Problem Solving in Freefall

Question

_{This is part 16 of the puzzle series Around the World in Many Days. Each part is solvable on its own.}

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Deаr Puzzling,

Ten clues in this crossword contain one extra letter, which must be removed before solving. Based on the location of the removed letter, some cells must then be highlighted in the finished grid. The position of the word containing the extra letter in the clue gives the position of the first highlighted letter of the answer. The position of the extra letter in its word gives the number of successive letters to highlight. For example, if the extra letter is the second letter of the third word in the clue, highlight two letters of the answer starting from its third letter.

Today I have visited a medieval stronghold built at a strategic location which now functions as a museum, in a country I have never visited before. Yes, those still exist! Can you guess where I am?

Love, Gladys.

Solve on Penpa+

Across
1. One very vertical line, perhaps a line on a meteorologist's map? (6)
5. Ways to ward off an aggressive attacker for a Galilean bearing child (6)
6. In a Wachowski film, Che causes great destruction taking too much work (cinema – ultimately, it's intoxicating!) (5)
7. Fruit, one eaten by eking of dwarves (6)
8. Join lewd production (4)
10. Filmmaker Wachowski turned out to be obsessed with accuracy (4)
12. Dead is overcome by crazy lust for Anatolian preacher (2,4)
13. After liberation he was sometimes depicted with the head of a falcon, carrying the sun and a group of stars (5)
14. Many a picture of magician his on the outside (6)
15. Somewhat apathetic and lethargic sport of light (6)

Down
2. Bushman's been given promise of spaying native of the New World (6)
3. Motorist bothered pirate kids in Elliott Heads (5)
4. Partially surround gelders to show circular design (7)
7. Extreme case of despair – Charlie swallowed swine from Italy (7)
9. Award for old film star (6)
11. Bone from a Polynesian capital that's like a bee? (5)

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Gladys will return in Round and Round (the World).

Answer 1

The answer is:

Kaunas Castle in Lithuania

Finished grid:

Once we have that, we can see that it forms:

A game of Tetris! Dropping the two floating groups of blocks into their tessellating positions spells out the answer:

Cryptic answers (Extra letters in bold):

Across

1. One very vertical line, perhaps a line on a meteorologist's map? (6) = I + SO + BAR = ISOBAR

5. Ways to ward off an aggressive attacker for a Galilean bearing child (6) = A I(KID)O = AIKIDO

6. In a Wachowski film, Che causes great destruction taking too much work (cinema – ultimately, it's intoxicating!) (5) = V (for vendetta) + OD (taking too much) + _k _a = VODKA

7. Fruit, one eaten by eking of dwarves (6) = DURI(A)N, ref DURIN

8. Join lewd production (4) = LEWD ~> WELD

10. Filmmaker Wachowski turned out to be obsessed with accuracy (4) = LANA ~> ANAL

12. Dead is overcome by crazy lust for Anatolian preacher (2,4) = ~LUST + PA = ST PAUL

13. After liberation he was sometimes depicted with the head of a falcon, carrying the sun and a group of stars (5) = LIB + RA

14. Many a picture of magician his on the outside (6) = I(MAGE)S

15. Somewhat apathetic and lethargic sport of light (6) => _C AND LE_

Down

2. Bushman's been given promise of spaying native of the New World (6) => S(IOU)AN, see San

3. Motorist bothered pirate kids in Elliott Heads (5) = B_ I_ K_ I_ E_ (Aus slang)

4. Partially surround gelders to show circular design (7) = _ ROUND EL_

7. Extreme case of despair – Charlie swallowed swine from Italy (7) = D...R + ASTI + C = DRASTIC

9. Award for old film star (6) = ddef LAUREL

11. Bone from a Polynesian capital that's like a bee? (5) = APIA is a Polynesian capital, someone originating there is APIAN, and APIAN is also like a bee, so ddef.