Werdenberg Castle (Schloss Werdenberg)

Schloss Werdenberg, Werdenberg Castle, stands above the tiny town of Werdenberg in the St. Gallen Rhine valley, near the border with Liechtenstein. It was founded in the High Middle Ages and has a more than seven-hundred-year history, and it is the visual centre of what is often described as the smallest town in Switzerland, a cluster of old timber houses on the shore of a small lake at the foot of the castle hill. The setting is picturesque and unusual, with water, hillside and houses forming a compact scene that has remained largely intact.

The castle was built in the 13th century by the Counts of Werdenberg, a branch of the Montfort family who ruled lands in the upper Rhine valley, and it served as the seat of the lordship. The counts founded the little town at its foot to support the castle and to control the route along the valley, and the town’s modest size reflects its original function as a small administrative and trading centre. In the late Middle Ages, the lordship passed through several hands, and from the early 16th century it was administered by bailiffs sent from the canton of Glarus, who lived in the castle until the end of the old Swiss Confederation in 1798. After that it came under the canton of St. Gallen, which still owns it.

Today the castle is a museum and cultural centre. The rooms show the history of the lordship and its rulers, with displays on the counts, the Glarus bailiffs and everyday life in the region, and the building itself, with its thick walls, vaulted rooms and views from the battlements, is part of the exhibition. The castle is also used for concerts, exhibitions and events, which add to its role as a living centre of local culture. From the walls, you look out over the lake and the town roofs, across the Rhine Valley and toward the peaks of the Alpstein and the Liechtenstein Alps.

Below the castle, the timber house settlement is the other great attraction. Narrow lanes lined with old wooden houses, some dating back several centuries, make a short walk, and the church of the town adds to the historic scene. The lake beside the town, the Werdenbergersee, is a quiet body of water with reeds and birds, and a path leads around it. The castle’s opening times are limited to certain days of the week and seasons, so check them before you go.

The castle suits history lovers, photographers and families who like castles, and the town makes a good stop between Buchs and the Alpstein. Allow an hour for the castle and another for the town and lake.