- Address: Schlossstrasse, 5600 Lenzburg, Switzerland
- Phone: +41 62 888 48 40
- E-mail: schlosslenzburg@ag.ch
- Official website: www.schlosslenzburg.ch
- Foundation date: 11th c.
- Opening hours: April-October 10.00 - 17.00, Monday - closed
- Cost of visiting: adult - 4 francs, children - 2 francs
One of the oldest castles in Switzerland is the Lenzburg Castle, standing on a high hill in the old part of the city of the same name. It is both an ornament and the main attraction of this unremarkable Swiss town with a population of about 8 thousand people.
Lenzburg - "Dragon" castle
The castle was founded in the Middle Ages, the first mention of it in history dates back to 1036. Legend has it that two brave men, the knights of Guntram and Wolfram, were killed at the top of the hill of the dragon. In gratitude for this service, local residents built a castle for them in three years. Anyway, but the symbol of Lenzburg is still considered to be the dragon.
Initially, the building was used only for housing, but over time, the defensive tower was completed, and then more powerful fortifications. In the castle at different times lived not only counts of von Lenzburg, but also Habsburg and Barbarossa. Only in the XX century, the building was purchased by the authorities of the canton of Argau, turning it into the main historical museum of the area. Since 1956, the castle of Lenzburg is under state protection, in 1978-1986 it was restored and converted into a museum.
What to see?
The main building of the castle has four floors, each of which houses the most interesting expositions connected with the history of this region. So, on the first floor you will see an exhibition devoted to the early Middle Ages, and on the second - to the Renaissance. And the exposition, located on the third and fourth floors, tells about the weapons and armor of the time. The courtyard of the castle and the huge Knight's Hall are so spacious that the museum administration leases them for organizing mass events that are held here quite often. For example, this is the music festival Lenzburgiade, costume festival of medieval dances and various private events.
A great idea is to visit the castle with the whole family. Children really like it here, because part of the Lenzburg castle is called - "Children's Museum of the Castle of Lenzburg". Here you can shoot from a crossbow, try on a helmet and chain mail, build a model of the castle from the designer "Lego", imagine yourself a real knight or noble lady and even see a real dragon! And around the castle is a picturesque French garden, a walk along which is also very nice. On a trip to the castle of Lenzburg, experienced tourists recommend spending at least 3-4 hours to have time to see all the fun without fuss.
How to get to the castle of Lenzburg?
The city of Lenzburg in the canton of Argau is easiest to get from Zurich , where there is a large international airport . From the Zurich train station, it is easy to get to Lenzburg: every half hour, direct trains and electric trains leave from here. Travel time is not more than 25 minutes, and the distance between these cities does not exceed 40 km.
As mentioned above, Lenzburg is a small town, and you can walk from the station to the castle (20-30 minutes depending on the pace of walking). To do this, from the platform No. 6, walk up to the large arch gates of the historic center of Lenzburg, and then follow the signs "Schloss", which will lead you to the fortress. To overcome this distance is also possible on a leased road or by bus number 391, the next from Lenzburg.
Entrance fee is 2 and 4 Swiss francs for children and adults, respectively, and if you would like to additionally visit the museum located in the castle, prepare to pay 6 francs per child and 12 for yourself. The museum's working hours are from 10 to 17 hours, Monday is a day off. Please note that the castle is open for visits only from April to October.
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