European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 2, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Dismantled. After an Effort of 16 years some of them were removed but to destroy the others would mean demolishing the City itself. Even today owners of some houses use bits of the casimates As wine cellars. About 11 Miles of these underground defences remain. Some of them have several Levels connected by staircases descending More than 120 feet. They served not Only As shelters for soldiers and Cannon but also contained workshops kitchens even Slaughter houses. Visitors can walk through sections of the Bock casimates and the Petrusse casimates. The Bock casimates Are reached by a stairway of rough Stone  winds and winds to a passageway leading under a Bridge in Case the Bridge was blown up. The grand chamber is most handsome a series of Low Arches lit artificially and by the Sun coming through the loopholes. These loopholes Are not Dinky Little squints in the Rock Good Only for arrows or rifles. They Are big holes scooped out for Cannon. Today they give onto some of the Best views in the City. Beside the entry to the Bock Are the remnants of Siegfried s old Castle turned into a Monument to the millennium of the City. The corniche Europe s Lovliest Balcony starts beside the Bock entry. A stroll along this path gives Ever varying perspectives Over the Grund and the Rivers. The corniche offers