Castle Lenzburg

Saturday! Our last day in Switzerland before heading to Paris to go meet dad to join us in Europe! Uncle Siraj was home from work too, so we decided to all go visit someplace new together - Schloss Lenzburg (Lenzburg Castle). First we boarded a train to get there. The kids are getting used to hanging out on trains I think.

Then we had to walk up to the castle. And I mean UP - it truly is a hilltop castle and my leg muscles were burning by the time we made it to the entrance! On the way, Mary captured this adorable video of Katie and a pine cone.

To our surprise, there was some sort of special event going on at the castle that day, with an extensive medieval market and lots of people in period costumes doing demonstrations!

Dying fabric and yarn

Felting wool

Other trained birds of prey

Swords - Joey loved this booth!

Lily wants me to make her a crown like this when we get home

The older kids all bought some wooden swords with money they saved up for this trip.
Mary and Joey bought ones with a wooden sheath and belt loop for about $14.
Lily really wanted this one with a pink felt sheath and rope to tie around your waist, but it was about $25 and she didn't have enough. So she bought a plain wooden sword for about $6 instead, and I promised to make her a felt case and belt like this one after we get home.

Inside the castle gift shop. Lily and Katie loved these princess accessories!
I'm going to have to get some like this for our dress up bin after we get home!

Also from the museum gift shop. These were far too large for us to bring back home, but I said that if we photographed them, maybe dad could build them something similar when we got home.

Same for this one!

View of the town below from the top of the castle wall. Windy!

I love castle walls with battlements!

Here you can see how the castle was built atop an existing cliff on the top of this hill.

Joey peering out through one of many loopholes
(narrow opening meant for firing arrows through when defending the castle) 

Peering out between the battlements

The castle was actually purchased by an American in 1893, who renovated it for his family as a modern residence befitting the family's social stature. Inside the museum there were rooms from this period, as well as rooms representing how the castle would have been used during earlier time periods.

19th century castle living 

19th century castle living

Inside the last remaining dungeon of the castle. It had two cells.
The one shown above was set up with some models of two brothers who were prisoners here in the 1600s.

You could enter the other cell, which had one small window with a latrine below it. 

Markings scratched into the walls by prisoners

More markings made by prisoners of long ago. We guessed the row of Xs was marking the days.

Joey makes a convincing prisoner 

Various instruments used by the executioner. The blade pictured here was actually used to decapitate "delinquents" with the most recent use being in 1854.

Although the kids found the castle dungeon the most interesting reconstructed room, their favorite part of Lenzburg Castle was the Castle Children's museum. Lots and lots of castle themed activities for the kids to do! It was hard to convince them to leave this part of the museum to see the real castle!

Castle play house

Katie makes a convincing princess-in-need-of-rescue face here! 

Joey dressed as a knight

Lily dressed as a princess

Katie enjoyed the model castle playset

Sign outside the bathroom next to the children's museum entrance. I was amused both the dragon ban, and the ban on peeing while standing up. I've never seen either of those instructions before!

After leaving the castle, we decided to get dinner in Lenzburg. We found a Thai place with amazing and delicious food!

View of the castle up on the hill from the street outside the restaurant 

While we were waiting for our food, Joey turned these napkins into the Swiss flag!