Group Excursions: Ruin

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.

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 Churches of St. Stephen and St. Luzi were and are both situated higher than the much more famous cathedral. Remains of the Church of St. Stephen were first discovered during the construction of the cantonal school in 1850.

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.

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.

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

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.

Grasburg was once the home of feudal tyrant Count Amadeus. He oppressed his subjects in every possible way and threw people in the castle dungeons for no reason. A maid finally pushed him into the roaring waters of the River Sense one stormy night.