Regensburg Castle (Schloss Regensburg) / Castle Regensburg (Schloss Regensburg)

Regensberg is a small town on a hill in the Zürich Unterland, about twenty kilometres north-west of the city of Zürich, and it is dominated by its castle. The name should not be confused with Regensburg in Bavaria, a much larger city; the Swiss place is Regensberg, with an e, and it takes its name from the family that founded it. The lords of Regensberg were a powerful noble family in the thirteenth century who held lands across what is now northern Switzerland, and around 1244 they built a castle on a limestone ridge and laid out a small fortified town beside it. The location gave long views over the surrounding country and made the castle easy to defend.

The town and castle form a single unit, and the layout still shows it. The Oberburg, or upper castle, is the older part and occupies the crest of the hill, with its distinctive round keep, the Rundturm, which rises above the roofs and can be seen from afar. The round tower is the best-known feature, a cylindrical stone tower from the thirteenth century that was once the core of the defences, and it can be climbed in season for a view across the Furttal valley, toward the Lägern ridge, the hills of the Jura and, on clear days, the Alps. In the courtyard, there is a deep well sunk through the limestone, which gives an idea of the work needed to supply a castle on a rocky height with water. The lower castle, the Unterburg, was built outside the main walls later, in the fourteenth century, and the lower town grew up around it.

The streets of the old town are charming. A central lane runs between the upper and lower sections, lined with half-timbered and plastered houses with steep roofs and flower boxes, and several buildings have preserved medieval or early modern features. The town is very small, with a population of only a few hundred, and it has a quiet, almost village-like air. Because it stands on a hill with few through roads, it has escaped heavy modern development, and walking through it gives a sense of how a small medieval town was arranged. A few small restaurants, a bakery and a gallery offer places to stop, and there is a long-standing tradition of local hospitality.

The castle is looked after by a foundation, which maintains the buildings and uses part of the complex for cultural events, courses and a restaurant, so access to certain parts depends on events and season. The grounds and streets can generally be visited freely, but the tower and interiors have specific opening times, so check the town's website before you travel. A vineyard on the slope below the castle produces local wine, and the surrounding countryside offers walks along the ridge and through woods.

Regensberg suits walkers, history readers and photographers. It is reachable by bus from the nearby railway stations and by car, and parking is limited, so public transport is advisable on busy days. Allow one to two hours for the town and tower. Wear comfortable shoes for steep, cobbled lanes.