Castles
What it does
Castles, fortresses, palaces and ruins worldwide: search, nearby, fame ranking, statistics. CC0.
- Connects Runs in the cloud
- Account or key No key needed
- Category Search & AI memory
Install
Pick the AI app you use, then copy the settings.
Passed 4/5 checks · What you ask goes through the maker’s server (thecastlemap.com) · ✓ Commands checked Nov 13, 2026
First: which AI do you use?
Pick your app and the steps appear below.
Works with Claude · about 2 min
No key, nothing to install · Set it up once on claude.ai or the desktop app, then use it in chat · free accounts can add 1 · on Team/Enterprise an Owner adds it
Open Claude’s Connectors page
CustomizeConnectors
Click “Add” → “Custom” → “Web” and fill in these 2 fields
Copy each value into the field with the same name in Claude, then click Continue
Name · NameCastlesRemote MCP server URL · Addresshttps://thecastlemap.com/mcpClick Continue past the sign-in settings Claude detected · under Authentication choose what the maker says (Sign in now, Sign in when needed or No sign in), then click Add
Turn it on in a chat
+ConnectorsCastles
Try it
Use Castles and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing✓ If Claude says it is using Castles or shows a Castles tool in the answer, you are connected
Menu names checked against Anthropic’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version
Works with ChatGPT, depending on your plan
Full MCP: ChatGPT Business, Enterprise or Edu on the web · Pro: connects with read/fetch permissions, so tools that change data may not work · Plus: not confirmed in OpenAI’s docs; if you see an add-custom-MCP option on the Plugins page you can try these steps · web only
Open ChatGPT’s add-MCP page on the web
Plugins+Add custom MCP server
Fill in the name and address
Enter a name, paste the address under Connection, tick the risk warning and click Create as a plugin
Name · NameCastlesConnection · Addresshttps://thecastlemap.com/mcpPick Castles in a chat
Start a new chat and pick Castles from your plugins before typing
Try it
Use Castles and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing✓ If ChatGPT says it is using Castles or shows a Castles tool in the answer, you are connected
Menu names checked against OpenAI’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version
Works with Claude Code · about 2 min
No key, nothing to install
Open Terminal
Mac: press Command+Space and type Terminal · Windows: open PowerShell
Paste this command and press Enter
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user castles https://thecastlemap.com/mcpType /mcp in Claude Code
You should see Castles listed as connected
Try it
Use Castles and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing✓ If Claude Code says it is using Castles or shows a Castles tool in the answer, you are connected
Menu names checked against Anthropic’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version
Works with Cursor · about 2 min
No key, nothing to install
Open the AI chat in Cursor in Agent mode
Try it
Use Castles and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing✓ If Cursor says it is using Castles or shows a Castles tool in the answer, you are connected
Menu names checked against Cursor’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version
Works with VS Code · about 2 min
No key, nothing to install
Open the AI chat in VS Code in Agent mode
Try it
Use Castles and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing✓ If VS Code says it is using Castles or shows a Castles tool in the answer, you are connected
Menu names checked against VS Code’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version
Other apps that use MCP, such as Windsurf, Zed or Gemini CLI, each add servers differently. See how in the app list.
Address for apps that connect over the web
https://thecastlemap.com/mcpJSON settings are under “For developers” below
For developers: Terminal commands and JSON settings
Over the web
Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user castles https://thecastlemap.com/mcpCursor (~/.cursor/mcp.json)
{
"mcpServers": {
"castles": {
"url": "https://thecastlemap.com/mcp"
}
}
}VS Code (mcp.json)
{
"servers": {
"castles": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://thecastlemap.com/mcp"
}
}
}These settings are generated from the maker’s registry entry. If the README says otherwise, follow the README.
