Horben Castle, Hilltop castle in Beinwil, Switzerland

Horben Castle is a small baroque country house at 818 metres on the Horben plateau, on the crest of the Lindenberg near the Lucerne border. Its four-by-five axis front rises from a low ground floor to two main storeys, with four storeys on the gable sides, and a six-sided onion dome crowns the roof. Corners are framed by pilasters and the main portal has a round gable.

Muri Abbey owned a farm on the Horben hill by the 12th century. In 1700/1701 Abbot Placidus Zurlauben had a summer retreat built for the monks under mason Hans Rey and carpenter Hans Mäder, at a cost of 1183 guilders. Prince-Abbot Gerold Haimb commissioned the neighbouring Chapel of St. Wendelin and Ubaldus in 1730, and between 1762 and 1764 Prince-Abbot Bonaventura Bucher rebuilt the house into its present Baroque form. After the monastery was dissolved in 1841 it passed into private hands; the Borsinger family, owners from 1913, restored it, and both buildings have been protected since 1963.

The name Horben comes from the high plateau where the building sits, helping visitors understand the place within its landscape. Inside, decorative wall paintings and rococo sculptures show how those who lived here once enjoyed art and beauty.

The castle stands at 818 m on the Horben plateau on the crest of the Lindenberg, near the Lucerne border; the Wissenbach rises on its west side and feeds the castle pond. The castle itself is a private residence and not open to the public, unlike the chapel. The plateau is a popular weekend excursion destination, with an extensive hiking trail network in summer and, given enough snow, a short ski lift and three cross-country ski trails: the 12 km Lindenbergloipe, the 4.4 km Horbenloipe and a 2.2 km trail lit at night.

A chapel dedicated to Saint Wendelin and Ubaldus stands on the grounds and was built during the early 1700s as a spiritual addition to the residence. This small building reveals that the location served religious purposes beyond being a simple retreat.