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Lenzburg Castle today

Switzerland · Still standing

Lenzburg Castle

Lenzburg Castle sits atop a nearly circular hill above the town of Lenzburg in the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland. It is one of the country's oldest castles, formed of a cluster of stone buildings, gatehouses and curtain walls arranged around an inner bailey and enclosed by high defenses on the steep southern and eastern cliffs.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1036

Its prime

1674

Today

Still standing

As it stood in 1674

What Lenzburg Castle looked like in its prime.

Perched on a nearly circular limestone hill about 100 m above the plain, the castle is a compact complex of connected stone buildings and curtain walls arranged in a rough horseshoe around an inner bailey. Steep red clay-tiled gabled roofs cap long rectangular ranges; a multi-storey square keep and gatehouses rise above lower service buildings. Thick pale-grey masonry curtain walls follow the cliff edge, enclosing a paved central courtyard with mature trees and a formal enclosed garden on the southwest.

Its story

The story of Lenzburg Castle.

The oldest parts of Lenzburg Castle date to the 11th century, when the Counts of Lenzburg built it as their seat on the almost circular castle hill above the town, a charter of 1036 names one Ulrich, Count of Aargau. The counts ranked among the most important feudal lords on the Swiss plateau and maintained close connections to the emperor.

Ulrich IV, the last Count of Lenzburg, named Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, his companion on the Second Crusade, as his personal heir. The emperor came to Lenzburg in person to supervise the division of the estate, giving the majority of the lands to his son, the Count palatine Otto of Burgundy; after Otto's death in 1200 the House of Hohenstaufen was forced to withdraw from the Aargau.

By way of two neighbouring aristocratic houses, Andechs-Merania and Chalon, the castle came by marriage to the Counts of Kyburg in about 1230. When Hartmann, the last Count of Kyburg, died without male issue in 1264, Rudolph of Habsburg placed the heiress Anna of Kyburg under his protection, and she later married Eberhard I of Habsburg-Laufenburg. The castle ranks among the oldest and most important in Switzerland, and houses a historical museum.

Step inside

11 places to explore in 1674.

The record describes 11 distinct spots at Lenzburg Castle, including 4 interiors: middle gatehouse and 180° turning path, knights' hall (incomplete large hall), landvogtei (landvogt's residence) and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Northeast approach and lower gatehouseOuter curtain wall and outer baileyMiddle gatehouse and 180° turning pathInner gatehouse and drawbridge into the inner baileyInner bailey, central paved courtyard with treesKnights' Hall (incomplete large hall)Landvogtei (Landvogt's residence)Hintere Haus (rear building)French-style garden (southwest curtain)Eastern bastion and wall-walk above the cliffCliff-base path below the castle

Build Your Own Castle

Recreate Lenzburg Castle with AI to explore it.

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Castle Siege

Play Castle Siege at Lenzburg Castle.

A strategy game played on Lenzburg Castle’s real ground plan: the same surveyed walls shown in the archive below. Post your finite garrison on the battlements between assaults, then hold out as rams, siege towers, trebuchets and sappers arrive in ever-worse waves.

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Whose castle

Clans who held Lenzburg Castle.

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

  • Lenzburg

    Seat of the Counts of Lenzburg from the 11th century until Ulrich IV, the last count, willed the estate to Emperor Barbarossa.

  • Hohenstaufen

    Passed by Ulrich IV's will to Barbarossa's line, which withdrew from the Aargau after Count Otto of Burgundy's death in 1200.

  • Kyburg

    Came by marriage to the Counts of Kyburg about 1230; Hartmann, the last count, died without male issue in 1264.

From the archive

Lenzburg Castle on paper: the measured plan and period views.

The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.

Lenzburg Castle, Lenzburg Castle

Lenzburg Castle

· European Heritage Awards Archive (via Europeana)

Public domain

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Lenzburg Castle.

