MMT#6 The Catacombes Multi-cache
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Museum Micro Tour #6
Open air museum
If you consider the cache god or bad rate it here after you have found it!
There are about 68 in the MMT# series and as they are growing in numbers there is a " MMT# series challenge" to take all check the Bookmark list to the right or click here for your score !!! Just note in the log how many you have managed to take
This 4- step (about 600m) multicache tour with 3 caches and one photo stop will lead you to some of the remains of the old 17th century fortified Gothenburg and on the same time give some information about streets and places that remind us of our past.
To find the final chest you have to follow the instructions carefully. It is room for GC in the final chest.
In the 17th century (1630), Gothenburg boasted the most advanced defense system in Europe. It had a water-filled moat, a wall around the entire city, and two fortified towers "Skansen Kronan" and "Skansen Lejonet".
Amsterdam, with its regular blocks and canals with trees and bridges, served as the master plan for the building as the Dutch were the architects and leading the building of the city.
Around the fortified Gothenburg they built a water trench. On the inside there were stonewalls seven meter high.
The city`s fortification were build in a star formation with ten bastilion strongholds against the enemy. Some of these are visible in the channel system today if you look around in the city center or on a map
The fortress served no purpose as it only were threatened by the Danes one time during the period and was demolished during the 18th century.
The material was used to build all the nice stone houses in the city as fire was common in the earlier city with wooden houses.
The catacombs, which were the inter connections between the different parts of the fortification, were discovered anew in 1980 when an architect in Gothenburg, Tor Hermond started some research in the city archives. View the story by clicking on the link below
click here
I made a trip down in the catacombs with him some years ago and had a great experience.
The first cache is placed between two doors which are the entrances to the catacombs of Gothenburg.
This is the remains of bastion Carolus Dux and the fresh water well for the bastion were earlier found in the center of "Sociala huset".
If you joint a trip down in the catcombs you will find a well preserved casemate here.A casemate was a fortified room just on the water line were it was possible to shoot at the enemy
If you look down along the channels you can see that it was possible to shoot along the channels from the star shaped fortifications.
There were as well fortified smaller protection areas called "Raveliner" outside the channel, one called Prince Ulrich is now "Floras kulle", connected to the city with underwater secret passages.
The second stop is close to " Drottning Kristinas jaktslott" which is said to be a place were the soldiers from bastion "Christina Regina" had a beer or two.
click here
The third stop is the door in bastion Carolus Rex XI with coordinates N57 degree 42.146 and East 11 degree 57.397
When you reach "Kungsgatan" (King Street) you can see the high walls.
Stay for a while and imagine the manpower that was required to do this. Here were as well the city west gate.(Carls gate)
Carolus Rex XI is the only remaining part of the fortification that was not torn down.
Here you can take a photo by yourself at the gate. I would appreciate if you attach the photo with your log but it's voluntary to do it.
The room inside was the storage for gunpowder for the guns at Carolus Rex XI and may be for the Artillery on "Arsenalsgatan" which is the fourth and final stop.
From here you can see "Kaponjärsgatan" in Haga which was the connection to the big tower in the distance "Skansen Kronan" in front of you.
The Caponier " Kaponjär" (visible in the top right corner in the drawing above) was a bridge and a fortified wall and used to integrate "Skansen Kronan" to the fortified city. Visit my cache MMT#8 The Caponier
click here
These are just some small steps in the fortified Gothenburg. There are a lot of names and places that remain you about this period. i.e the city Gates on "Kungsportsavenyn, "Gamle Port"," Lilla bommen" but that will be a multicache with 100 stops
If you are interested you can find is a summary of names in the city and where it comes from here.
click here
A very good description of the fortifications and of the city in earlier times can be found on this link.
click here
For more information about guided tours in the catacombs please contact Göteborgs Turistbyrå, phone 031/ 61 25 00
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
1.Phccrefvta ba n fbyvq cvrpr
2 fvta-fvta
3 Cubgb (ibyhagnel)
4 Or ybj (ovt zvpeb)