A fortified priory - Löwenburg
Overview
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Intro
Now a farm, the Löwenburg estate occupies a large forest clearing overlooking the River Lützel where the Canton of Jura borders France. It was formerly a fortified monastic complex. Following exemplary restoration, it now spirits visitors back to the time of its construction in the sixteenth century.
This former priory stands at a secluded spot in the middle of a cleared plateau bounded on three sides by slopes that descend abruptly to the River Lützel. It was originally the site of a farming estate belonging to Löwenburg Castle, whose ruins can still be viewed on a nearby hillock. In the fourteenth century, the castle passed to the Cistercian Lucelle Abbey in neighbouring Alsace. From 1585 onwards, while the castle gradually fell into decay, an abbot set about adding extensions and fortifications in order to convert it into a priory. As a dependency of Lucelle Abbey, however, it was dissolved in the nineteenth century. The only part of the fortifications still standing is the gateway tower.
The estate is split into two halves and partly walled. The elongated southern section comprises the monastic and administrative buildings, which are set in spacious gardens, as well as the chapel. It also includes a dairy, farmhouse and guest accommodation plus the imposing gateway. A square with a well separates this part from the northern section, which consists purely of large agricultural buildings.
Since 1956, the estate – now expertly restored – has been owned by the Basel-based Christoph Merian Foundation, which converted it into an agricultural business.
Trip tip
With over 300 hectares of forests, meadows and pastures, Löwenburg is the Christoph Merian Foundation's biggest farming estate. Löwenburg's history is presented in a museum.
ISOS
ISOS is the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance. The inventory is maintained by the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) and lists the most significant settlements in Switzerland. Today, some 1,200 places are included in the inventory, from hamlets right through to cities. The inventory provides information on the development and identity of the settlements listed in it, thereby contributing to the preservation of architectural diversity in Switzerland and promoting both sustainable planning and a high-quality Baukultur.
