Castles & palaces

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.

The southeastern corner of the former town fortification, the Gunpowder Tower, was built between 1522 and 1532 and was used to store gunpowder. Its external diameter is about 14 m, the inner diameter 8.5 m.

The Castello Visconteo served as the seat of the Visconti Dukes of Milan from 1513 to 1798.

The Spalen Gate is the most imposing of the three surviving city gates that formed part of the fortifications in the 1400s. Many important supply goods for the city, coming from the Alsace region, passed through this gate.

The present name of this highest tower with the strongest walls was taken from the Capuchin monastery that was built in the vicinity in 1595.

Water Castle Hagenwil is one of Switzerland's best preserved water castles.

The locals still think of the ruins as their own Stein Castle. Standing majestically over Baden, it offers a magnificent view of the Old Town.

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.

The castle ruins are the landmark of Ardez.

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.

A picture-perfect medieval town on a small hill with a castle and three totally different museums: In Gruyères, 800-year-old regional history and culture meet Oscar-winning aliens and Buddhist sculptures.

The Water Tower, Chapel Bridge and Musegg Wall dominate the historical skyline of the city of Lucerne. However, the best view of the lake basin can be enjoyed from the path that runs along the Musegg Wall.

The Romans called it Leuca Fortis – “strong Leuk” – and until the 19th century this was one of the ecclesiastical and cultural centres of the Valais. Defiant towers, castles and fine patrician houses bear witness to the former strength, self-confidence and determination of the community. The emblematic Bishop’s Castle (built 1254), town hall, late-gothic St. Stephen’s Church (with its romanesque tower and roman fi replace) and baroque Ringacker Chapel can be seen for miles around.

Hallwyl Castle was built in the 11th century and is one of the foremost water castles in Switzerland located at the northern end of Lake Hallwil on two islands in the Aabach creek near Seengen.

Today, the castle reflects the change from a medieval castle to a patrician residence.

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.

The Domleschg, a region rich in hedgerows and some truly idyllic countryside, is also home to numerous castles and palaces as well as another costly treasure no less worthy of preservation. The countless dry-stone walls that are such a distinctive feature of this area provide a habitat for all kinds of flora and fauna and are one of the main reasons for its diversity. There are numerous advantages to the practice of dry-stone walling. Not only does it clear meadows and fields of troublesome rocks and stones, but it puts these to good use as well. Yet not even these walls are spared the ravages of time!

Short and sweet: A square with four mighty round towers is the best way to describe the architecture of the Château de Morges castle. The landmark of Morges was built in the 13th century by order of Louis of Savoy - and is considered a magnificent example of a typical Savoyard Carré. This special fortress is in addition home to four museums.

Oberhofen Castle with its medieval keep and lake tower is located on the shore of Lake Thun. The castle, which dates back to the early 13th century, houses a living museum. The large castle park is supposed to be one of the most magnificent in the region of the Alps.

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.

The exhibit of the Thurgau History Museum in Frauenfeld Castle describes the eventful 15th century when the borders of today’s Canton Thurgau were formed. An insightful multimedia walk transports you into the fascinating world of knights, monasteries and provincial governors.

Although the Château de Coppet appears to be a museum, it is still inhabited.

The medieval castle above the town of Thun is a striking focal point at the entrance to the Bernese Oberland region. This almost completely preserved symbol of power contains the Knights' Hall, one of the few surviving halls of its type from the Middle Ages.

Hohenklingen Castle has been towering above the charming town of Stein on the Rhine since the year 1200. The renovated castle entices visitors interested in history as well as connoisseurs and epicureans.

Discover the history and culture of the Middle Ages in the Sarganserland Museum. Restaurant on site.

In the heart of the small medieval town of Estavayer stands the Château de Chenaux, looking out over Lake Neuchâtel and the reed beds of the Grande Cariçaie nature reserve.

This medieval castle (11th to 14th century) occupying a commanding position over Lake Neuchâtel is home to an extraordinary collection of weapons and armour, as well as models of the castle and of the celebrated Battle of Grandson (1476), in which Swiss soldiers defeated the army of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.

A large variety of delectable wines are ready for tasting in the wine cellar at Château de Villa. A delicious Raclette dinner at the restaurant is a perfect conclusion to a superb evening.

North-east of Balsthal rises the Neu-Falkenstein ruin, built by the Bechburgs in the 12th century.

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.

For many centuries this feudal building was home to the noble Heidegg family - whereas today it houses the history and culture center of the Seetal valley. A living museum in which you learn stories and customs of aristocratic families, with the spirit of the past further rekindled with a stroll in the large park with its beautiful rose garden.