Chateau de Chillon

Cool little castle built out onto Lake Geneva (AKA Lac Leman). Lord Byron used to hang out there and write poems and stuff. He carved his name on a pillar down in the dungeon (see photo). They put a little glass thing over it because other people started carving their names on the pillar without the proper literary credentials. Evidentially the curators of the castle didn't want "Lord Byron: Poet" to be confused with "Larry Biron: Tourist from Wisconsin."

The pillar is where Byron was inspired to write "The Prisoner of Chillon" after hearing the true story of a monk being imprisoned there centuries earlier. Turns out the monk had been chained a few pillars down (MORON!). This knowledge, of course ruined the poem for me, and gave me an excuse to not read the whole thing (it's quite long).