Imagine living in a castle that has survived wars, fire, and centuries of change — and still holds royal banquets today. Welcome to Windsor Castle, not just the oldest but also the largest occupied castle in the world. This isn’t a relic frozen in time; it’s a royal residence, a fortress, a chapel, and a living museum all wrapped into one stone-clad wonder.

At first glance, the name sounds exaggerated. A thousand islands? Come on. But then you see it — a horizon dotted with green-topped rocks, tree-crowned blips, mansion-laden isles — and you realize: “A thousand” barely covers it. The **Thousand Islands** region along the St. Lawrence River actually comprises over **1,864 islands**, each rising from the water like a secret waiting to be discovered.