Group Excursions: Castles

Leuk Castle, located in the municipality of Leuk in Valais, is a historical landmark dating back to the 12th century. Surrounded by picturesque vineyards and mountains, it combines medieval architecture with modern use as a cultural center for exhibitions and events.

There are so many legends and historical tales associated with this building, its inhabitants, and its destruction in 1499. The castle was the ancestral home of the barons of Vaz.

A little over 300 years old, Sins Castle in Paspels is located in the middle of orchards just below Altsins Castle and has its own baroque gardens.

Reichenau Castle boasts a spectacular setting on the confluence of the Upper and Lower Rhine. The historic building is now being used by the Tscharner family as a winery.

Hohenklingen Castle has been towering above the charming town of Stein am Rhein since the year 1200. The renovated castle attracts visitors interested in history as well as connoisseurs.

Château de Villa in Sierre, an old patrician residence dating back to the 17th century, houses a wine shop and a speciality restaurant. Not just a range of rustic local dishes, but also over 650 wines from the various Valais vines are waiting to be discovered.

In the heart of the small medieval town of Estavayer-le-Lac stands the Château de Chenaux, overlooking Lake Neuchâtel and the reed beds of the Grande Cariçaie nature reserve.

The castle at the foot of the Calanda is the highlight of Haldenstein. When the roses flower in the spring, the castle garden is a visual and olfactory feast.

Schloss Valangin is a medieval castle that has succeeded in maintaining its character as defensive fortress over the years. And its interior naturally reminds one of times long gone by.

The mediaeval castle has had an eventful history. First badly damaged by an earthquake, it only became really well known after the Saffron War. In 1798, the angry rural population set the castle on fire, after which the ruins were left to their fate and to crumble away.

The Château de Prangins was built in the 18th century by Louis Guiguer, a Swiss banker living in Paris, and has hosted illustrious guests from Voltaire to Joseph Bonaparte.Overlooking Lake Geneva, this beautiful listed building is home to the Swiss National Museum.

In the heart of Switzerland, just a stone’s throw from the capital Bern and set amid a paradisiacal park, lies Baroque Castle Jegenstorf. Inside, the former Bernese patrician country estate boasts all kinds of treasures and gems, with tales to take visitors of all ages on a magical journey back in time.

Versailles in miniature: this magnificent palace was built in 1696 by Charles de Chandieu, an officer in the French army, in the French classical style. You’ll see families of ducks enjoying themselves on the pond.

Hagenwil Castle is one of the best preserved moated castles in Switzerland and was first mentioned in the 13th century. For over 200 years, it has been owned by the Angehrn family, who run a restaurant in the castle and produce their own wine.

Schadau Castle was built between 1846 and 1854 for the Neuchâtel banker Denis Alfred de Rougemont. The location of the castle, on the southern banks of Lake Thun where the River Aare flows out of the lake, and with its views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, is almost as attractive as the architecture itself.

A visit to the vine and wine museum in the imposing Château de Boudry is a must for all wine enthusiasts. This region has been home to vineyards and winegrowers for over two thousand years. Of the six million litres of wine produced in the Neuchâtel vineyards in the 17th and 18th centuries, around four million were consumed in the region itself.

The ruined castle of Steinsberg with the remains of the St Lucius chapel is a well-known landmark in Ardez. The ruin occupies a dominant position on a rocky outcrop on the edge of the village and offers an ideal vantage point. The model village in the Lower Engadin is under European protection as an historical monument.

Vullierens Castle, together with its magnificent gardens and sculpture park, constitutes one of Switzerland’s most remarkable heritage sites with a superb 180° view of the Alps, Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva.

The fortifications of Bellinzona are an extraordinary example of a late-medieval defensive structure located at a key strategic point on the Alpine pass. The castles of Bellinzona are among the most marvelous examples of medieval fortified architecture in the Alps.

Ten years ago the region started to revive the old tradition of viticulture and has produced its own wine ever since.

The castle ruin of Castello Mesocco sits on a rock outcrop in the Italian-speaking southern Mesolcina Valley (Misox).

The chateau stands on the shores of Lake Geneva in the heart of Lavaux and played an important role in the history of the canton of Vaud. It is also a winery that is allowed to carry the “Saint-Saphorin” designation of origin.

The Wyher Moated Castle was first mentioned in 1304. Several families of minor nobility held sway over Wyher in the High Middle Ages, including the influential Feer and Pfyffer families from Lucerne.

Winery and Castle Salenegg are inextricably linked. Since 1068 prized wines are grown, harvested and processed naturally in one of Europe’s oldest wineries.

The former moated castle was the tranquil residence of noble families for many centuries. If you’d like to visit the castle today, you can do so as part of a museum tour.

How did people live in days of old when knights were bold? The eventful history of the castle acts as a prism through which you can learn a lot about the region and the people who have lived here for centuries.

The well-preserved castle of Neuchâtel, which is over 1,000 years old and from which the city gets its name, towers above the small city of Neuchâtel. From here, you have the best view for miles.

Founded around 1250 as a place to hold meetings and as a prison, Rätia Ampla Castle in Riom has been one of the most idiosyncratic cultural amenities in the Alps since 2006. Currently used as a theatre, the castle hosts the largest theatre and culture festival in Graubünden: the Origen Festival Cultural.

Laupen Castle towers high above the medieval town of the same name at the confluence of the rivers Sense and Sarine. The splendid fortress is the emblem of the region, and a protected monument of national importance.

The enchanting Château de Pleujouse in the Jura could also have served as a location for filming the “Game of Thrones” TV series. Far from the madding crowd, you can dine in style in the centuries-old castle.

For around 1,000 years, Alt-Bechburg has towered over the Solothurn municipality of Holderbank from its position on a rocky outcrop. The well-preserved castle ruins not only offer a wonderful view, but also afford the opportunity to visit the remains of the curtain wall, the tower, the outer bailey and the gatehouse.