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P H A S E I : tracking down vacancies
As I found the Castle Gutenberg , one the largest structures of Liechtenstein , nearly unused , I decided to start my journey on and around the castle hill . There were many historical buildings in Balzers , which were abandoned and even many of them were destroyed and replaced with modern buildings . I found already five unused buildings in the Elgagass and many others around the castle . Therefore , I decided to learn more about the history of the castle and the area around it in this first phase .
The castle hill , formed by the last ice age , rises around 50 meters above the Rhine valley . Secured to the west and north by rocks , the hill is only accessible from the east and south , but in the southeast the formerly swampy terrain was also a certain protection . People have used the protected and strategic location on the Rhine for at least 6500 years . From Gutenberg , the trade route leading from southern Germany over the Alpine passes to Upper Italy , including the access to the Luzisteig pass , which was also of military importance , could be controlled . The education centre Gutenberg is located on the southern foothills of the castle hill , which is connected to the “ Runder Büchel ”. The vine terraces and walls on the south side are also ecologically and historically valuable ( Burgmeier and Mayr 2011 ). The Elgagass , where the four considered abandoned historical buildings are located , is leading along the western part of these hills . The history of the castle was the main source of inspiration for the strategy of my project , as it is protected as a historical landmark , but also was upcycled and upgraded many times in history .