It was all Very Medieval



Ryan had never been to see a castle before these castles. The day before we went to see them I asked him what his favorite part of Switzerland had been so far. He answered with "The castles we are going to go see tomorrow." His favorite memory had apparently not even happened yet.

While we were there, standing atop a spire in castle #2, I was gushing about how surreal it all was and saying how never before had I as vividly understood the impulse to live in a castle and describing which room in which tower I would instantly claim as my own given the chance and how lovely life would be from a castle perspective. It was at this point that, in all seriousness, Ryan responded with: "I feel like you are under reacting to how cool this is."

How silly of me.

The city is built tucked up right next to and in between these three castles so you can see the fortress walls (and underground tunnels beneath them) from almost everywhere in the city.

So many gorgeous stairs. So windy and so narrow. We had to work for this view, but it was totally worth it!

We timed our arrival to castle #2 perfectly. It was that golden hour before sunset when everything is warm and glowing and tinted with yellow haze. It was one of those rare instances when I desperately wished I could freeze time and just live in that moment forever.

Truly, how much do you wish you could just spread a blanket out right here right now and watch the clouds slowly pass by overhead with a good book, a simple picnic, and the warm hand of someone who loves you? This is my very idea of paradise. 

The entire fortress sat atop this giant pile of rock we would call a mountain.

This is the long narrow passageway they carved out of the base of it through which you walk to get to the elevator.

Obviously the design of this more recent elevator addition was designed with a very traditional concept in mind, in keeping with the historical context of the site and the architectural details of the Swiss homes surrounding it. 

Just hanging out in a moat like it's no big deal.

And walking castle walls like it's nothing.

And sitting on medieval cans like it's commonplace.

(This stone gutter served as the sewer system and ran down and through a variety of toilets and wash basins on different floors and levels. And the current century one, pictured below, was built right into one of those tiny castle rooms, see how Ryan's head grazes the ceiling?)

And ascending moss covered turrets like it's perfectly ordinary.

I wish we had time to do everything twice.