Laufen Castle (Switzerland)

Running Castle is a castle in the municipality of Laufen-Uhwiesen in the outer office of the district Andelfingen, the Zürcher Weinland in the north of the canton of Zurich in Switzerland.

Location

The castle is perched on a cliff high above the Rhine Falls and offers a view over the Rhine and the waterfall. From the castle, a footpath leads to Känzeli where the visitor can view the Rhine Falls up close. Just below the castle there is a stop on the SBB where the S33 from Winterthur to Schaffhausen holds in the summer. In winter, this stop is not used.

History

The first written mention of the castle dates from running 858 AD The castle was the ancestral home of the Barons of running. The lord of the castle or its Vogt was responsible for the advocacy of the neighboring communities, while the basic rule belonged to the Bishop of Constance. In 1544, the Zurich city acquired the lock. Under the reign of Zurich from 1544 to 1547 major structural changes have been made over the years. During the Helvetic Republic took to the French invasion of 1798, the feudal system came to an abrupt end. The castle was leased in 1845 and came into private ownership. In 1941 the castle was owned by running the Canton of Zurich. Today, the castle houses a restaurant and a hostel.