Schloss Wädenswil, Regional heritage château in Wädenswil, Switzerland.
Schloss Wädenswil is a stone castle perched on a hill overlooking Lake Zurich with a classical design featuring balanced wings and large windows. Today the building serves as a research station where scientists investigate fruit cultivation, vine growing, and horticultural practices.
Zurich authorities built the castle between 1550 and 1555 after purchasing the Wädenswil estate from the Knights of St. John in 1549. The location played a role in Swiss Reformation movements during the early modern period.
The wine culture of the region has shaped this place for centuries, and the grape varieties studied here appear in Swiss cellars to this day. The work conducted here has determined how winemakers across Switzerland select and grow their grapes.
The castle houses an active research station and is not designed as a regular tourist destination for casual visits. Visitors can explore the grounds from outside and admire the historic architecture from the lake or surrounding paths.
Hermann Müller-Thurgau, the first director of the station, created a grape variety here that shapes Swiss vineyards to this day. The variety named after him arose from a cross-breeding and is still grown in wineries around the world.
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