Les Clées Castle

Les Clées, Switzerland

Chateau des Clées is located above the village. Built probably in the 11th century, it guarded the traffic through the Jougne Pass and collected tolls on the pass road. Les Clées is first mentioned in 1134 when Pope Innocent II tried in vain to prohibit the reconstruction of the castle. 

The chapel of Les Clées was built before the 14th century and rebuilt in 1738-1740.

In 1444 the Duke Louis I of Savoy commissioned the renovations of the walls. During the Burgundian War, on 22 October 1475, Swiss Confederation troops seized and destroyed the city and castle and killed the castle garrison. Under Bernese rule there were three courts in the Les Clées district, one of which was held in the city. Nevertheless, the city gradually lost importance.

Today Les Clées Castle with the surrounding ruins and village is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

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Address

le Château 1, Les Clées, Switzerland
See all sites in Les Clées

Details

Founded: 11th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Switzerland

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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Château d'Yvoire (41,3 km)
Yvoire Medieval Town (41,4 km)
Morges Castle (25,1 km)
Olympic Museum (28 km)
Saint-Maire Castle (26,4 km)

User Reviews

Solinaria (7 months ago)
Seraphima Nickolaevna Bogomolova (12 months ago)
A charming historical place, just a short walk from the Les Clees chapel up the hill. Although the Les Clees Chateau itself is a private property it is possible to walk around its grounds and admire the outer architecture of the restored in the 19th century part and the 12 century ancient stones of the part that lies in ruins. The grounds of the castle are not big, but beautifully maintained, with old trees throwing the shade on the the green lawn with romantically placed here and there garden chairs. The garden chairs are for the residents though, not for the visitors to sit on. There is a nice view from the castle grounds. In 13th century the castle belonged to the Guillaume II, the Count of Geneva. The place possess some air of mystery around it and would be a perfect setting for a romantic mystery book or as a setting for similarly themed movie. At the foot of the hill on which the castle is situated there is an inn with a cafe/restaurant which is also open on Saturday and Sundays, so one can have a quick bit or a bigger meal there.
Marc Pantillon (16 months ago)
Endroit magnifique, plein de charme avec une touche de mystère...
Louise M. (2 years ago)
Das Paradis existiert
Claude Bernard Maeder (5 years ago)
Un lieu magique. Les chevalier y passait pour regoindre les deux versants
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Het Steen

Het Steen is a medieval fortress in the old city centre of Antwerp. Built after the Viking incursions in the early Middle Ages as the first stone fortress of Antwerp, Het Steen is Antwerp's oldest building and used to be its oldest urban centre.

Previously known as Antwerpen Burcht (fortress), Het Steen gained its current name in around 1520, after significant rebuilding under Charles V. The fortress made it possible to control the access to the Scheldt, the river on whose bank it stands. It was used as a prison between 1303 and 1827. The largest part of the fortress, including dozens of historic houses and the oldest church of the city, was demolished in the 19th century when the quays were straightened to stop the silting up of the Scheldt. The remaining building, heavily changed, contains a shipping museum, with some old canal barges displayed on the quay outside.

In 1890 Het Steen became the museum of archeology and in 1952 an annex was added to house the museum of Antwerp maritime history, which in 2011 moved to the nearby Museum Aan de Stroom. Here you’ll also find a war memorial to the Canadian soldiers in WWII.

There are some beautiful plaques on the back side of the Steen Castle at Antwerp. Canadian visitors will especially want to see the plaques thanking the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry for their part in the liberation of Antwerp, in 1944.

At the entrance to Het Steen is a bas-relief of Semini, above the archway, around 2nd century. Semini is the Scandinavian God of youth and fertility (with symbolic phallus). A historical plaque near Het Steen explains that women of the town appealed to Semini when they desired children; the god was reviled by later religious clergy. Inhabitants of Antwerp previously referred to themselves as 'children of Semini'.

At the entrance bridge to the castle is a statue of a giant and two humans. It depicts the giant Lange Wapper who used to terrorise the inhabitants of the city in medieval times.

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