Medieval castles in Switzerland
Freudenberg Castle Ruins
The Freudenberg castle was one of the largest castles in region. The main castle dates from the first half of the 13th century and consists of a keep with a trapezoid floor plan. The curtain wall was 80m long and 60m wide and protected by a round tower in the southwest corner. The castle was built by the Lords of Wildenberg. Later it was owned by several families and the imperial Austria. Because of a dispute over ...
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Bad Ragaz, Switzerland
Rue Castle
Rue castle was built originally in the 12th century (the keep with three storeys), but the other buildings were destroyed in the 1230s. Peter II of Savoy rebuilt the castle between 1260-1268, but it was again destroyed in 1476 in the Burgundian Wars. The current residence dates from 1619-1763.
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Rue, Switzerland
Rhäzüns Castle
Rhäzüns Castle may be one of the oldest castles in Switzerland. In 960 Emperor Otto I traded a church in in castello Beneduces et Ruzunnes (in the castle of Bonaduz and Rhäzüns) to the Bishop of Chur and a 976 document by Otto II confirms the trade the existence of the castle. Over the following centuries the fortified church became a feudal castle and in 1139 Arnoldus de Ruzunne appears in the records as a Romans ...
Founded: 10th century |
Location:
Rhäzüns, Switzerland
Tschanüff Castle
The oldest part of the Tschanüff castle is the main tower, which was built as a bergfried (a fighting tower without permanent inhabitants) in the 12th century for the Lords of Ramosch. A ring wall was added in the 13th century. On 12 March 1256 Count Meinhard of Tyrol granted the knight Nannes of Ramosch the right to build a castle at Ramosch. Since there was already a fortification, this permission was probably to expan ...
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Valsot, Switzerland
Schauensee Castle
Schauensee Castle was first mentioned in the 13th century in connection with the Knight Rudolf von Schauensee (1257-1317) and was probably built in the 13th century. By the beginning of the 14th century it was already in ruins. At the end of the 16th century, Johannes von Mettenwyl acquired the complex and rebuilt it, retaining only the tower from the original castle. In 1750 it was rebuilt to its current appearance under ...
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Kriens, Switzerland
Wittigkofen Castle
Wittigkofen Castle was originally built as a residence for a farm and was awarded to the followers of the Zähringians. In the mid-13th century Heinricus Wittenchoven managed the farm. He was a member of the council and the first documented feudal superior. The property was also home to the monastery of Interlaken. The castle had several owners and belonged to different families. Beat Ludwig von Mülinen (1521-1597) purch ...
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Bern, Switzerland
Worb Castle
The Freiherr de Worvo was first mentioned in 1127, a couple of years before the village appeared in the record. By the second half of the 13th century the Freiherr von Kien had inherited village, lands and Worb Castle. The family ruled over the Worb Herrschaft until 1336 when they became citizens of Bern and the territory came under Bernese authority. Over the following centuries several Bernese noble families ruled o ...
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Worb, Switzerland
Allaman Castle
Allaman Castle has its origins in the 11 and 12th centuries but the main components were built by Louis, Duke of Savoy, in 1253. The wealthy Genevan philanthropist Count Jean-Jacques de Sellon, who owned the property until 1839, gave accommodation at the castle to political refugees, such as Napoleon"s brother Joseph Bonaparte, Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais, Voltaire, Franz Liszt and George Sand. In 18 ...
Founded: 1253 |
Location:
Allaman, Switzerland
Blonay Castle
Blonay Castle was built around 1175 to the site of fortified building dating from the 11th century. It was built by the Blonay noble family, vassals of Counts of Savoy. The castle was in their hands until 1752 when it was sold to Graffenried family who still owns it.
Founded: 1175 |
Location:
Blonay, Switzerland
Wartensee Castle
The western tower of Wartensee castle was built in 1243 by Ritter Heinrich von Wartensee as a residential tower. By the marriage the tower went in 1377 to the brothers Walter and Diethelm Blarer from St. Gallen. The family Blarer owned Wartensee until 1719. The current appearance dates from the alterations made in 1843-1553 by English composer Robert Lucas Pearsall de Willsbridge. Today Wartensee is a hotel.
