And the information had begun to flow.  What he saw below was, to his own awe, the world’s largest brick castle—the ancient Teutonic Knight stronghold of Malbork.  He had made his way to Poland after all.  Construction on the castle had begun in 1309 when the Knight’s Middle East fortress fell in 1271.  The Knights, who promised to struggle against the enemies of Jesus, were invited by Duke Konrad Mazowiecki to protect his lands from the Prussians and Lithuanians.  More recently, the castle, located on the Nogat River, was restored after suffering considerable damage during World War II.  Many portions were now open to tourists.  However, given that the castle contained a labyrinth of secret corridors linking thousands of rooms, many areas were still off limits.  Many such corridors had been the locations of mysterious sightings of ghosts and what were purported to be extraterrestrial lights.  There had even been claims that aliens had used the underground caverns as a base of operations.  Andrew knew that such claims only boosted the tourist trade.  But superstitions aside, Malbork was one of the greatest fortified complexes in Europe.  Despite war damages, magnificent interior decorations had been preserved, including the unique vaulted ceilings, collections of old weapons, china, amber ornaments, and blue clay pottery.  Moreover, the castle was also known as The Fortress of Mary.  As this last bit of trivia faded from his conscious memory, the helicopter made a soft landing in a courtyard behind the tall brick walls, and out of view from the surrounding community.  He felt as if he were entering the belly of the beast.   Malbork is located in Poland, and is the site of the largest Teutonic castle in all of Europe.   Castle Malbork