Maus

Just past Burg Katz is Burg Maus (Mouse!).  What a funny irony, that the castle of the Cat was constantly after Maus Castle up river!  In fact, the name was derived from that very reason, as the Maus was a competitor to the Katz.  Completed in the mid-1300s, it is arguably one of the best fortified castles on the Rhein.

Below, one photo taken in 1978.  All others taken in 2005.

As Maus was one of those Rhein castles that I had never visited in the past, I was looking forward to going inside.  But when I got there... lo and behold... it was closed!  They would not open for another few hours, and I simply didn't want to sit around waiting. 

One of the interesting things about Maus is the falcanry within.  One of the falcons can actually be seen just left of the tower in the photo above.

The photo at right shows a few interesting features.  First, you can clearly see one of the curtain walls, specifically designed to thwart efforts to scale the walls.  The main tower is to the left.  But another interesting item are the electrical wires visibile through the trees at the right.  Hardly medieval!  But since many castles today have cafes or restaurants... or even hotels... such power is necessary for the discriminating tastes of many Europeans today.

I don't know why so many Americans who have never been to Europe think that the "old world" is backward.  This is not even close to fact, although when one gets into Eastern Europe it can be another story, as I've seen some pretty rustic locations.