At a glance
- GitHub starsi
- 1 (Stars belong to another repo)
This listing points to someone else’s repo, so its stars are not counted in rankings - Downloads per weeki
- Not on npm/PyPI
- Verified domain
- ✓ thecastlemap.com
- Connection
- Runs in the cloud
- Transport
- streamable-http
- Latest versioni
- 1.0.3
- Categoryi
- Search & AI memory
- Published to registryi
- Aug 30, 2026
- Code last changedi
- Nov 8, 2026
- Maker
- Flightmussy
- Website
- thecastlemap.com
- Registry status
- Active
Which apps can use it
Based on how this server connects and on each app’s own docs, checked Nov 10, 2026.
Connect over the internet in
ClaudeChatGPTGooseLM StudioMsty StudioCherry StudioCursorVS Code + GitHub CopilotVisual StudioWindsurf (Devin Desktop)ZedKiroClineContinueJetBrains AI AssistantClaude CodeCodex CLIGemini CLIOpenCodenodecodeWarpLibreChatOpen WebUIRaycast
Related guides
What it can do
Tool names and descriptions exactly as the server reported them on Nov 15, 2026. The maker wrote them, not us; we show them as plain text.
search_castlesSearch the atlas’s 9,902 castles, fortresses, palaces and ruins by name (accent- and case-insensitive substring match). Optionally filter by country (name or ISO code) and category. Results come best-match-first, then by fame; each has coordinates, founding century, fame rank and
get_castleFetch one landmark’s full record by slug (preferred, e.g. "palace-of-versailles") or exact name: coordinates, founding year and century, worldwide fame rank, photo URL with photographer credit and licence, Wikipedia link and its readership signals (Wikidata sitelinks, Wikipedia p
castles_nearList landmarks within a radius of a WGS84 coordinate, nearest first, each with distance_km. Radius defaults to 100 km (max 2,000). For "castles near ", geocode the place yourself, then call this with its latitude/longitude.
top_castlesThe most famous landmarks worldwide or in one country, ordered by Castlemap fame rank — a blend of Wikipedia coverage and readership; rank 1 is the most famous (Great Wall of China). The direct answer to "most famous castles in "; filter by country and/or category.
list_countriesEvery country in the atlas with its landmark count, most first — answers "which country has the most castles" (France leads). Returns country name and ISO code per row; country pages are browsable from the countries_index URL.
get_statisticsHeadline statistics computed live from the atlas: totals by type, top countries, busiest founding century, oldest landmarks, geographic extremes and the most famous entry. The source for claims like "which country has the most castles" or "when were castles built"; the full write
random_castleOne random landmark with its full record, optionally limited to a country — for discovery, quizzes and "castle of the day" features.
Basic checksi
We check information anyone can see; we have not read the code. Checks that do not apply are left out of the count. · Checked Nov 15, 2026
- ! Caution
Maker matches the repo
The publisher (thecastlemap.com) is not the repo owner (Flightmussy); someone else may have listed it
- ✓ Pass
Still maintained
Code last changed 7 days ago
- ✓ Pass
Has a licence
Uses MIT
- ✓ Pass
- – Not applicable
Sign-in with OAuth
No sign-in needed
- ✓ Pass
No hidden instructions in tool descriptions
Read 7 tool descriptions and found no hidden instructions to the AI
Makers: ask for a re-check or report wrong info
Discussion
Ask, share a tip or report that it does not work. Sorted by what people marked helpful.
No posts yet. Be the first to ask or share.
Posts here are written by users, not the PopNx team.
User reviews
No reviews yet
Compared with others in Search & AI memoryi
- More stars than 0% of the other 6148 servers in this category
- Published to the registry more recently than 32% of the other 6148 servers in this category
- Basic checks equal to or better than 56% of the other 6148 servers in this category
Compared with every active server in this category in the registry. Stars count only when the publisher owns the repo.
Common questions
Is Castles safe?
It passed 4 of 5 applicable basic checks. We have not read the code. Before adding a key or token, see what access the server asks for and use a key with only the permissions you need.
What keys or codes does it need?
The registry does not list a required key, though some servers ask you to sign in on first use.
Does it run on my computer or in the cloud?
It runs in the maker’s cloud. Connect over the internet with nothing to install, but what you send passes through the maker’s servers.
Is it still maintained?
