Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
up. They indicate this stonework is original. Notice also the fine stonework on the chutes.
More boiling pitch...now you're toast, too.
•Pickyourselfup,andwalkbackafewstepsandovertothegrayrailing.Lookupthevalley
and uphill where the sprawling fort stretched. Below, just outside the wall, is land where at-
tackers would gather. The mine tunnels are under there, waiting to blow up any attackers.
Now keep going along the perimeter (under three low archways), jog left, go down five
steps and into an open field, and walk toward the wooden bridge. The “old” wooden bridge
is actually modern.
Dark Tunnel Detour: For a short detour through a castle tunnel—possible only if you
havealight—turnyourbacktothemaincastle(withthemodernbridgetoyourleft)andface
the stone structure labeled Halsgraben. (You'll exit in a few minutes at the high railing
above the red #12 sign.) Go 20 yards to the right, and enter the tunnel at the bottom, follow-
ing the red Grosser Minengang sign. At the end of the short, big tunnel, take two steps up
and walk eight level steps, turn left, and follow the long uphill ramp (this is where it's pitch-
black, and adults will need to watch their heads). At the end, a spiral staircase takes you up
to the high-railing opening you saw earlier, and then back to the courtyard.
• When ready to leave this courtyard, angle left ( under the red zum Verliess sign, before the
bridge ) through two arches and through the rough entry to the
Verliess (prison) on the
left.
Prison: This is one of six dungeons. You just walked through an entrance prisoners only
dreamed of 400 years ago. They came and went through the little square hole in the ceil-
ing. The holes in the walls supported timbers that thoughtfully gave as many as 15 residents
somethingtositontokeepthemoutofthefilthyslopthatgatheredonthefloor.Twiceaday,
they were given bread and water. Some prisoners actually survived longer than two years in
here. While the town could torture and execute, the castle had permission only to imprison
criminals in these dungeons. Consider this: According to town records, the two men who
spent the most time down here—2.5 years each—died within three weeks of regaining their
freedom. Perhaps after a diet of bread and water, feasting on meat and wine was simply too
much.
• Continue through the next arch, under the white arrow, then turn left and walk 30 yards to
the 1% Schlachthaus.
Slaughterhouse: Any proper castle was prepared to survive a six-month siege. With
4,000 people, that's a lot of provisions. The cattle that lived within the walls were
slaughtered in this room. The castle's mortar was congealed here (by packing all the organic
waste from the kitchen into kegs and sealing it). Notice the drainage gutters. “Running wa-
ter” came through from drains built into the walls (to keep the mortar dry and therefore
strong...and less smelly).
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