Laufen Castle is a castle in the municipality of Laufen-Uhwiesen in the Swiss canton of Zurich. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance overlooking the Rhine Falls.

The first documented reference to the castle dates to the year 858 when it was the home of the Barons of Laufen. It passed through several owners until the Old Zürich War (1439-1450) when the castle was acquired by the Fulach family, from whom the city of Zurich bought the castle in 1544. Following the Helvetic Republic (1798–1803) the castle was once again in private ownership, with the city of Zurich reacquiring the castle by buying it again in 1941.

The castle now serves as a tourist attraction, and contains a restaurant and a youth hostel. Between 2009 and 2010 a project was undertaken to restore and expand the facilities, including a visitors’ centre situated in the former staff quarters, an exhibition in the northern part of the castle, and a wheelchair-accessible circular walkway with glass lift between castle and river levels. Laufen is overlooking Wörth Castle, on the opposite side of the Rhein river, in the Canton of Schaffhausen.

The Rheinfall railway line passes through a tunnel under the castle, halting at the Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall station to the south of the tunnel and beneath the castle walls. The station is linked to the castle by a walkway.

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Founded: 9th century AD
Category: Castles and fortifications in Switzerland

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4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

eallia yousuf (22 months ago)
the place is not far from Zurich, it is eadily accessible, now the view was fantastic, Laufen Castle gives off medieval vibes, there was a lift to see the falls from above, all and all that was a great experience. The most unforgettable one, the boat ride was also impressive, audio aid was also available on boat
Claudia Hisky (22 months ago)
The most unbelievable waterfall I've seen in my life! Its not the tallest, but the water volume (6000 m3 per sec or 21000 squared gallons per sec) is jaw dropping. If you have a chance to go one level down the street level, you can almost touch the waterfall! The observation desk was built barely 3 feet from it. Also, the ozone and positive, high energy that the waterfall emanates makes every one feel good and recharged. Simply spectacular ?
Ammara Waseem (2 years ago)
I had cream mushroom soup and my friend had risotto. The food was very tasty and freshly made. The customer service was fantastic. The movin pick Ice cream was cherry on the top to finish out trip to rhine falls. Overall, I will go to the cafe when I visit Zurich again. Keep up the great work!
Pius Winteler (2 years ago)
Sadly, we came for lunch around 14:30 and the food was not very good. Better said, it was very below average. The salad was drenched in sauce which tasted same as the one from a supermarket. The open Ravioli ingredients looked fresh-frozen. The roast venison was not very tasty. It had zero structure and the only taste was its artificial sauce. Chesnuts where way too sweet. Side dishes where plain. All in all - everything was full of sugar and had the look and taste as it came from a big, cheap can from Top CC - for 92.- for 2 persons with 1 starter, 2 main course and 2 drinks. Two stars for the ambiente and the service. But I really hope they will ditch the way the cook now for a way which is more in line for their asking price.
Matt (2 years ago)
Well worth the hour ride from Zurich! There are boats that can take you right up to the edge of the waterfall. Otherwise you can roam some walkways and stay on land. It was beautiful. Adjacent to the waterfall are some food options. The sit down restaurant doesn't open until 1pm, but the little deli was great. Beer and sandwiches.
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