Greifenstein Castle, Medieval castle ruin in Filisur, Switzerland

Greifenstein Castle is a ruined hilltop castle above Filisur in the Albula Valley, Grisons, at 1,246 m. Its buildings were spread over three terraces: a lower gate in a rocky gap, a middle terrace with a standing curtain wall, chapel vestibule and cistern, and an upper tower foundation reached by a rock-cut stair. The upper part is now climbable only with equipment.

The castle was built in the 12th century and later became an administrative outpost for the Bishop of Chur starting in the late 14th century. The bishops abandoned the site in 1537 as their authority in the region gradually shifted.

The name Greifenstein first appears in 1233, when Rudolf von Greifenstein was sent on crusade as penance for the murder of Bishop Berthold. The chapel's apse, cut directly into the rock on the middle terrace, survives; the brown bands and ochre and pale blue paintings recorded there by Erwin Poeschel in 1930 have since been lost.

The ruins can be reached from Filisur station, which is served by the Rhaetian Railway with regular connections. The walk up to the castle is steep and requires sturdy footwear, though the views become rewarding as you climb.

Few visitors realize that in 1840 local residents salvaged stones and wooden beams from the crumbling castle to build Filisur's school building. This recycled medieval material connects the school directly to the castle's past.