Biberstein Castle, Medieval castle in Biberstein, Switzerland

Biberstein is a castle perched on a hill overlooking the municipality of Biberstein in the Swiss canton of Aargau, combining medieval architectural elements with later renovations. The building includes various sections that show how the fortress was expanded and adapted over the centuries.

The fortress was built around 1280 by the Habsburg-Laufenburg family as a defensive stronghold in the region. Around 1335, it came under the ownership of Rudolf von Büttikon, who transformed it into a commandery of the Knights Hospitaller.

The name Biberstein is first recorded in 1280 with the castle and settlement; no Biber family link appears in the sources. The castle church served the Knights Hospitaller commandry after 1335. The Biberstein coat of arms was painted above the main gate in 1627, and in 1643 Hans Balthasar Fisch painted the Bernese coat of arms on the tower.

The castle sits on a hillside above the village and is visible from below, but it is currently privately owned and used as a residential facility. Visitors should check in advance about access, as the grounds are generally not open to the public.

Since 1987, the castle has served as a residential facility for adults with disabilities, blending its historical purpose of serving others with a modern social function. This use has preserved the structure while giving it renewed purpose.