The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: August twenty-ninth, exploring castles by the sea.  

For sailors who navigate open water, landmarks along the shore take on a special meaning. All around Europe, where so much history has arrived by sea, one's first sight of land is often a fortress. From Marstrand in Sweden in the north to the Rock of Gibraltar in the south, dozens of former strongholds still stand watch, each reflecting the architecture of armament of its day.

England has been an island fortress for a thousand years. Many believe that Tintagle Castle, on Cornwall's rugged Atlantic coast, is the site of Camelot, the home of King Arthur Pendragon. Orford Castle in East Anglia, Cinque Port Castle high on Dover's white chalk cliffs, and Burgh Castle in Norfolk have each played key roles in defense of the sceptered isle.

In France at the mouth of the Seine, St. Marcouf was the ultimate in castle building when it was completed in 1678. Three centuries later, the German army built concrete bunkers to repel the Allied invasion. Neither of these fortresses proved impenetrable.

In the Mediterranean, the history of warfare is even older. Fort Saint Elmo on the island of Malta and Mandraki Castle on Rhodes both date back to the Great Crusades. Further east in the Aegean stand the stony ruins of even earlier conflicts, such as Myceanae, where the bodies of Agamemnon and Clymenestra still lie.

For the thoughtful traveler, an exploration of any of these ruins speak to the futility of mankind's eternal inclination to defend his shores with walls of stone.

Back to August 2002 Main

Look through the list of fascinating places and off-beat features we’ve covered. Search text versions of past episodes and articles in our archives.