Letzigrund, SwitzerlandStadiumLetzigrund24 km awayChapel Bridge, SwitzerlandBridgeChapel Bridge38 km away

Questions about Lenzburg Castle

What is the history of Lenzburg Castle?

Lenzburg Castle began as an 11th-century seat for the Counts of Lenzburg. A charter of 1036 names Ulrich, Count of Aargau, and the castle later passed through the Hohenstaufen, Kyburg and Habsburg dynasties. Bern acquired it in 1442, and it served as a Landvogt’s residence until 1798. It later became a grain store, private residence and museum.

What is inside Lenzburg Castle?

Inside Lenzburg Castle are the Knights’ Hall, the Landvogtei and the Hintere Haus, or rear building. The Knights’ Hall is an incomplete large Gothic hall with pointed-arched windows, while the Landvogtei contains an exhibit on the lives of castle owners. The castle also contains sections of the Aargau Museum, including domestic life, armoury, sacred art and banqueting displays.

Who owns Lenzburg Castle now?

Lenzburg Castle is owned by the Canton of Aargau through a joint foundation with the town of Lenzburg. The foundation bought it in 1956 from Marie Louise Ellsworth-Ulmer, Lincoln Ellsworth’s widow, and made it accessible to the public. The castle is also listed as a heritage site of national significance.

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

Lenzburg Castle was built as the seat of the Counts of Lenzburg on the castle hill above the town. Its role later changed from noble residence to a regional administrative seat under the Habsburgs and Bernese rule. In the 18th century, the Bernese converted it into a large grain store, and it now houses the Aargau Museum.

Where is Lenzburg Castle?

Lenzburg Castle is above the old part of the town of Lenzburg in the Canton of Aargau. It stands on an almost circular castle hill about 100 metres above the surrounding plain. Lenzburg is in the Canton of Aargau, and the castle is immediately east of the town’s old town.

When was Lenzburg Castle built?

Lenzburg Castle was first raised in 1036, and its oldest surviving parts belong to the 11th century. The complex was built and enlarged in stages, with buildings dating from the 12th century to the early 18th century. Major later works included the east bastion of 1642–46 and the new Landvogt’s residence of 1672–74.

Was Lenzburg Castle ever attacked or besieged?

Lenzburg Castle was besieged by the Gugler in 1375 and withstood the attack. During the Bernese conquest of the Aargau in 1415, the town surrendered, but the castle remained untouched at first. Konrad of Weinsberg prepared it for a siege, then abandoned the plan and returned control to the Schultheiss family in 1418.

Which family or clan held Lenzburg Castle?

The Counts of Lenzburg held Lenzburg Castle from the 11th century until Ulrich IV, the last count, willed the estate to Emperor Barbarossa. It then passed to Barbarossa’s Hohenstaufen line, which withdrew from the Aargau after Count Otto of Burgundy’s death in 1200. About 1230, the castle came by marriage to the Counts of Kyburg.

What did Lenzburg Castle look like in its prime?

In its mature form, Lenzburg Castle was a compact complex of connected stone buildings and curtain walls arranged in a rough horseshoe around an inner bailey. Steep red clay-tiled gabled roofs cover long rectangular ranges, while a square keep and gatehouses rise above lower service buildings. Pale-grey masonry walls follow the cliff edge, enclosing a paved courtyard and formal southwest garden.

Is Lenzburg Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Lenzburg Castle is still standing and is described as intact. It has undergone substantial restoration, including work between 1978 and 1986, when the complex was thoroughly renovated and a French-style garden was established. Earlier restoration under Augustus Jessup removed newer construction and military facilities, returning much of the castle towards its medieval condition.

Can you visit Lenzburg Castle?

Yes, Lenzburg Castle can be visited because it was made accessible to the public in 1956 and contains the Aargau Museum. The museum opened there in 1987, with displays on the castle’s residents, weapons, sacred art, banqueting and silver. The castle is reached from the carpark at the foot of the hill by a footpath or lift.

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