Europe Blog # 8 - Malbork Castle (Poland)
Grapeseed plants (Canola oil is the end product) fill Poland's countryside.
Malbork Castle is the largest castle in the world - constructed during the 13th and 14th Century. For its size, this was quite an achievement. This is the era for the "Knights in shiny armor!"
The official name is "Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork!"
With moats, inner courtyards, thick walls, and drawbridges, it would be almost impregnable by an enemy.
The Teutonic Order was a German Catholic religious order of crusaders.
The eastern half of the castle was destroyed during WWII. It was rebuilt following the war.
Crusaders traveled from Jerusalem to this location to build the castle.
Wooden walkways or bridges connecting different sections were made out of wood. As a last defense (should it be necessary) the wooden planks would be burned to keep invaders from entering.
Due to time constraints, we only had two hours to explore. It would have been interesting to see what's behind some of these doors or enter an off the beaten path passageway.
This is the dining room. Typically, there would be about two hundred inhabitants living in the castle. However, for celebrations and religious events, there could be up to 1000 people which included servants of the wealthy guests.
These are vent covers. when opened, warm air would rise from fires below and heat the building. This may be the first use of central heating.
Beautiful, ornate paintings are on the wall.
It's amazing this artwork still survives
Quite an ornate door for its time. Seats are for the Grandmasters
One of the toilets
Four of the most famous Teutonic Grandmasters Knights
As we ventured further into the inner part of the castle...
There were old-styled cannons and, of course, cannonballs
Of course, all castles must have their own chapels...
Quite magnificent
The grandmasters are buried in the chapel
Dorm area for the residents and guests
Drinking well for the castle 
There is a large hand crank that was used to pull up water buckets. The handle was necessary due to the distance of the water source and the actual weight of the bucket and water.
Apparently, this device is used to mill the grain.Kitchen area: The three openings at the bottom of the photo and the three plates above the openings are used to keep food warm.
Small eating area next to the kitchen. There is a small doorway behind us. This door would lead to a flight of stairs and the cook's bedroom. It would be very easy to "come to work" in the early morning.
Although the history of this castle was new to us, we were familiar with stories about King Richard and the crusades. Also, as a young boy, Jerry read many stories about Richard, the crusades and, of course, King Arthur and the Knights of The Round Table.
A fun day - time to move on to the city of Gdansk