Founded: 1243 |
Location:
Rorschacherberg, Switzerland
Ehrenfels Castle
Ehrenfels Castle was probably built in the first half of the 13th century. The first mention of the Lord of Ehrenfels is in 1257. In 1320 it was owned by Burkhard and Rudolf von Schauenstein, who also used the name Ehrenfels or Herrenfels. They probably expanded the simple bergfried with residential space and a ring wall around that time. The castle was first mentioned in 1423 with Hermann von Ehrenfels as the owner. Towa ...
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Sils im Domleschg, Switzerland
Thielle Castle
Thielle Castle was built by Berchtold, the count of Neuchâtel in 1270-1300. In 1320-1325 it was reconstructed in Gothic style and later it got also Baroque elements. In the 19th century the castle was used as prison and restored in 1960-1980s.
Founded: 1270-1300 |
Location:
Gals, Switzerland
Balm Cave Castle Ruins
The Balm ruins are the remains of a fortified cave dwelling in the Jura Mountains, in the municipality of Balm bei Günsberg. It is that canton"s only cave stronghold and one of the few in Switzerland. The stronghold was built 20 metres high in a natural cave of about 20 metres wide and 6 metres deep. The outer wall was provided with two doorways and some narrow windows. The wet rock face was covered with a lining ...
Founded: 11th century |
Location:
Balm bei Günsberg, Switzerland
Beinwil Abbey
Beinwil Abbey was founded in 1085, probably by the local nobility. After conflicts arising from the territorial claims of the towns of Solothurn and Basle against the Counts of Thierstein, who acted as the abbey"s Vögte (lords protectors), it was burnt down in 1445. After Beinwil had been taken over by Solothurn in 1519, the town authorities impounded much of the abbey"s possessions. By the 16th century only ...
Founded: 1085 |
Location:
Beinwil, Switzerland
Frohberg Castle Ruins
The ruins of Frohberg castle is on a rocky ridge at the upper end of the Klus valley on the way to the old Platten pass road. The stronghold at Frohberg was first mentioned in 1292 when Conrad I Schaler 'de Vroberg' was mentioned. It is likely that the castle was built by the Schaler family in the second half of the 13th Century. Although the castle dominated the way across the Platten pass (between Birseck an ...
Founded: 13th century |
Location:
Aesch, Switzerland
Wildenstein Castle
Wildenstein Castle"s first mention was in 1301, with no understanding to when was it made or by whom. The two towers were built around 1350 and the construction or expansion of the palas was made around 1400. The medieval castle was restored as a Baroque residence in 1640 by Hans Thüring Effinger. The restoration work started in 2012.
Founded: 14th century |
Location:
Veltheim, Switzerland
Hochjuvalt Castle
Hochjuvalt Castle consists of two sections, the upper castle on a rocky spur above the valley and the lower castle along the trade road on the valley floor. The spur created a natural pinch point in the valley, forcing traffic from the Septimer, Splügen and San Bernardino Passes to pass through the customs post in the lower castle. The von Juvalt family first appears in records in 1140 and the castle is first mentioned i ...
Founded: 12th century |
Location:
Rothenbrunnen, Switzerland
Burgistein Castle
The first castle at Burgistein was built by Jordan I of Thun (later of Burgistein) in 1260. Jordan III of Burgistein fought on the losing side in the Battle of Laupen in 1339. In retaliation a Bernese army attacked and destroyed the castle in 1340. It was rebuilt in the following years. In 1397 the Burgistein family died out and the castle was inherited by Werner Münzer. Over the following century it passed through nume ...
Founded: 14th century |
Location:
Burgistein, Switzerland
Alt-Bechburg Castle
Alt-Bechburg Castle was built in about 1050 by the barons of Bechburg. The castle was destroyed by fire in 1713 and never rebuilt. Nowadays it is a fine viewpoint. The vast Manna Table (9x11 metres), is a nice place for visitors to the castle to rest a while.
Founded: c. 1050 |
Location:
Holderbank, Switzerland
Wartau Castle
The area around Wartau was first settled around 9000 years ago, culminating in neolithic settlements on the nearby Ochsenberg and Prochna Burg at about 3000 BC. A Merovingian fortress was built at Prochna Burg, but was destroyed around 750. While there are no written records that mention the first owner of the castle or when it was built, the wooden beams in the castle have been dated to about 1225. It was probably ...
Founded: c. 1225 |
Location:
Wartau, Switzerland