The Gothic castlelike fortress, once home to Al Capone and Willie Sutton, is a national historic landmark that closed as a prison in 1971.

Maria Theresa rebuilt the castle on the hill, completing its transformation from medieval bastion to Gothic fortress to Baroque palace.

The inside of the castle is a warren of chambers, halls, passages and stairways that will feed anyone's fantasies about Gothic fortresses.

Viewed from outside, Eastern State resembles a Gothic fortress.

In place of the present castle was built during the Gothic fortress.

Floor plan of the main building of the castle is mostly made up of the original Gothic fortress with 2m of heavy masonry.

The Gothic fortress was changed during the Renaissance era and then in the 19th century within the "Tudor Gothic Passion" period.

This fortified castle became the seat of the Teutonic Order and Europe's largest Gothic fortress.

However, the time of medieval castles was over by the late 16th century and there was no need to maintain Gothic fortresses any longer.

During the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century the castle was remodelled as a Gothic fortress.