Gruyères Castle, Gruyères, Switzerland

The Castle of Gruyères is one of the most famous in Switzerland. It was built between 1270 and 1282, following the typical square plan of the fortifications in Savoy. It was the property of the Counts of Gruyères until the bankruptcy of the Count Michel in 1554. His creditors the cantons of Fribourg and Bern shared his earldom. From 1555 to 1798 the castle became residence to the bailiffs and then to the prefects sent by Fribourg.

In 1849 the castle was sold to the Bovy and Balland families, who used the castle as their summer residency and restored it. The castle was then bought back by the canton of Fribourg in 1938, made into a museum and opened to the public. Since 1993, a foundation ensures the conservation as well as the highlighting of the building and the art collection.

The castle is the home of three capes of the Order of the Golden Fleece. They were part of the war booty captured by the Swiss Confederates (which included troops from Gruyères) at the Battle of Morat against Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy in 1476. As Charles the Bold was celebrating the anniversary of his father's death, one of the capes is a black velvet sacerdotal vestment with Philip the Good's emblem sewn into it.

A collection of landscapes by 19th century artists Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Barthélemy Menn and others are on display in the castle.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Svetlomir Damyanov (7 months ago)
Do not miss this place in Gruyeres.

Daniel K. Schneider (7 months ago)
All together it's a fairy tale kind of scenery if the weather is nice. The castle itself is also nice to visit. It has 19th century paintings within medical walls. The little town is ok if you do near fear tourist crowds. Visit the h.r. Higher museum for some contrast (but without your children).

Yaye Ba (7 months ago)
Authentic medieval castle with 1800s remodeling (visit for a family of 4 with 3 and 6 years old = 25chf) . Perhaps would be worth getting an audio guide for the visit and a bit more details on how the Inhabitants lived in various eras of the castle's history. Lovely strolle through the tiny médiéval village, several very nice restaurant options with terraces and gorgeous views over the dramatic mountain landscape Totally worth a day trip from Geneva if also visiting the Cailler House which provides for a nice informative visit with special visual and olfactive effects!

Alex Haas (8 months ago)
Ok, we didn't go inside the castle (was closed at that time due to some sneaky virus that took over the world). But we were surprised to learn that most of the grounds in and around the castle were open and free to roam around. You can walk around the gardens, get up to the walls, walk around the castle itself (except for a small section). The castle itself is well preserved and well taken care of. The views are amazing with the mountains and countryside in the back. And the track around the castle is a nice little stroll. Lots of photo ops, some benches to take a break underneath a tree. It's a fantastic castle in a charming old town. Either you go inside or not, this is a place not to be missed.

Marc Steigerwald (8 months ago)
Beautiful small town located amids a dramatic landscape. Really worth a stop to take a stroll and enjoy a delicious cheese fondue.

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Lednice Castle

The first historical record of Lednice locality dates from 1222. At that time there stood a Gothic fort with courtyard, which was lent by Czech King Václav I to Austrian nobleman Sigfried Sirotek in 1249.

At the end of the 13th century the Liechtensteins, originally from Styria, became holders of all of Lednice and of nearby Mikulov. They gradually acquired land on both sides of the Moravian-Austrian border. Members of the family most often found fame in military service, during the Renaissance they expanded their estates through economic activity. From the middle of the 15th century members of the family occupied the highest offices in the land. However, the family’s position in Moravia really changed under the brothers Karel, Maximilian, and Gundakar of Liechtenstein. Through marriage Karel and Maximilian acquired the great wealth of the old Moravian dynasty of the Černohorskýs of Boskovice. At that time the brothers, like their father and grandfather, were Lutheran, but they soon converted to Catholicism, thus preparing the ground for their rise in politics. Particularly Karel, who served at the court of Emperor Rudolf II, became hetman of Moravia in 1608, and was later raised to princely status by King Matyas II and awarded the Duchy of Opava.

During the revolt of the Czech nobility he stood on the side of the Habsburgs, and took part in the Battle of White Mountain. After the uprising was defeated in 1620 he systematically acquired property confiscated from some of the rebels, and the Liechtensteins became the wealthiest family in Moravia, rising in status above the Žerotíns. Their enormous land holdings brought them great profits, and eventually allowed them to carry out their grandious building projects here in Lednice.

In the 16th century it was probably Hartmann II of Liechtenstein who had the old medieval water castle torn down and replaced with a Renaissance chateau. At the end of the 17th century the chateau was torn down and a Baroque palace was built, with an extensive formal garden, and a massive riding hall designed by Johann Bernard Fischer von Erlach that still stands in almost unaltered form.

In the mid-18th century the chateau was again renovated, and in 1815 its front tracts that had been part of the Baroque chateau were removed.

The chateau as it looks today dates from 1846-1858, when Prince Alois II decided that Vienna was not suitable for entertaining in the summer, and had Lednice rebuilt into a summer palace in the spirit of English Gothic. The hall on the ground floor would serve to entertain the European aristocracy at sumptuous banquets, and was furnished with carved wood ceilings, wooden panelling, and select furniture, surpassing anything of its kind in Europe.

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