Castles & palaces

The Wyher Moated Castle was first mentioned in 1304. Several families of minor nobility held sway over Wyher in the High Middle Ages, including the influential Feer and Pfyffer families from Lucerne.

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.

The chateau stands on the shores of Lake Geneva in the heart of Lavaux and played an important role in the history of the canton of Vaud. It is also a winery that is allowed to carry the “Saint-Saphorin” designation of origin.

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

Ten years ago the region started to revive the old tradition of viticulture and has produced its own wine ever since.

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.

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.