Alt Wädenswil Castle, Medieval castle ruin in Richterswil, Switzerland
Alt Wädenswil Castle is a medieval castle ruin situated on a hilltop near Burghalden train station with substantial stone walls spanning multiple construction periods. The remaining structures reveal a fortified complex that once contained residential and defensive components typical of Swiss castles from the Middle Ages.
The castle was first documented in 1130 when it served as a stronghold for the local nobility, the Freiherren von Wädenswil family. In 1287 ownership transferred to the Johanniter Order, marking a significant shift in the site's purpose and function.
The site speaks to the balance of power that once existed in the Zurich region and how castles shaped the medieval landscape. Today visitors can observe how this ruin remains connected to its surroundings and understand what these fortifications meant to the communities nearby.
The ruins are accessible at any time as they sit freely exposed on a hillside that can be reached on foot. There are no admission fees, but visitors should be prepared for uneven ground and sloped terrain throughout the site.
Portions of the structure were dismantled in the 1870s to provide stone for constructing a nearby railway line. This transformation shows how industrialization literally reshaped the medieval landscape by recycling its oldest monuments.
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