Upper Castle (Oberburg) / Upper Town (Oberstadt)

Regensberg is a small hilltop town in the Zurich Unterland, and its upper end is dominated by the Oberburg, the Upper Castle, which stands at the highest point of the ridge spur on which the whole settlement sits. Regensberg should not be confused with the German city of Regensburg. The real Regensberg lies north of Zurich, on the slope of the Lägern, where the Jura chain ends.

The Oberburg is the older core of the settlement. The barons of Regensberg built their castle here in the thirteenth century as the seat of their lordship, and they laid out a town beside it. The castle's round keep still rises above the rooftops and can be seen from the surrounding valleys, which is exactly what its builders intended: a visible sign of power over the nearby roads and farmland. After the barons faded from the scene, the castle served as the seat of a bailiff of the city of Zurich until the late eighteenth century. Today the buildings are used in modern ways, and the tower is the most accessible element for visitors.

The Oberstadt, the upper town, is the part of Regensberg that people photograph. A long, narrow street runs along the crest, lined with half-timbered and stone houses that have been carefully maintained, and the street widens at points into small squares with fountains. The effect is one of unusual harmony: the houses are of different ages, but the scale and materials fit together. The town is listed among the Swiss heritage sites of national importance, and its protection means that new building is strictly controlled.

Views are a major attraction. From the edge of the upper town, the ground falls away steeply, and the view takes in vineyards on the slopes, the villages of the Furttal and Wehntal, and on clear days the line of the Alps. A walk along the ridge toward the Lägern summit offers longer outlooks and good hiking.

Regensberg is easily reached from Zurich by train to Dielsdorf and then bus, and the town suits an unhurried half day. Cafés and wine producers in the village offer refreshment, and a walk through both the upper and lower town completes the picture.