Castles & palaces

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Fort de Chillon in Veytaux is considered a newcomer among Switzerland’s museums. What used to be a réduit of the Swiss Armed Forces is now an interactive museum with impressive scenography. The world of experience that this has created provides exciting insights into the world of the military.

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.

One of the three remaining towers on the city walls serves as the Old Town’s southwest entrance and exit. In bygone days, it was on the Ochsenplatz, located just behind the Obertor, that goods were exchanged for the last time before they were taken across the Alps.

With its rust-red exterior, Palazzo Castelmur is one of the landmarks of the Bergell. The exhibition there follows the life of the emigrants from Bergell, who made careers as confectioners all over Europe.

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.

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.

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 name of this fortress is based on its geographical location: the Castello is located on a rock as dark as the feathers of a raven (from dialect “corbatt”).

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 am Rhein since the year 1200. The renovated castle attracts visitors interested in history as well as connoisseurs.

Where history meets the present: the freshly renovated Aarwangen Castle invites you to discover, marvel and linger.

The secrets of time are revealed in a magical place: the 18th-century Château des Monts. An extensive collection covers 500 years of watchmaking history. Unique and surprising exhibits such as automata, mechanical songbirds and pendulum clocks will enchant all visitors.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Montebello Castle is the second-largest castle in Bellinzona. It was built in the late Middle Ages and is often referred to as the “small castle”, “new castle” or “medium-sized castle”.

The Spalentor is the most imposing of the three city gates that were part of the large city fortifications dating back to the year 1400. Many important supplies entered the city of Basel from Alsace through this gate. From here, there is a wonderful view over the roofs of Basel’s old town and the hills of the Jura, the Black Forest and Vosges.

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.