In 'A Song of Ice and Fire', the ancestral castle of House Stark is Winterfell.
Winterfell stands near the geographical center of the North and serves as both the Stark family seat and the region's political capital. The castle is one of Westeros's oldest strongholds, connected to the Starks' identity as the former Kings in the North and later Wardens of the North. Its name reflects the harsh climate and the series' recurring concern with long, dangerous winters.
One unusual feature is that Winterfell was built over natural hot springs. Heated water runs beneath the castle and through its walls, helping warm the rooms and maintain the famous glass gardens even during freezing weather. Beneath the castle lie the crypts, where generations of Starks are buried behind statues depicting them with swords and direwolves.
Readers sometimes confuse Winterfell with other major castles. Highgarden is associated with House Tyrell, Casterly Rock with House Lannister, and King's Landing is the capital of the Seven Kingdoms. Winterfell is also distinct from the broader territory of the North: the North is the region, while Winterfell is its ruling house's ancestral stronghold.