- Type
- Ruin
- Origins
- 1020 · 11th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Aargau, Switzerland
- Coordinates
- 47.4625°, 8.1807°
History
The castle was built around 1020–1030 by Count Radbot, ancestor of the Habsburgs, with the involvement of Bishop Werner of Strasbourg. The family took its name from the castle, which is usually derived from Habichtsburg, the "hawk's castle". By the 13th century the Habsburgs had moved to more comfortable residences, and in 1273 Rudolf I became King of the Romans, launching the dynasty's great career. From then on the castle was run by their vassals, and in 1415, when Bern conquered the Aargau, the dynasty lost it for good. It has belonged to the canton of Aargau since 1804; the eastern part fell into ruin, while the western part with the keep and the residential building was restored.
What to see
What survives is the western part, with a massive square keep and a residential building that now houses a restaurant. The keep contains a small exhibition on the family's history, and its top offers views over the Aare and Reuss valleys and the hills of the Jura. The walls of the eastern part, uncovered during excavations, are marked out on the ground. Nearby, at Königsfelden, stands a monastery founded by the Habsburgs in the 14th century.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q317096
Popularity: articles about this site in 37 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).