Evening walk in Serta

I knew from riding through town that Serta was well worth a little foot time to explore and decided that no matter how tired I was, i needed to see more of this place.

I started out on the boardwalk along the river. Really a nice riverfront with shops, cafes and park space.

The riverfront boardwalk in the center of town.

Before long, i noticed this while i was walking the boardwalk.

Castle or at least ruins?

Of course, that meant i had a hill to climb, because i had to know more. My first attempt on the southwest side of the castle led to a dead end in a parking lot, but it did offer a better view of the walls.

View from the parking lot on the SouthWest side of the castle.

Clearly, the castle was well placed, as the hill it was built on is the highest point in the mountain valley that surrounds it, giving a clear view of the land on all sides.

Old town on the same hill looking west from the castle.

View near the castle of the river in the valley to the NorthWest.

Looking Northeast at the mountains that ring the valley.

I eventually found a set of stairs on the north side of the castle that allowed me entry.

Gates at the entry of the castle. Note the shape of the cross.....Dan Brown would know.

900 year old Templar castle with an anecdotal story on how the town was named, what a great find.

What is left from the castle courtyard.

Castle courtyard and walls. Hard to believe they are still in this shape after 900 years.

This made the effort to go out and explore 100% worth it for me. As Canadians, we just dont have sites like this. There is no charge to visit this site. It is maintained by the town and open to anyone to visit. This is how Kate ends up getting 30,000 steps on her Iphone counter when we go walking in Europe together.