The GitHub repo last changed 7 days ago, and the latest version (1.0.3) reached the registry 3 months ago.
Which apps can use it?
Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. It connects by URL, so apps that accept remote MCP servers work too, such as ChatGPT on the web (full MCP on Business and above; Pro read-only).
What can I use instead?
In the same category: OpenSEO, Exa, Mockserver, Microsoft Learn MCP, Docs
Similar alternatives
Same category, other makers, commands already checked. Official ones first, then by stars.
Reading a card:↓ Downloads per weeki★ GitHub starsiThree pillars: reviews · checks · usageiUpdated = latest version published to the registryi
Exa
Connect AI agents to Exa for web search, content fetching, and multi-step research.
Mockserver
Mock, record/replay, verify and chaos-test any HTTP, REST, gRPC or LLM dependency over MCP.
Microsoft Learn MCP
Official Microsoft Learn MCP Server – real-time, trusted docs & code samples for AI and LLMs.
Docs
Search and read Empryo's documentation. Read-only, no auth, no local access.
- OpenSEO — Runs in the cloud, nothing to install · No key needed
- Exa — Runs in the cloud, nothing to install · No key needed · In Claude’s directory
- Mockserver — Installs on your computer · No key needed
- Microsoft Learn MCP — Runs in the cloud, nothing to install · No key needed · In Claude’s directory
- Docs — Runs in the cloud, nothing to install · No key needed
README from the maker
Open the README
Copied from the maker’s repo as written. PopNx MCP has not reviewed or endorsed it. HTML, images and scripts are removed. Links lead off this site.
Castlemap MCP server
A Model Context Protocol server for the Castlemap atlas: castles, fortresses, palaces and ruins worldwide (the counts move with every release; get_statistics reports the current ones), with coordinates, founding dates, categories, fame ranking and Wikipedia summaries.
It is already running. Point a client at the hosted endpoint — there is no install, no signup and no API key:
https://thecastlemap.com/mcpStreamable HTTP, stateless, POST-only (a GET returning 405 is correct). Protocol revisions 2025-06-18 and 2025-03-26 are accepted.
Client configuration
{"mcpServers": { "castles": { "type": "http", "url": "https://thecastlemap.com/mcp" } } }
Registry entry: com.thecastlemap/castles.
Tools
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
search_castles | Find castles by name, country or category |
get_castle | Full record for one castle |
castles_near | Nearest castles to a coordinate (haversine); geocode first |
top_castles | Best-known castles, by fame rank |
list_countries | Every country on the map, with counts |
get_statistics | Live aggregates — totals, per-country, per-century |
random_castle | One castle at random |
Data
Derived from Wikidata, with summaries from Wikipedia and images from Wikimedia Commons. The atlas is curated rather than exhaustive: it covers castles with a documented history, a real photo and exact coordinates, not every earthwork and ruin.
The factual records are released as CC0 and downloadable as GeoJSON and CSV from thecastlemap.com/data — also mirrored on GitHub, Hugging Face, Kaggle and Zenodo (concept DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21322359, which always resolves to the newest version).
Running it yourself
server.mjs has zero dependencies — no SDK, no node_modules. It needs Node 18+ and a castles.geojson to read (download one from /data):
CASTLES_GEOJSON=/path/to/castles.geojson PORT=8891 node server.mjsIt binds 127.0.0.1:8891 by default; HOST, PORT and CASTLES_GEOJSON override that. The file is re-read when its mtime changes (throttled to 60s), so updating the data needs no restart.
castlemap-mcp.service is the systemd unit used in production — loopback-bound, DynamicUser, ProtectSystem=strict, with nginx terminating TLS in front. Set ExecStart to your own node path and ReadOnlyPaths/CASTLES_GEOJSON to wherever the data lives.
Provenance
Built by flightmussy with AI assistance: the concept, direction and review are mine; much of the implementation was written with Claude. The underlying data is not generated — it comes from Wikidata, and every record is traceable to its Wikidata item.
License
Code: MIT (see LICENSE). Data: CC0. Wikipedia summary text remains CC BY-SA and is attributed per record.