With free time before dinner, we explored the original areas of the castle. This included a turret, the courtyard, the terrace, and the chapel. We continued to the lower regions of the castle that once served as a prison complete with torture devices and a jail cell. This area of the castle stays cool, albeit a little musty, which is fine in the summer months, but we can only imagine how cold it would have been down there in the cold German winters. In the turret room, we were able to take on the point of view of the guards that once inhabited the space as we looked through the "window" where they would have placed their loaded weapons.
We learned that Waldeck Castle was originally a fortress (burg) used to defend the country of Waldeck. What we know as Germany today was once actually 300 independent countries. Each country needed fortresses for defense, so many castles sprung up amongst the hills. As the need for defense dwindled, elaborate palaces were built to represent local wealth. A castle that serves strictly as a palace is known as a schloß. Any place that royalty lived is also considered a castle. Castles, burgs, and palaces combine for a total of 20,000 structures throughout present-day Germany.
Surrounding the castle was a forest that could have served as a setting for any number of fairytales. We easily pictured Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, or Little Red Riding Hood wandering along our walking trail. It was dark, thick with trees, and ominous as though the villian could jump out at any moment. Anxiety grew each time we were forced to choose from various paths. At one point, we wondered if we should have brought a supply of bread crumbs, but luckily we made it out okay to our happily ever after.
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