Marksburg Castle
Segment: Marksburg Castle
Episode: Grand European ep 11
Air Date: 1st March 2020
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane
The small German town of Braubach is home to the most well-preserved castle in the Middle Rhine Valley – Marksburg Castle.
- Marksburg Castle is the only castle in the Rhine Valley to have never been destroyed, surviving two World Wars. It has been continuously inhabited for more than 700 years.
- The castle has watched over Braubach since the 13th century, with the nearly inaccessible cliff it sits on helping it survive for as long as it has.
- For hundreds of years, the castle was occupied by noblemen and royalty. In the 1800’s, it became a home for disabled soldiers, then a prison, and eventually apartments. It has now been returned to its Middle Ages glory.
- Marksburg Castle was intended to be a fortress to protect villagers and nobility from outlaws and bandits. Most medieval castles were also built to protect key roads and rivers. Marksburg has never been besieged.
- In the Middle Ages, thick outer walls were built, and cannon batteries were added. The castle is guarded by a series of gates and drawbridges.
- The Knight’s Stairway is made from slate, carved roughly to stop the knight’s horses from slipping on rainy days.
- Viking’s included shore excursion takes you deep into the castle to understand the inner workings – you’ll see the kitchen, set up as it was in the Middle Ages, with meat hung to keep away rodents, and pots and pans hanging over the fire.
- The bedrooms show how much smaller people used to be. In the Middle Ages, people slept sitting up, as they believed that lying flat resembled death, allowing their souls to be taken in the night.
- The bathrooms had locks on the outside rather than the inside – this kept intruders from crawling in through the toilet.
- The castle dungeon displays some grisly torture instruments, and the Armory displays many weapons used in the past.
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