Right, a view of the rebuilt steps going into the lower castle.
Below, while there is plenty of reconstructed sections of the castle, the steps to the acute angle bastion appear to be authentic to the earliest days of the site. They are so excessively worn that I decided to climb up along the rocks to the side near the wall.
Below, the acute angle bastion is unique in that it has a wall wrapped around the base of the main defensive section. This lower wall would help protect the primary postion from being easily undermined or battered with a ram.
A view of the acute bastion from below. The design would act as a glacis to protect the most vulnerable side of the castle from projectiles. However, any shot from the sides would gain a 90 degree impact, but these would be difficult due to the terrain. The engineers who designed this knew how to match the defensive work to the terrain.
Above right, a view of one of the passages within the lower castle. Neudahn has successive levels that are fun to explore, for both kids and adults!
Right, a section of the lower castle interior built directly into the sandstone. By conforming the design to the rock formation, the builders could economize on materials and cost.
Two views of the outer works of the structure. These would provide the initial security to the main castle.
Below, a loophole for a cannon, ingeniously designed as the mouth of a creature!
Right, a view of the castle from the most vulnerable side, being from the terrain to southeast that is on the same level as the structure. All castles have vulnerable angles for attack, and these must be covered with additional turrets and bastions to secure them.
Left, an outer view of the gate complex that protected the main castle. In many ways, the lower and upper castle of Neudahn serve as one large keep, a concept used by other castles in the area such as Trifels, Grafenstein, and Ramburg.
