Laufen Castle

Laufen-Uhwiesen, Switzerland

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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Address

Rheinfallweg, Laufen-Uhwiesen, Switzerland
See all sites in Laufen-Uhwiesen

Details

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

More Information

www.zuerich.com
en.wikipedia.org
www.schlosslaufen.ch

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Wörth Castle (0,3 km)
Munot Castle (2,9 km)
Allerheiligen Abbey Church (2,6 km)
Rheinau Abbey (3,9 km)


Wasserkirche (34,6 km)
Grossmünster (34,5 km)
Fraumünster (34,6 km)
St. Peter's Church (34,4 km)
Swiss National Museum (33,6 km)
Lindenhof Hill (34,2 km)
Predigerkirche (34,1 km)
St. George's Abbey (18,5 km)
Rapperswil Castle (52,2 km)

User Reviews

Luciana Oliveira (15 months ago)
An inspiring place with a beautiful swiss architecture. The waterfalls are breathtaking! This place breathes peace. There are also lots of outdoor activities for kids. If you stop by, make sure to taste the local grilled sausages, served outside the castle. They are delicious!
rxrify (17 months ago)
My wife and I have had our wedding there around a year ago. All I can say is that the place is absolutely fantastic. With the Rheinfall in the background you have a stunning view, not to mention the beauty of the castle itself. The Restaurant staff was simply amazing in helping us organize and have a magical wedding. We went back for our first wedding day and again, the staff was extremely friendly and took great care of us. The food is also amazing, the kitchen staff knows what they're doing and you can taste they are doing it very well. I cannot recommend this place and its personnel enough!
Anıl Özcan (18 months ago)
A magical old castle turns to a good restaurant! It's just near the beautiful Rhinefall. The place is nice,view is amazing and the ambiance is outstanding! It was well decorated in winter. I like the garden. It's the best place if you are hungry around Rhinefall. I recommend...
Dr Mustafa (18 months ago)
Beautiful tourist destination. It is about half an hour from Zurich by road and very easily access. Plenty of free parking and there is a pleasant walk to the falls. A small charge of five francs per adult and three francs for children to access the viewing platforms and castle.
Giovanni Miranda (2 years ago)
Great magic and amazing place! A must to all who visit Switzerland. This fall has history and been an inspiration to many... don’t forget to visit the tiny town, church, cemetery and if you can make a reservation in the restaurant. Amazing food and service there.
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Externsteine Stones

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The Externsteine gained prominence when Völkisch and nationalistic scholars took an interest in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This interest peaked under the Nazi regime, when the Externsteine became a focus of nazi propaganda. Today, they remain a popular tourist destination and also continue to attract Neo-Pagans and Neo-Nazis.

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