Hohenklingen Castle, Medieval castle in Stein am Rhein, Switzerland
Hohenklingen Castle is a medieval hilltop castle above Stein am Rhein in the Swiss canton of Schaffhausen. Its keep rises about 29 meters (95 ft) and is surrounded by stone curtain walls and ancillary buildings that form a compact hilltop stronghold.
The castle was built in the early 13th century by the Lords of Klingen and served from the start as a toll point on the Rhine between Lake Constance and Basel. Over the following centuries it changed hands several times before eventually passing to the town of Stein am Rhein.
The castle serves as a defining landmark for Stein am Rhein and shapes how visitors first see the town from the riverside. People who climb up here gain a sense of how central this location was to the identity of the region.
The castle is reached by marked hiking trails starting from the center of Stein am Rhein, and the climb follows wooded paths that can be slippery after rain. Sturdy footwear is advisable, and the walk up takes around half an hour.
The castle is listed as a class A Swiss cultural property of national significance, yet it operates today as a restaurant, so visitors can eat inside the medieval walls. This combination of protected monument and working dining venue is rare for a site of this age.
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