Altenklingen Castle, Wigoltingen, Switzerland

There has been a fort in the site of current Altenklingen castle since around 1200. It was owned by the Barons of Klingen until 1395. After the last owner of Klingen family was killed in battle the castle changed hands several times.

Leonard Zollikofer (1529-1587) demolished the old castle and commissioned architect Mathäus Höbel from Kempten im Allgäu to build a new one. Today it is still privately owned by the family.

User Reviews

Emil Germann (14 months ago)
Always beautiful

Daniel Eberle (15 months ago)
Very nice castle. Private.

Alert ! (17 months ago)
Fits well for a short excursion. Can only be seen from the outside. There is a ruin nearby. Let's see there too.

Stewart Finney (2 years ago)
I went there with Chase Wilson, an American descendent of the Zollicoffer family. We spent a full day driving across the country to visit the castle (chase even got a speeding ticket). We got there and politely approached a lady moving a laundry basket and Chase told her we traveled from America to see the family castle. She completely blew him off and mumbled “anyone could say that”. Still nice on the outside and pet deer fenced in.

florian walkhoff (2 years ago)
Nice little castle

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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.

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