Ajloun Castle should form part of most visits to Jordan for several reasons. On a historic level it is one of very few Crusader-era castles built by the Arabs and not the European Crusaders, and so provides an interesting counterpoint to other castles you’ll see on your trip like Kerak and Showbak. It’s also in an attractive part of the country, offering views over wooded slopes and near the Ajloun Forest Reserve. But most of all, it reawakens childish excitement as it’s a wonderful maze of vaulted ceilings, secret passages and fairy-tale towers and battlements.