This morning, on our way to Gdansk, we had a unique experience! We took a boat ride on the Elblag Canal!
The 82 km long canal was built between 1844 and 1860 and stretches between East Prussia and the BalticSea,
What makes it unique is the method in which the difference in water levels is overcome. On a stretch of 9.6 km of canal the difference is over 100 m, and this is accomplished by the ship moving onto a cart and being hydraulically pulled on rails on long sloping ramps – there are five of these ramps.
Our next stop was the incredible Marlbork Castle which is the largest brick castle in the world.
It was built in the 13th century by the Teutonic Order (a German Catholic military crusading order) and named Marienburg. The castle was the ceremonial capital and home to the elected Grand Knights and up to 3,000 monks for over 230 years.
After several sieges, it was eventually sold to King Casimir IV of Poland in 1457 and functioned as a Polish royal residence until 1772.
The castle was heavily damaged during World War II, but was meticulously reconstructed becoming a museum.
Dinner was served in a restored old Mennonite house just before we arrived at Gdansk.
