a couple of off-grid angled sections prevent the structure from feeling too formulaic. I like the repeated motif of quarter-circle tiles used as decoration on the buildings. The island’s rockwork is detailed without being too busy, framing the castle and providing context rather than distracting the eye from the central subject, and the watery base is very pretty. Tying it all together, the overall colour scheme is well chosen, muted without being miserable, evoking the feel of an overcast day — clouds and stone indeed.

We eat ham and jam and Spam a lot

Camelot — it is a silly place. At least it is if you pay any attention to Monty Python. But there’s nothing daft about TheRoyalBrick‘s LEGO microscale version of Arthur’s mythical castle. This creation accomplishes the magic trick of all the best microscale — providing enough structure and detail for the viewer’s imagination to fill in the rest, making the model initially appear much larger than it really is. Those two tone grey walls offer a smart contrast to the chilly winter landscaping and the tower roofs provide a wonderful pop of colour.

A lonely retreat from battle

As the black knight remorsefully crosses the river, the pale light of the Moon casts a shadow across his reflection. His horse, head bowed as in mutual loneliness, carries him onward as they both trudge towards whatever fate awaits them. Such are the emotions so vibrantly shown in the fantastic LEGO creation by builder Robert4168/Garmadon.

No one knows who the lone knight is or why his countenance is so down-spirited. Yet it’s clear that this LEGO build is meant to show everything about who the knight is feeling. His emotions are not just manifest in the minifigure itself, but also in the night sky, the bright moon, and the fact that there’s almost nothing else that draws your eyes away from the knight’s walk across the water. Emotions can be difficult to pull off in a LEGO creation, so seeing it managed so well in this build is a testament to Garmadon’s skill.

A few other mentions: the waterfall is spot on. The way the pieces change color and transparency to give off the appearance of cascading water is very advanced. I also like that the Moon is a full sphere and not just a flat brick circle. Finally, the variations of green in the plant life were a nice touch. It’s clear that nothing was done by shortcut when building this.

Reservations not required, but you might need a sword.

Ho, weary traveler. Fatigue stains your face as the dew of the morning stains the grass. But good fortune smiles on thee. For you have found yourself at the Medieval Holiday Inn, by LEGO builder ilive. These walls of patchwork stone, with their charmingly crooked ingots, have shielded sojourners in need of rest for generations. We can’t provide you with cable, or Wi-Fi, or whatever frivolities the lords busy themselves with at the palace. But we have a warm fire, hearty meals, and a giant barrel full of mead. So, step inside and let me show you to your room. You’ll be sharing a bed with Rogan the Terrible. And this pig.

The inn in the forest

After a long day walking through the woods, a place of rest is the one thing you’ll need. Perhaps “The Peaceful Shrub” Inn would suit you well, created by LEGO builder Jesse van den Oetelaar. Meanwhile, I’m resting my eyes on one of the most lovely little cottage inns I have ever seen. I admire Jesse’s use of color in the plants, the path leading to the inn, and the inn itself. I can spot four different uses of green, all of which work perfectly in this build. The bricking that makes up the inn is especially detailed, with dark tan and sand tan colors referencing the patchwork style of many fantasy world buildings.

I also like the barrels of ale next to the feasting minifigures. I hope the chickens walking about don’t mind that chicken is also what’s on the table!

The back of the inn is stuffed with plant life. The pine tree and the large leafy tree are some of the best examples of greenery that you can find. The way these tree trunks are designed helps show the unevenness of the bark while pulling your eyes upwards towards the foliage. The mix of flowers and shrubbery is likely what gives “The Peaceful Shrub” Inn its name.

The rise and fall of a LEGO castle in four seasons

Given the challenge of building a castle scene depicting the four seasons, most builders would go the traditional route of spring, summer, fall, and winter… there is nothing wrong with that, but these four builders took a very different approach. A collaboration between Brickleas, Simon Hundsbichler, Jonas Kramm, and Ralf Langer. They each choose a season, and built a partial view of a castle, adding a temporal, metaphorical twist to the seasons, depicting birth in the spring, prime in the summer, decline in the fall and death in the winter.

Keep reading to see more details about each build

Every gateway has two sides

Contests are a great way to bring the LEGO community together, and the Summer Joust has been a great example of that. We’ve featured a number of great creations from that event, but this one has a little something extra – two builders. Simon Liu is responsible for the foreground, while Roanoke Handybuck handled the exterior landscape. I admire the stonework on The Gateway quite a bit; it has a real Lord of the Rings Dwarvish vibe to it. The angular designs blend in well with the uncut rock around the opening. Outside, the bright colors and organic shapes provide a stark contrast. Thanks to clever photography, there’s just enough of the light shining through the door to unify the different creations. Which side of the gateway do you want to be on?

If this image has whetted your appetite for immersive LEGO scenes, be sure to check out more of our spotlighted builds!

Get away from it all and ponder the meaning of life

Builder Andreas Lenander gives us a place to ponder the imponderables at the Jaz’ira Monastery. This secluded island getaway has it all, including great building techniques, intricate details, and even an elusive LEGO goat. There’s also wallpaper from Wayne Manor in the tower, suggesting this island may hold some dark secrets. Or that Andreas just like making use of unusual parts and liked the pattern. Who are we to say? What we can say, though, is that the detailing on the roof tiles is stellar, and the teal and gold accents on the second tower are equally elegant. I also like the disconnected splash of transparent blue 1×2 tile around the base – sometimes you don’t need to attach everything to make a scene feel connected.

This creation was inspired by the monastery category in this year’s Summer Joust event. Check out other great builds we’ve featured from that competition!

Medieval skyscrapers are the way to go

Ever wondered what a castle-themed version of Ninjago City would look like? Wonder no more, and just take a closer look at this creation by Tobias Goldschalt. The buildings are larger than life and the Tudor-style homes look very nicely done. Mixing tan and dark tan parts into the white plastered areas really helps with the weathered look. If you look closer, you’ll notice that almost every roof uses a different technique — from straight tiles to pentagonal tiles, from cheese slopes to curved slopes. Variations like this always help keep you, as a viewer, captivated. Every time your eyes zoom across this creation you’ll notice something new. The stone walls are made with two techniques — in some places, the masonry brick gets used, but in others Tobias uses bricks with studs on the sides covered with tiles.

See more of this gorgeous LEGO Castle creation