Azathoth
09-21-2009, 00:54
So I was in Budapest a few weeks ago and decided to visit the old fort-town of Komarom/Komarno (the Komarno half is on the Slovakian side of the Danube). Komarom is a typical dingy-looking backwater, though Komarno looks a lot cleaner and bigger and even has some "skyscrapers".
I toured Fort Monostor, built after the 1848 Revolution by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which is supposed to be the greatest fort in all of Central Europe or something like that. Here's a map and more info:
http://english.fortmonostor.hu/A417cb9cb7ba90.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Monostor
http://hungarystartshere.com/Fort-Monostor-Monostori-erod-Komarom
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=c7b235f4-cff4-4e00-8711-5ff52fbe4dbd
Map:
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/me_alaprajz_bw_kicsi.jpg
Most of then photos I took were on the upper and right parts of the map, the right being the entrance and location of the 3 museums, all of which were closed because it was Monday. In fact, there are no guided tours on Mondays either, so I had to hoof it across the place with my mom, lurking in unlit subterranean chambers and tunnels. I'm pretty sure I even wandered into some Restricted Areas.
I can't really remember exactly where I was when I took all these photos, but I'll try to refer to the map to give you a better idea. Apologies for the crap quality, I had to scan these.
Me standing next to a cannon just inside the fort/outside the exit.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/1-1.jpg
Standing in some place a little bit north of the entrance.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/2.jpg
Standing next to some wash basins and latrines north of the exit/south of the stables.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/3.jpg
Standing next to an entrance in the Training/Stables region, maybe outside the left edge of the stables.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/4001.jpg
Standing next to a window or firing slit (?) inside the stables or the area adjacent to them (east of the training/firing range area).
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/5.jpg
Underground beneath the stables or training area.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/6.jpg
Standing next to a window in the left end of the stables overlooking the Soviet stuff.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/7.jpg
View of the southern area from a hillock south of the HQ/quarters. I clambered up using my mother's ancient Georgian mountain-climbing advice.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/8.jpg
A pile of rubble outside the HQ.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/9.jpg
A little cart for transporting ammo and equipment (I guess) inside the quarters, 2nd floor.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/10.jpg
Standing next to a room, maybe officers' quarters, or maybe some other room in the places I've been in so far. I can't remember.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/11.jpg
Standing on top of the HQ wall overlooking a pass which attackers would have had to run through while taking fire from all directions. I call it the "Canyon of Death", or maybe "Death Star Run".
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/12.jpg
A better view of the Canyon of Death, going west.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/13.jpg
Atop the HQ wall, overlooking the Danube.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/14.jpg
The HQ and quarters from the north side. Some kind of assembly or drilling area.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/15.jpg
Pretending to be the commander.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/16.jpg
View from the Danube Bastion at the left corner of the fort. I don't think there was anything to see from the top, but I can't be sure as further progress was blocked by extremely thick foliage. I only saw the sign advising visitors to bring hiking boots, a flashlight, and a machete (optional) as I left the fort.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/17.jpg
Another Canyon of Death. I ran into the Casemate System (?) and this was on the left. Unfortunately, I ran in without looking and possibly stepped all over a huge pile of horse****.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/18.jpg
Me standing next to a Soviet howitzer, 150mm or thereabouts. I was running out of time here (I'd expected this whole thing to last 30 minutes, not a 100, so we basically just walked past the south end of the fort.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/19.jpg
I toured Fort Monostor, built after the 1848 Revolution by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which is supposed to be the greatest fort in all of Central Europe or something like that. Here's a map and more info:
http://english.fortmonostor.hu/A417cb9cb7ba90.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Monostor
http://hungarystartshere.com/Fort-Monostor-Monostori-erod-Komarom
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=c7b235f4-cff4-4e00-8711-5ff52fbe4dbd
Map:
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/me_alaprajz_bw_kicsi.jpg
Most of then photos I took were on the upper and right parts of the map, the right being the entrance and location of the 3 museums, all of which were closed because it was Monday. In fact, there are no guided tours on Mondays either, so I had to hoof it across the place with my mom, lurking in unlit subterranean chambers and tunnels. I'm pretty sure I even wandered into some Restricted Areas.
I can't really remember exactly where I was when I took all these photos, but I'll try to refer to the map to give you a better idea. Apologies for the crap quality, I had to scan these.
Me standing next to a cannon just inside the fort/outside the exit.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/1-1.jpg
Standing in some place a little bit north of the entrance.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/2.jpg
Standing next to some wash basins and latrines north of the exit/south of the stables.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/3.jpg
Standing next to an entrance in the Training/Stables region, maybe outside the left edge of the stables.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/4001.jpg
Standing next to a window or firing slit (?) inside the stables or the area adjacent to them (east of the training/firing range area).
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/5.jpg
Underground beneath the stables or training area.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/6.jpg
Standing next to a window in the left end of the stables overlooking the Soviet stuff.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/7.jpg
View of the southern area from a hillock south of the HQ/quarters. I clambered up using my mother's ancient Georgian mountain-climbing advice.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/8.jpg
A pile of rubble outside the HQ.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/9.jpg
A little cart for transporting ammo and equipment (I guess) inside the quarters, 2nd floor.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/10.jpg
Standing next to a room, maybe officers' quarters, or maybe some other room in the places I've been in so far. I can't remember.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/11.jpg
Standing on top of the HQ wall overlooking a pass which attackers would have had to run through while taking fire from all directions. I call it the "Canyon of Death", or maybe "Death Star Run".
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/12.jpg
A better view of the Canyon of Death, going west.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/13.jpg
Atop the HQ wall, overlooking the Danube.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/14.jpg
The HQ and quarters from the north side. Some kind of assembly or drilling area.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/15.jpg
Pretending to be the commander.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/16.jpg
View from the Danube Bastion at the left corner of the fort. I don't think there was anything to see from the top, but I can't be sure as further progress was blocked by extremely thick foliage. I only saw the sign advising visitors to bring hiking boots, a flashlight, and a machete (optional) as I left the fort.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/17.jpg
Another Canyon of Death. I ran into the Casemate System (?) and this was on the left. Unfortunately, I ran in without looking and possibly stepped all over a huge pile of horse****.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/18.jpg
Me standing next to a Soviet howitzer, 150mm or thereabouts. I was running out of time here (I'd expected this whole thing to last 30 minutes, not a 100, so we basically just walked past the south end of the fort.
https://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr309/desertSypglass/19.jpg