Cookie Policy
Last updated: August 28, 2026
The short version
This site runs on very few cookies. We do not use advertising cookies, we do not build profiles, and we do not sell or share your data with advertising networks.
The only non-essential technology we use is Google Analytics, and where the law requires your consent first, it stays switched off until you agree. Everything below explains this in detail.
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files a website stores in your browser. This policy also covers local storage, a similar mechanism that keeps small values in your browser without sending them to us on every request. We use both, and we list each one below.
Strictly Necessary
These are required for the site to work. They cannot be switched off, and they do not need your consent.
| Name | Type | Purpose | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
_luxury_key |
Cookie (first party) | Signed session cookie. Protects forms against cross-site request forgery and carries one-off status messages. | Until you close the browser |
cl:consent |
Local storage (first party) | Remembers whether you accepted or declined analytics, so we do not ask again on every page. | Until you clear it |
phx:theme |
Local storage (first party) | Remembers your light or dark theme preference. | Until you clear it |
__cf_bm |
Cookie (Cloudflare) | Distinguishes people from automated traffic. Set by Cloudflare, which serves and protects this site. | About 30 minutes |
cf_clearance |
Cookie (Cloudflare) | Records that a security challenge was passed, so you are not asked repeatedly. Only set if a challenge was shown. | Up to 1 year |
| Cloudflare Turnstile | Temporary storage (Cloudflare) | Anti-spam check on the enquiry form only. It runs when you use that form, not while you browse. | Temporary |
Analytics
We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors find and browse our castle listings — which pages are read, which countries people come from, which links they follow. We use it to improve the site. We do not use it for advertising, and we have switched off Google's advertising features: ad storage, ad user data and ad personalisation are set to denied for everyone, at all times.
| Name | Provider | Purpose | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga |
Distinguishes one browser from another | 2 years | |
_ga_LCL1JZ5MRH |
Keeps session state for this property | 2 years |
When we ask, and when we do not
Consent rules differ by country, and we follow the rule of the country you are browsing from, determined from your IP address by Cloudflare.
- European Economic Area, United Kingdom, Switzerland: analytics is off by default. Nothing is stored and no analytics data is collected until you choose "Accept" in the banner. If you decline, or simply ignore the banner, it stays off.
- Everywhere else: analytics runs by default, as local law permits, and you can switch it off at any time using the button below.
- If we cannot tell where you are: we treat you as if consent were required, and analytics stays off.
A choice you make yourself always overrides the default for your country, in both directions.
Analytics Without Cookies
We also use Umami and Cloudflare Web Analytics for aggregate traffic counts. Neither sets cookies, neither stores anything in your browser, and neither identifies you or follows you across sites. They count page views.
Because they store nothing on your device, they run without a consent banner. They still process technical data such as your IP address in the moment of the request, which is covered in our Privacy Policy.
What We Do Not Use
Stated plainly, because many sites claim otherwise in their policies and it is fair to be specific:
- No advertising or retargeting cookies
- No social media tracking pixels
- No profiling and no automated decision-making
- No sale or sharing of personal data with advertisers
- No cross-site tracking of any kind
Managing Your Choice
Change Your Choice
If you were asked for consent and want to change your answer, use the button below. It clears your saved choice and asks again.
You have not made a choice on this browser yet, so there is nothing to reset. Analytics only runs where local law allows it without prior consent.
Browser Settings
Every major browser lets you block or delete cookies and clear local storage. Doing so also clears your saved consent choice, so the banner will appear again. Blocking strictly necessary cookies may stop forms from working.
Opting Out of Google Analytics
Google provides a browser add-on that blocks Google Analytics on every site you visit: tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout .
Third Parties
The services above are operated by companies outside our control, and each has its own privacy policy:
- Google — analytics
- Cloudflare — content delivery, security, bot protection, aggregate analytics
- Umami — cookieless analytics
Changes and Contact
If we add or remove a technology, we update this page and change the date at the top. Where the change requires your consent, we ask again.
Questions about this policy: [email protected]. Your rights over your personal data, and how to exercise them, are set out in our Privacy Policy.