B.C. castle on historic island property for sale well under assessed value

British Columbians wanting to live their royal dream can check out a castle on Cortes Island that recently hit the market. And it’s cheaper than you might think.

Wolf Bluff Castle, also known as Karl’s Castle, is located at 1416 Manzanita Rd. on Cortes Island.

The castle is one of three buildings on the 1.97-acre property, along with a house and a workshop.

According to realtor Roman Krzaczek, the unique property previously owned by local resident Karl Triller comes with a lot of history.

You might also like:
• B.C. roommates' legal fight over heat and rent ends with no winners
• Glitzy Vancouver mansion with rooftop putting green sees price drop
• B.C. officially has one of Canada's highest costs of living

“With some TLC, this property could become as spectacular as it once used to be,” reads the listing online. “It has a lot of potential and would be a great project for a builder.”

The British Columbia Archival Information Network and the Cortes Island Museum and Archives explain that Triller was a Hungarian immigrant who moved to the island after taking early retirement.

“He had always loved castles, and the granite rock of his property on Manzanita Road was the perfect place to build one. He designed, built and furnished a five-story, eight-bedroom German medieval-style castle of cement blocks over the course of 12 years.”

Wolf Bluff Castle also includes a large dining hall, three turrets, and a dungeon in the basement. It opened to the public as a bed-and-breakfast and a venue for parties and banquets in the early 1990s.

The house on the property is described as a one-bedroom and den with an unfinished basement, with the workshop listed as “a decent size and would be a perfect place for your tools.”

Those interested in purchasing 1416 Manzanita Rd. can buy it for just $440,000.

This is far below BC Assessment’s total value of $758,000, which is itself a slight drop compared to the previous year. The 2025 assessment, as of July 1, 2024, values the land at $443,000 and the buildings at $315,000.

Several B.C. islands are currently for sale, including a private island paradise near Tofino, a remote island property with stunning displays of nature, and a historic home in the Southern Gulf Islands that received a multimillion-dollar drop from the original list price earlier this year.

Check out the full listing for 1416 Manzanita Rd. online.