Swiss Castles
Castles | Monasteries | Villas
Take a journey to some of Switzerland's most beautiful and historic landmarks.
Picture above is Heidegg Castle
Hello castle lovers, welcome to my guide to Swiss castles, which I have personally compiled for everyone to enjoy. It features some of the most fascinating and historically significant landmarks from across Switzerland. Each castle has its own story to tell, in a beautiful setting, with exhibitions, guided tours and re-enactments for recreational and educational purposes, or simply as an adventurous outing. I hope you enjoy exploring this guide.
All these castles have been visited, photographed and catalogued by myself for this website. This was done on a voluntary basis without any financial support from anyone. Raymond Inauen
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Heidegg Castle ★★★★
A miniature garden paradise with a love of roses and spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and the Alps.
Heidegg Castle sits on its pedestal overlooking 800 years of history, lovingly restored for the enjoyment of all, young and old.
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Meggenhorn Castle ★★★★★
Cinderalla or maybe Snow White, whichever, this castle is for romantic adventures with a happy ending.
Meggenhorn Castle is a fairytale castle perched on a hill overlooking Lake Lucerne, the city of Lucerne, Mount Pilatus, Mount Rigi and the Alps on the horizon.
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Wyher Castle ★★★★
This beautifully restored castle with moat and turrets is now a popular location for weddings and events.
The castle was once owned by Colonel Ludwid Pfyffer, “Roi de Suisse” an important Swiss political figure from the 16th century.
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Spiez Castle ★★★★
Spiez Castle was built in 933 AD and is one of the oldest castles in Switzerland.
Strategically located, the castle with its magnificent view of Lake Thun is now a popular stopover when travelling in the Bernese Oberland.
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Rapperswil Castle ★★★★
Rapperswil Castle stands on the shores of Lake Zurich, dominating the harbour and old town.
Restored in the 19th century, it now houses the Polish Museum and other exhibitions sponsored by the museum.
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Lenzburg Castle ★★★★
This beautifully restored medieval castle is a popular attraction in the Aargau region.
It is also one of the oldest and most important castles in Switzerland, with a long history of counts and dukes living there.
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Chillon Castle ★★★★
Probably the most photographed and visited castle in Switzerland.
Built on a limestone island, Chillon Castle is strategically located with the lake on one side and the stepped slopes on the other.
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Kappel am Albis Monastery ★★★
Probably one of the best kept secrets in the canton of Zurich.
The abbey of Kappel am Albis stands out with its spire over the rolling countryside dotted with small towns and farmland.
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Hallwyl Castle ★★★★
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, – who is the fairest one of all?
The answer is Hallwyl castle with its beautiful moat, presenting the perfect reflection in emerald colors of the castles walls, its turrets and bridge.
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Wildegg Castle ★★★★★
Propped up on a hillside overlooking the river Aare the castle has a commanding view over the entire valley below.
Terraced with vineyards and gardens and a beautifully managed rose garden, the castle invites to discover it’s many facets, inside and out.
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Regensberg Castle ★★★
Located on a hilltop, the original castle walls no longer exist and have been replaced by a ring of buildings that now make up the hilltop town.
All that remains now is a tower that over looks the village below and the fantastic view that extends all the way to the boarders of Germany.
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Einsiedeln Monastery ★★★★★
Einseideln abbey is one of the largest monasteries in Switzerland.
Its imposing church in the Baroque style have made it one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country.
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Kyburg Castle ★★★★★
It’s a picturesque drive up the winding country roads that lead to the small community of Kyburg where the Castle stands overlooking the Töss River.
Located some 3 Km south-east of Winterthur, Kyburg is one of the best know castles in the region and is a Swiss heritage site of national significance
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Mauensee Castle ★★★
This castle is very private and not just privately owned.
The access to the small island is over a wooden bridge that has a very large gate, preventing any unwanted visitors to the island.
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Oberhofen Castle ★★★★★
The influence of many different generations has given this castles its special appearance and style.
After a long history of aristocratic influence the castle was acquired by a wealthy American Lawyer by the name of William Maul Measey in 1925, the last official resident to live there.
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Pfäffikon Castle ★★★
Pfäffikon Castle has a long history under the influential hand of Einsiedeln Monastery and the Lords of Rapperswil.
This stronghold was erected to protect the monasteries income provided by the surrounding properties and lands. Of the former moated castle wall, only the inner tower and its extension remain.
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Schadau Castle ★★★★
Gothic revival in its best form since the turn of the century.
It is situated in the Schaudaupark, and was built between 1846 and 1854 according to the plans of Pierre-Charles Dusillion in the Gothic Revival style, for the banker Abraham Denis Alfred de Rougemont.
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Thun Castle ★★★★
The enchanting atmosphere of the castle and the friendly hospitality of the hotel are just some of the reasons to visit this beautiful place.
Thun Castle sits above the "Altstadt" and Aare River dominating the surrounding landscape with its imposing beautiful white castle walls and 4 turrets.
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Uster Castle ★★★
Nestled on a perch above Uster, the castles tower oversees the Greifensee, the town and the alps.
From a historical aspect Uster castle doesn't have any major importance and can't compete with other larger or more historical castles.
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St. Michael's Monastery ★★★★★
Perched on a small hill that overlooks the town of Beromünster, this monastery is a hidden jewel for treasure seekers that want to discover the truly charming village like atmosphere.
St. Michael is not a tradition monastery where monks live in reclusion but one of active preaching and learning.
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Ritterhaus
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High Speed Internet
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Swiss Castles Day Event
This website is dedicated to discovering some of the best preserved or restored castles that once dominated the landscape of this country. There are over 500 castles and fortresses scattered across a vast landscape, only a few of which have been restored, the rest remaining ruins forever. Many of these fortifications were built along some of the most important trade routes in Europe, while others are simply the homes of the nouveau riche, built over the last 200 years. On this website you will find a small selection of these beautiful places to discover.
Here are all the castle loctions listed from this website.
Definitions
Castle
A castle (from Latin: castellum) is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is distinct from a palace, which is not fortified; from a fortress, which was not always a residence for nobility; and from a fortified settlement, which was a public defence – though there are many similarities among these types of construction. Usage of the term has varied over time and has been applied to structures as diverse as hill forts and country houses. Over the approximately 900 years that castles were built, they took on a great many forms with many different features, although some, such as curtain walls and arrowslits, were commonplace.
Monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which may be a chapel, church or temple, and may also serve as an oratory.
Monasteries vary greatly in size, comprising a small dwelling accommodating only a hermit, or in the case of communities anything from a single building housing only one senior and two or three junior monks or nuns, to vast complexes and estates housing tens or hundreds. A monastery complex typically comprises a number of buildings which include a church, dormitory, cloister, refectory, library, balneary and infirmary. Depending on the location, the monastic order and the occupation of its inhabitants, the complex may also include a wide range of buildings that facilitate self-sufficiency and service to the community. These may include a hospice, a school and a range of agricultural and manufacturing buildings such as a barn, a forge or a brewery.
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity, sometimes transferred to the Church for reuse as a monastery. Then they gradually re-evolved through the Middle Ages into elegant upper-class country homes. In modern parlance, 'villa' can refer to various types and sizes of residences, ranging from the suburban "semi-detached" double villa to residences in the wildland–urban interface.
