Are You Also Wowed By History?

Do you also imagine who lived, walked and had fun somewhere back in time?

Living in Burgenland, which means the land of the fortresses, you get to stumble across a Burg / fortress more often than not. It is fantastic when family and friends come to visit as everyone loves visiting a Burg or a castle. Our visitors from South Africa or America enjoy it even more as they don't have any castles in their countries. At least not any that are over 300 years old.

Bob and I are becoming experts at showing off our various Burgs. Yesterday we went to Lockenhaus . A great example of a Gothic castle. It even formed a part in the Knights Templar history, complete with a Round Table. We were a bit short of time, so we just did a stroll around the garden ring at the bottom of the castle. ( I know it is a fortress, but castle sounds more divine, so please allow me to call it that ).

Apart from the rubbish bins and the odd sign of " Try this at your own risk " ( which of course Bob ignored and you'll see a pic of it later ) it could have looked as it did all those years ago when the real owners walked this path. Well, in those days the princesses or countesses perambulated slowly around the grounds.

Looking back at those times from our perspective, we wonder how they could have managed without fast food, Smart Phone, a television and gosh without a flushable loo, but we forget that when they lived there, they were modern for that era. The ladies might have strolled in order to catch a glimpse of a beau. They might have played ' Hide & Seek ' from their governesses or just admired nature.

At intervals around the castle, there are seating alcoves that were built or chiseled into the wall. It boggles the mind to think of a real life princess or countess having sat there and wondered about her life. Yes, these places simply ooze history, past and dare I say violence. Oh yes, they all have a torture chamber complete with Iron Maiden and heavy metal to hurt you. ( Eh, no, the irony is not lost on me...a Frank Sinatra fan ).

Honestly, I won't go into those torture chambers because the walls almost feel as if they are plastered with all the pain inflicted over the years of use. No, I would rather see the dining rooms, round tables and libraries.

Another bonus of living in Burgenland, is the abundance of history, beautiful scenery and of course oh-so-moreish coffee shops. Lockenhaus, the village, has great example of this....and we did it justice.

Biggi

The wall around the castle.

The guillotine set in the recess...some sort of entertainment in those times?

Didn't I tell you that Bob ignored the signs? His acting class in High School payed off...

The garden path circling the castle complete with a knight without shining armour...