Swiss castles

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 special museum in Romont, the Swiss Glass Museum, exhibits works of art that have been created on and behind glass. The exhibits range from Medieval glass paintings to the art of reverse glass painting. Romont houses the world's largest collection of the latter.

This unique moated castle is located on the northern edge of the village of Utzenstorf in the Swiss Plateau and is surrounded by a vast English-style garden. It dates back to the 17th century and was once the seat of the Bernese bailiwick.

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.

Sargans Castle, which also houses the Sarganserland Museum, is certainly well worth a visit. There’s plenty to discover about the culture and history of the Sarganserland in the 900-year-old tower of the castle.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

The castle on Lake Thun stands in a delightful park surrounded by venerable old trees.

Castle A Pro is one of the most beautiful late Gothic pond houses in Switzerland. The magnificent interior houses exhibition rooms for art and minerals as well as a restaurant.

This international award-winning museum offers a rich variety of insights into castle life over the last 800 years.

Located in the centre of today's city of Yverdon-les-Bains, the castle has undergone many transformations over the centuries.

Waldegg Castle is rightly considered the most beautiful country manor of the Solothurn patriciate. Here, where ambassadors and the aristocracy once went in and out, visitors can immerse in the same bygone world today - and learn of a time when Solothurn was the seat of the French ambassadors with the aid of a modern, multimedia guide.

There’s so much to do in Burgdorf Castle, with its unique combination of museum, restaurant and youth hostel. The new museum has many exciting things to reveal about the region and the wider world, while you can dine in a stately setting in the castle restaurant and then spend the night in the castle’s youth hostel. Live like the knights and damsels of old…

The people of Brig are proud of the Stockalper Palace, which was built in the 17th century by Kaspar Stockalper. Visiting the cellars, arcades and halls of the palace, then dreaming in the palace garden under rose bushes, enjoying the view of the monastery, the Jesuit church and Brig's Old Town with their towers - simply delightful!. In the palace halls are wallpaper and silk-paintings designed in Paris in the 18th century.

Experience 800 years of history in the town‘s unparalleled architectural environment and in the museums of Werdenberg.

On the edge of the old town, Zug Castle is the oldest still preserved profane building in Zug and is a landmark of the city. With its many nooks and crannies, Zug Castle has been home to the museum of cultural history for the city and the Canton of Zug since 1983.

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.

Chillon Castle is located on a rock on the banks of Lake Geneva. The water castle is the most visited historic building in Switzerland. For nearly four centuries Chillon was the residence and profitable toll station of the Counts of Savoy.

Dating back to the 13th century, the castle is now a museum covering eight centuries of regional architecture, history and culture, and sits amidst a wonderfully scenic panorama. The Gruyères region is also steeped in legends: You’ll soon be familiar with La Belle Luce, John the Cripple, the jester Chalamala and the heroic women of Gruyères who used their goats as weapons.