Castle in the Clouds Moultonborough, NH – Beautiful Fairytale Places

Somehow, in the middle of New Hampshire, I found myself staring at it, high above the valley from the balcony of the Castle in the Clouds. As far as I could see, there were rolling hills in the valley, lakes, and streams — all tightly embraced by the reds, yellows, and fiery oranges of fall. Wait a minute, this isn’t where this adventure started…

Fairy-tale Places, Castle in the Clouds Moultonborough, NH

We approached the gatehouse in Moultonborough, NH, checked in, and made our ascent up the mountain. I was directed to park at the first car park and follow the trail to the Fall of Song.

This was right up my alley. Hiking in the woods, climbing rocks, checking out waterfalls…I was already loving this adventure. I spent a bit of time playing in the woods and hopping rocks to the top of the falls, but this isn’t why was there, and I had to get back on track to make my way to the Castle in the Clouds.

A Quick History of the Lucknow Estate:

Built in 1913 as an estate for Tom and Olive Plant, this mountaintop palace has come to be known as “The Castle in the Clouds.” It was opened to the public in 1959 after Mr. Plant’s death in 1941. Learn more about the history of the castle here.

I made my way to the Carriage House, formerly the estate’s horse stables, where I enjoyed a hearty and well-made shepherd’s pie and butternut squash soup at the Carriage House Cafe. Just outside of the museum on the terrace is where you can find one of the stunning views of Lake Winnipesaukee and the surrounding mountains.

Full and ready to explore, we hopped on the red trolley and were shuttled to the top of the mountain to the Lucknow Estate. The stone fortress trimmed with half-timbered architecture overlooked the most stunning and commanding view of all.

This really was a castle in the clouds. There was no luxury spared when Tom Plant had this amazing home built.

Every room has gorgeous views of the land. Much of it sits just as it did when he died. Inside, the estate was crafted with only the most extravagant materials, a display of the best craftsmanship for its time.

You can easily spend a few hours here hiking, eating tasty food, and enjoying the gorgeous estate. In addition, you can spend an afternoon horseback riding with the Riding in the Clouds guides. If you’re not up for that, I highly recommend you at least stop by and say hi to Zeus, said to be the biggest horse in the entire world.

When you feel it is time to go on a wonderful adventure with amazing views, visit the stunning Castle in the Clouds. Step back into the early 1900s as you peek in the closets of the home to see vintage apparel and enter rooms that seem frozen in the past. See the innovations of the era such as ammonia brine refrigeration, central vacuuming, and intercom systems.

Take an educational tour of the home to learn more about the architecture, property, and history.  If you fall in love with this stunning area, you can schedule a Castle in the Clouds wedding to take advantage of all the luxury, beauty, and magic to make your special day as perfect as it can be.

Imagine all those stunning photographs. If you’d like a Castle in the Clouds wedding, they make things simple for you by letting you choose from several wedding packages depending on your wants and needs, and you can choose one of three catering companies to make delicious food for your magical day. They also handle other types of events as well such as fundraisers, proms, reunions, dinners, and parties.

The 28 miles of hiking trails and 7 majestic waterfalls are fun to witness and explore, the food is delicious, the impressive mountains and shimmering lakes are delightful, and you can ride a beautiful horse if you want for a completely unique and magical experience that seems to come straight from the pages of a fairy tale.