Aarburg Castle (Festung Aarburg), Switzerland

Aarburg Castle. Photo: Michaelkuepfert/Wikimedia Commons

Aarburg Castle (Festung Aarburg) is a castle in the municipality of Aarburg in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It is located high above the town Aarburg on a steep, rocky hillside. The castle was built around a medieval castle, which controlled the narrow point on the Aare river and served as the seat of Aarburg Vogt. It is classified as a Swiss heritage site of national significance. Today it houses the Kantonale Jugendheim, for holding and rehabilitating juvenile offenders.

The exact year of construction of the castle is not known. However, it was probably built around 1200 by the Lords of Büron.

The castle was extended in several stages, the first was the rebuilding of the palace in 1470. Subsequent modifications in the 16th century (1534/35) and especially in the 17th Century (1621, 1659–1673) led to the creation of the huge baroque structure.

Aarburg Castle. Photo: Roland Zumbuehl/Wikimedia Commons

On the narrow, elongated ridge, the core of the castle was built. This core consisted of a keep and a tower house from the 13th Century. The keep's walls are 3 to 3.5 metres (9.8 to 11.5 ft) thick, and consist entirely of limestone. The bottom floor has been carved directly from the rock. The tent-like roof was built in 1557. In 1621/22 the castle grew toward the south, with an additional living area and stair tower. On the northeast and west side are the large, heavily fortified buildings. The cell block on the south side was replaced in 1954/55 by a house for the educational staff, but it was built in harmony with the historic buildings.

Address: Staedtchen 37, Aarburg 4663, Switzerland.

It can be visited on Saturdays from April to September. public guided tours start at 2pm in the innercoutyard of the castle. Cost: CHF10; youth und age of 16: free.

Source

• www.wikipedia.org

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