点评:We travelled to the castle by bus from the St. Helier station, an easy 25 minute trip, and after being deposited at Gorey Pier we walked 5 minutes up to the castle. It is certainly impressive, and the reason why this steep hilltop has been used for defensive purpose since Neolithic times is clear. We arrived too late for a volunteer-led tour, so explored the castle ourselves using the large number of interpretive signs. The castle’s fortunes have waxed and waned over the centuries, and renovations to adapt it to changes in warfare have left a multi-level maze inside. It’s easy to get turned around. There are several contemporary art installations that include a massive figure that depicts the nasty nature of medieval battle injuries, a silver dragon suspended from the ceiling, an intricate medieval monarchy tree of succession containing steel faces of rulers, and a large holographic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. There is certainly lots to see in the castle’s many nooks and crannies, but we had the general sense that things were a bit disjointed, something that might have been remedied with a tour. Fortunately, we bumped into the Tudor Falconer, who was set up in the Middle Ward with Sovereign, a lovely Harris Hawk, to demonstrate to visitors the ancient and fascinating art of falconry. We spent about 20 happy minutes with the two of them. Practical information: be ready for lots of stairs. There is a nice cafe onsite. Allow 2-3 hours for a visit.
翻译:我们从圣赫利尔火车站乘巴士前往城堡,车程仅需25分钟。抵达戈雷码头后,我们步行5分钟便到达了城堡。城堡气势恢宏,令人叹为观止,也难怪自新石器时代以来,这座陡峭的山顶就被用作防御工事。我们到达时已错过了志愿者导览团,于是便利用大量的解说牌自行探索了城堡。几个世纪以来,城堡的命运几经沉浮,为了适应战争的变迁,城堡进行了多次翻修,如今内部已形成一个错综复杂的多层迷宫,很容易迷路。城堡内陈列着几件当代艺术装置,其中包括一个描绘中世纪战争创伤的巨型雕塑、一条悬挂在天花板上的银龙、一棵精巧的中世纪君主继承树(树上镶嵌着统治者的钢铁头像)以及伊丽莎白二世女王的大型全息肖像。城堡里确实有很多值得一看的地方,但总体感觉有些杂乱无章,如果能有个导览团或许会更好。幸运的是,我们偶遇了都铎王朝的驯鹰师,他带着一只名叫“君主”(Sovereign)的漂亮哈里斯鹰在中庭为游客们展示古老而迷人的驯鹰术。我们和他们一起度过了大约20分钟的愉快时光。实用信息:做好爬很多楼梯的准备。城堡内有一家不错的咖啡馆。建议预留2-3小时参观。