Burg Rheinfels

Yesterday, we went to Rheinfels Castle in St. Goar.  We had seen it from afar on Wednesday and went back to actually tour it yesterday.  Guy and the kids were pretty excited about going to see it, but I think I was actually the most excited about going to see a "real castle".:)  This castle was built in the 13th century.  Later the castle was fortified with the outside walls and it was the only castle along the Rhine that was able to stand the attack of Louis XIV...

View of the castle from the bottom of the mountain

I am so glad Guy decided to drive us to the top to see the castle.  I don't think either of our ears could have heard Lizzy tell us her legs hurt anymore.:)

View from the castle down into the Rhine Valley

The Maus Castle...across from Rheinfels Castle

Walkway around the castle

One of the castle towers

entering inside the castle

ruins from part of the castle

archway

Castle wall...It is huge!!!

The picture above isnt very good, I know, but I had to take a quick picture before the man working could tell me not to.:)  The rock you see in the center of the picture is a tombstone which was in this same place 400 B.C.

This was a picture of one of the towers which is still standing:)

Jeremy could climb some of the steps which were still left in the tower.:)

Elizabeth coming out of the old tower

one of the original castle walls

Here are some pictures in what used to be the castle gardens.:)

Here are some catapult balls used in war time in the middle ages.  In one of the guide books I read, it says that the soldiers actually went out to retrieve them after they launched them because they were so expensive to produce.

The well for the castle compound

Highest tower still standing at the castle

Family picture at the top of the tower

view from the tower

view down into the castle from the tower

Here is an entrance to one of the old mining tunnels in the castle. They were extremely small...but, Guy and Jeremy were brave enough to venture a little of the way into them.  Guy was prepared with a flashlight.:)

Elizabeth wasn't sure what to think of the tunnels

Jeremy going into one of the tunnels

Elizabeth went a little ways in

One of the tunnels we went in led to a dead end with an area with steps leading up to it...maybe a living area for a soldier or two???

Castle walkway

Spiral staircase leading down into darkness

Elizabeth wanted to stay upstairs where there was more light

Above is one of the 6 dungeons which were used in the original castle.  The prisoners were actually lowered in from above and then wooden planks were placed above the floor so they could sit there without sitting in their own filth.  They were only given bread and water and the longest surviving prisoner lived there for 2.5 years....I don't think that anyone would want that life!!!

Above is the castle cellar or pantry (kellar in German).  In here all the provisions for the castle were stored.  During peacetime there were about 400 people to provide for who lived inside the castle walls but during a seige, there were 4000 people who live inside the castle walls.   That meant there would tons of food needed to supply food for all those people, and take into account, they wanted to be ready in case of a 6 month seige.  No wonder the cellar was so huge!!!

Couldn't get this pic to rotate, but it is the men's urinal made to look like a guillotine.:)

This castle was so fascinating to explore because I really couldn't wrap my head around how big it truly was.  A castle was so much more than a living space for kings and queens.  It was actually a compound complete with its own bakery, pharmacy, slaughterhouse, cellar, vegetable gardens and so much more.  It was like a self sustaining city.  Today, we explored another castle a little way away form Bacharach.  It was a completely different experience, and I can't wait to share it with you.  The kids love going to the castles,  but Jeremy said that Burg Rheinfels was his favorite because it had tunnels to go into.  I'll share our other castle experience with you tomorrow.  Until then, Gute Nacht! (Good night!)