Clan Rising
Kropfenstein Castle today

Switzerland · Partial ruin

Kropfenstein Castle

Kropfenstein Castle is a medieval cave castle in the municipality of Waltensburg/Vuorz in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. Built into an overhanging cliff and occupied from the 13th into the 15th century, its three-storey stone works and embrasures remain visible and it is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1312

Its prime

1350

Today

Partial ruin

As it stood in 1350

What Kropfenstein Castle looked like in its prime.

Built directly against an overhanging rock ledge, Kropfenstein is a three-storey cave castle whose irregular stone masonry follows the cliff edge. The façade is cut into the bluff with narrow chambers opening from the rock, and rectangular embrasures are visible on the upper two floors. Access is by a narrow east path cut into the rock with a low parapet. The western section broadens to roughly six metres with larger rooms, while an eastern room is only about two metres wide.

Its story

The story of Kropfenstein Castle.

Kropfenstein is a cave castle, built into an overhanging cliff at Waltensburg/Vuorz in Graubünden and occupied from the thirteenth into the fifteenth century. By the fourteenth century the Counts of Kropfenstein begin to appear in the historical records, apparently adopting the castle's name when they took up residence there; beyond the lands around the castle, they kept close relations with the Herrschaft of Rhäzüns.

The three-storey stone works and embrasures remain visible in the cliff face, and the site is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

Step inside

6 places to explore in 1350.

The record describes 6 distinct spots at Kropfenstein Castle, including 2 interiors: eastern narrow store room, western living quarters and kitchen area. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

East approach: rock-cut path and parapetView of cliff-face castleUpper floors with embrasuresEastern narrow store roomWestern living quarters and kitchen areaOverhanging rock canopy and roofline

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Whose castle

Clans who held Kropfenstein Castle.

The families that held Kropfenstein Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Kropfenstein

    The Counts of Kropfenstein, who took their name from the castle when they took up residence, held it from the 14th century.

Questions about Kropfenstein Castle

What is the history of Kropfenstein Castle?

Kropfenstein Castle was built as a residence for an established family in the early fourteenth century. The Counts of Kropfenstein adopted the castle’s name when they took up residence there, and maintained close relations with the Freiherren of Rhäzüns. Their family died out towards the end of the fifteenth century, after which the castle began to fall into disrepair.

What is inside Kropfenstein Castle?

Kropfenstein Castle contains a narrow eastern space that was probably used as a store room, while its western section held living quarters and a kitchen. Surviving features include cross-walls, beam holes, windows with seat niches, a garderobe and a stone sink on the second floor. The eastern section is only about 1.5 to 2 metres wide, whereas the western part is about six metres wide.

Why was Kropfenstein Castle built, and what was it used for?

Kropfen Castle was built as a residence for a respected family, rather than as a refuge for times of crisis. The eastern section was probably used for storage and defence, while the wider western section contained the living quarters and kitchen. Its position within an overhanging cliff also provided protection from weathering.

Where is Kropfenstein Castle?

Kropfenstein Castle is in Waltensburg/Vuorz, in the Surselva region of the Canton of Graubünden. The remains stand west of the village at the edge of a sheer cliff, within the municipality of Breil/Brigels. It is about a quarter of an hour on foot from the western end of Waltensburg.

When was Kropfenstein Castle built?

Kropfenstein Castle was built in 1312, at the beginning of the fourteenth century. Dendrochronological investigations date the structure to the early 1300s, and there is no evidence of an earlier building on the site.

Which family or clan held Kropfenstein Castle?

The Counts of Kropfenstein held Kropfenstein Castle from the fourteenth century. They took their name from the castle when they took up residence there, and their family remained connected with the surrounding area and the Herrschaft of Rhäzüns. The family died out towards the end of the fifteenth century.

What did Kropfenstein Castle look like in its prime?

Kropfenstein Castle was a three-storey stone cave castle built directly against an overhanging rock ledge. Its irregular masonry follows the cliff edge, with narrow chambers cut into the bluff and rectangular embrasures on the upper two floors. A narrow rock-cut path approaches from the east, while the western section broadens to roughly six metres and the eastern room is about two metres wide.

Is Kropfenstein Castle still standing, or is it a ruin?

Kropfenstein Castle is a partial ruin, but its three-storey stone works and embrasures remain visible. The overhanging rock wall has helped preserve the walls with limited weathering. The castle began to fall into disrepair after the Kropfenstein family died out in the fifteenth century.

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