When you think of a dungeon you probable imagine a deep, dark place where people are held and tortured. This use to be true for most castle dungeons, but they no longer hold prisoners and are often interesting places to visit. The following dungeons have become popular tourist attractions.
Kilkenny Castle In Ireland
Not only can visitors tour the dungeon here at Kilkenny, they can also get a look at virtually the entire castle. There are many hidden dungeons and visitors can really get a good glimpse of what it was like to be a prisoner versus what it was like to live in the luxurious castle. The shape of the castle itself is fairly unique as it only has three sides now because the fourth one was blown off in 1650 by Oliver Cromwell during a siege.
Chillon Castle, Switzerland
This castle was written about by the British romantic poet, Lord Byron. He became interested in the castle when he learned about a political prisoner named Francois Bonivard who was held captive there in the 1500s. Bonivard was later released after only four years because the castle was captured. The dungeon has gothic arches and those who visit it can’t help but be overwhelmed by not only the sheer beauty of it, but the sense of being trapped as well.
Pontefract Castle In England
This is considering to be the most dreadful castle in England. It was referred to as a blood prison and was used in the 1300s. The dungeon was 35 feet below the castle and had numerous rooms. Pontefract Castle was destroyed during the English Civil War. However, you can tour the old armor stores and see some of the graffiti that was scratched on the dungeon walls by the prisoners.
Warwick Castle In England
This castle is actually part of a show of sorts put on for tourists. There isn’t much historical accuracy in the experience, but those who participate in this attraction don’t seem to care. Basically visitors buy a ticket to go in the dungeon for about 20 minutes to get scared and see devices used for torture. Don’t be surprised if several people jump out to try to scare you. While this is all in good fun, visitors do get a sense of what it might have been like to be trapped in a dungeon centuries ago.
