Freudenberg Castle, Castle ruin in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland.
Freudenberg is a castle ruin perched on an 84-meter-high rocky hill near Bad Ragaz, featuring a trapezoidal keep and remains of residential structures within roughly an 80-meter-long enclosure. The site displays the typical layout of a medieval hilltop fortress with its defensive features and traces of former occupation.
The fortress was founded in the 13th century by the Wildenberg family and shaped the valley's defense for generations. It was destroyed in 1437 during a siege by troops from Zurich, Chur, and the Grisons, after which it remained abandoned.
Local legend tells of a beautiful maiden banished into the ruin, waiting for a young man to free her; whoever succeeds wins her and a hidden treasure. Since 1985 the site has belonged to the municipality of Bad Ragaz and is open to visitors free of charge.
The ruins stand on a rocky hill about one kilometre northwest of Bad Ragaz and are freely accessible since 1985. The keep was cleared of rubble and restored in 1929 under Eugen Probst, and the whole site was restored again in 1977 and 1984/85. The terrain is rocky, so wear sturdy shoes.
The Quellrock Open Air has been held on the castle grounds every June for over 40 years, making it one of Switzerland's oldest music festivals. The 1437 siege ended when the garrison mutinied against the Austrian bailiff Ulrich Spiess, after which the attackers plundered and burned the castle.
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