Burg Rifenstein, Medieval castle ruins near Reigoldswil, Switzerland

Burg Rifenstein is a castle ruin perched on a rocky outcrop at 610 meters elevation near Reigoldswil, containing the remains of a residential tower and fortified stone terraces. The site is accessed through a gate that leads to an enclosed terrace where visitors can view the surviving foundations and walls.

The visible masonry cannot be dated before the 13th century, and finds show the castle was in use from about 1200 to 1350. A 1145 document of Schönthal Abbey naming Rifenstein is probably forged. In 1394 Thüring von Ramstein handed the castle and rights over Reigoldswil and Lauwil to Duke Leopold of Austria and took them back as a fief. Damage from the Basel earthquake of 1356 is the likeliest reason it was abandoned.

The ruin is a valued landmark for hikers passing through the rolling landscape, who notice the weathered stone walls standing among the trees. Today it serves as a reminder of how fortified buildings once shaped the region and the lives of those who lived here.

The site is best reached by hiking along local trails that wind through the landscape to the hilltop location. Access is available year-round and requires no special equipment, though sturdy shoes are advisable due to the rocky terrain.

The sculptor Jakob Probst, from Reigoldswil, wanted to buy the ruin and convert it into his studio and home, but his uncle Leo Zehntner, then municipal president, blocked the plan. The first major renovation came in the 1930s; from 2003 the canton's archaeology service drew up a conservation concept for the owner, the municipality of Reigoldswil.