The walk up to Trifels involves taking a winding path. This allows you to see some of the restored walls which were once a mass of ruins about 100 years ago. The keep is here seen from below and one can gain an idea as to its size. When Trifels was first built it was the era of the stand-alone keep.
Right, the sanitary tower that also served as an initial gateway to protect the main gate. The sanitary tower was in essence a huge bathroom! This allowed any human filth and waste to be kept distinctly separate from the castle's living quarters. Residents within used chamber pots in their rooms so one didn't have to wander their way out to the tower in the dark of night.
Several views of the keep and the base where the main gate is. The photo at left shows very clearly how large the keep was, being fully adapted for living quarters as well as defense.
A slight shift downward of the camera and lo and behold... the main gate. The steps have been mostly restored, though the stone between some of the steps is of course authentic to the earliest days and bears the wear of countless shod feet of knights and soldiers.
Right, a portion of one of the outer buildings that is still extant. Behind the keep dominates all.
Below, one of the restored entrances towards the keep. It is difficult to define the areas of Trifels as an inner or outer ward, as the keep so dominates the structure and in many ways serves as the inner ward.
A portion of the restored walls. Note the floodlights added to provide illumination. This is a common practice for many German castles, even some of the most humble.
