Miles and his little brother Adrian stood on the deck of a tour boat. "Look! Do you see that castle?" called out Adrian.
"Of course! We are in the land of castles!" said Miles.
The two boys were taking a tour with their parents down the Rhine River in Germany. The Rhine River is famous for all the ancient castles along its shores. Until that day, the only castle the boys had ever seen was at Disneyland. But the Disneyland castle was only a copy of a real castle. The boys were looking forward to seeing a castle up close—a real one, where people used to live, fight battles, and have adventures.
Thousands of castles were built during the Middle Ages. In those days most people lived all their lives in the same place where they were born. They lived a simple life and worked in the fields; they were called peasants. The people who owned the land were called lords, and they lived in castles. Many of the lords were at war with each other over land and money, and were often fighting. In order to protect themselves and their families, they built castles with thick stone walls, high on hills and mountaintops.
Some castles were big and luxurious; others were smaller and simpler. Many different people lived in the castle with the lord and his family. Each of these people had a specific job. There were cooks, servants, dressmakers, blacksmiths, and musicians. Most lords also had a personal army of soldiers living with them who were always ready to fight. They were called knights. Knights fought with swords and long spears. They wore heavy suits of metal armor and rode large, powerful horses into battle.
As the tour boat got closer to the castle, the guide on the boat explained that this was the Marksburg Castle, near the town of Braubach. It was built in the twelfth century and has never been destroyed.
"Let’s go see," said Miles.
The boat docked near the path that led to the castle. After the boys walked up the hill, they faced a huge gate in a high stone wall. Most castles were built the same way; the gate in the outer wall was always strongly defended. Many castles were also surrounded by a ditch full of water called a moat. A small drawbridge that led to the gate was the only way across the water. Whenever an enemy approached, the drawbridge could be raised from safe inside the castle walls.
The boys noticed that the castle walls were several feet thick. The thick walls protected the castle from cannon attacks. Also, soldiers could stand on top of these walls and attack the enemy below with arrows, stones, and other weapons. Almost all castles had tall watchtowers from where knights would look out for approaching invaders. Some castles also had prisons, called dungeons, deep beneath the ground for captured enemy soldiers.
Inside, the castle was very dark and cold. Castles had few fireplaces, and the rooms were too big to heat easily.
The boys entered a large room with a long wooden table. The room was lit by candles in chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. This was the main hall, where the lord and his family had dinner. At night they liked to host rich feasts while musicians and storytellers entertained them. Miles could picture it all in his mind; it was just like something out of a storybook.
The legends and histories of castles have always made good stories. In fact, the legends of many castles have been passed down from generation to generation. One of the most famous is the legend of Fyvie Castle in Scotland. For centuries people knew that a secret room with a great treasure was hidden somewhere in the castle. But there was a curse on the room: whoever found it would die, and his wife would become blind. According to the story, a man named General Adrian finally found the hidden room but died shortly after from unknown causes. His wife soon became blind. Another man called Sir Maurice Duff tried to find the room, but while exploring the castle, he fell and broke his leg. Strangely, his wife developed an eye illness for the rest of her life.
Another famous legend is connected to the Frankenstein Castle in Germany. A terrible dragon terrorized the peasants and lords in the area for years. The only way to keep the dragon away was to sacrifice a beautiful girl from the nearby village. When a girl named Anne Marie was given to the dragon, a knight from the castle, who was secretly in love with her, came to the rescue. After a fierce battle, the knight set Anne Marie free. But just as he killed the dragon with his sword, the dragon twisted its poison tail around and wounded the brave knight in the leg. He died soon after, but the legend of the knight still lives on in the Frankenstein Castle.
"Boys? Where are you?" Adrian and Miles heard someone call. "The boat is about to leave." They turned and saw their mother looking for them.
"Hurry, let’s go!" Miles said and grabbed his brother’s hand. They left the main hall and ran back down the hill.
"When I grow up I want to be a knight," said Adrian when they reached the boat. Sadly, there are no more knights or lords, but the castles they left behind tell a great story—of a time long ago full of adventure.