One of the places that visitors staying at the Victoria Days Inn will find interesting not only because it is one of the attractions of the city, but there is the architecture, the Craigdarroch Castle was the home of coal baron Robert Dunsmuir. Prior to his death in 1889, he was the wealthiest and most influential man in British Columbia. After his death he left his entire estate to his wife Joan, who lived in the castle until her death.
The castle is four floors of unique stained glass, Victorian era furnishings and there are a total of 87 stairs to the tower that has a picturesque view of the city of Victoria, the Olympic Mountain and the Straight of Juan de Fuca.
The interior of the castle has oak paneling, a Spanish mahogany in the library, western red cedar in the Porte Cochere Entrance, the breakfast room has cherry wood, and there are other more exotic woods that are used throughout the castle such as walnut, jarra, rosewood, maple, holly and oak.
There are lead stained glass windows throughout the castle that are considered one of the finest collections of leaded stained glass windows in North America.
The Craigdarroch Castle sits on a twenty-eight acre estate that includes a large lawn enclosed by a twenty foot high stone wall with two stair cases, which from the top of the wall it is possible to have a view of the well manicured lawns, the castle gardens and ponds and streams.
The architecture of the castle was styled incorporating 11th and 12th century southern French, Italian Romanesque and Spanish influence that include cylindrical towers. That will amaze any visitor that has any interest in architecture and the Victorian era with the unique features that will only be found in the castle located in Victoria.
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