- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 1659 · 17th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Aargau, Switzerland
- Coordinates
- 47.3215°, 7.9011°
History
A stronghold on the rock above the narrows of the Aare is indirectly recorded in 1123; it passed between the Counts of Frohburg and the Lords of Büron, and the oldest surviving parts – the limestone keep and palace – date from the 13th century. In 1299 the Frohburgs sold the castle and its district to the Habsburgs, and after Bern conquered the Aargau in 1415 Bernese bailiffs took up residence here. Between 1659 and 1673 Bern turned it into an artillery fortress more than 400 metres long, meant to guard the link between the Protestant cities of Bern and Zurich; from 1666 it held a permanent garrison, and part of it served as a prison for political opponents. The fortress was handed over to the French without a fight in 1798, and from 1804 it belonged to the canton of Aargau, which used it as an arsenal and prison. Since 1893 it has housed a cantonal institution for young offenders, the first of its kind in Switzerland.
What to see
The fortress is still home to the cantonal youth home, so the site can only be seen on guided tours; public walks around the historic defences take place on Saturday afternoons in the summer season, and other dates can be arranged with the institution. Much of the tour is outdoors, along the bastions and courtyards. Parking by the fortress is very limited, but it is a short walk from Aarburg station, and the town below gives a good view of the long line of the walls.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q673786
Popularity: articles about this site in 15 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).