Vianden's little sister in the US

With its crystal chandeliers, suit of armour, dungeon and drawbridge, Bettendorf castle in Illinois, is not wholly different to its inspiration- the picturesque castle in Vianden.

Built by Luxembourg national Theodore Bettendorff in the sleepy town of Fox River Grove in the US, it was made using the same construction techniques as Vianden castle. That and the huge following of fans it attracts is as far as the similarities go though, according to Bettendorff castle owner Michael Strohl.

“My castle is not a reproduction of the Vianden castle. But it uses the same building methods that they used there. It's called slip forming.

“[Theodore Bettendorff] grew up in Vianden near the castle. When he was a boy he watched them rebuild it and he learned the process of rebuilding as the masters did in his home town.”

The 11-room fairytale chateau was a labour of love, which Mr Bettendorff reportedly worked on every day for 36 years up until his death in 1967. From 1968 to 1978 it was filled with antique furnishings and served as a honeymoon suite and today it is a family home.

“I just love living here. It's like waking up in Disney World every day,” said Mr Strohl who snapped up the castle within hours of its going on the market back in 1985. “We visited the place at 10am and signed the papers at noon.”

And it is not hard to see why he fell under its charm. Bettendorf, with its four turrets, hand built granite fireplaces and original oak panelling is every bit as grand as Vianden castle, albeit on a smaller scale.

It continues to attracts hordes of visitors, from all over the country to see the country. This does not always go down so well with Mr Strohl's neighbours, however. Some residents of Fox River Grove recently unsuccessfully took him to court saying that he violated village ordinances by allowing busloads of visitors onto his property.

“Some people are trying to do everything they can to keep it from being shared with other people of the world. It's an unfortunate thing. We would like to share it. We notice that on the Vianden castle website, for the locals the castle is their livelihood. As bad as the economy is here in the US our town is dead. They need a jump start!” said Mr Strohl.