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.
The castle's name reflects its historical importance to the wider region. Today visitors experience it as a surviving example of medieval architecture that shaped settlement patterns in the Sarganserland.
The hike to the ruins takes about 30 minutes on foot from Bad Ragaz train station via Pizolstrasse and Weiligstrasse, or roughly 15 minutes from the Troccadero pizzeria parking area. Sturdy footwear is advisable due to the rocky terrain, and the climb offers views of the surrounding valley.
Since 1980 the ruins have hosted the annual Quellrock Open Air festival, where contemporary music performances take place among medieval stonework. This ongoing cultural use has brought the abandoned site back to life and turned it into a venue where past and present coexist.
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