Burg Rickenbach

Burg Rickenbach is the site of a medieval castle in Rickenbach (SO), in the Olten district of the Swiss canton of Solothurn. The castle stood on a rocky hill called Chilchhöfli above the village and ranks among the earliest fortified sites of the region. Archaeologists uncovered its remains between 1969 and 1971.

Where is Burg Rickenbach?

Rickenbach lies at the southern foot of the Jura mountains, on the alluvial fan of a stream of the same name that flows into the Dünnern river. Administratively it belongs to the Olten district in the canton of Solothurn, on the edge of the Gäu region. Several Swiss villages share the name Rickenbach, including ones in Lucerne, Zurich, Thurgau and Basel-Landschaft. This page covers only Rickenbach in Solothurn, abbreviated SO.

What will you see?

Today the castle is an archaeological ruin rather than a building you can walk through. Excavations on Chilchhöfli between 1969 and 1971 revealed the remains of a tower, several buildings and a surrounding ring wall. A tower, residential and farm buildings, and a defensive wall make up the typical layout of a small knightly seat of the early Middle Ages.

The building technique is what sets the site apart. The Solothurn heritage inventory describes it as a very early example of a castle built entirely in stone, in the 11th century. At that time most comparable strongholds in central Europe were still made of timber and earth.

What is the castle's history?

Burg Rickenbach was the seat of the County of Härkingen and the centre of an estate complex belonging to that county in the Gäu. It served as an administrative base, not only a defensive one. The many small finds from the dig, everyday objects among them, date mainly from the 11th and early 12th centuries, which marks the period when the castle was in full use.

Later, Rickenbach belonged to the holdings of the Counts of Frohburg. In 1288 the Frohburgs sold four Schupposen (a farm-holding unit of land) to St. Urban monastery, a record that shows how fragmented noble estates in the area had become.

Where can you read more?

The key study is Werner Meyer's "Die Burgstelle Rickenbach", published in 1972 in the Jahrbuch für Solothurnische Geschichte (volume 45, pp. 316–409). Research documentation from the excavation, linked to the archaeologist Walter Drack, is held in the Swiss federal archives (HelveticArchives). The Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (HLS) has a short entry on the municipality.

What else can you combine with a visit?

The village itself has chapels, among them the Nothelferkapelle (Chapel of the Fourteen Holy Helpers) and the St. Laurentius chapel, both documented in Swiss heritage archives. The Olten and Gäu area suits a day trip around Solothurn's historic sites, and trains connect Olten with Zurich, Bern and Basel.

Frequently asked questions

Is Burg Rickenbach a preserved castle?

No. It is an archaeological site with remains of a tower, buildings and a ring wall, uncovered in 1969–1971.

What period does the castle date from?

The cantonal inventory points to the 11th century, and most finds date from the 11th and early 12th centuries.

Who owned the castle?

It was the seat of the County of Härkingen. The village later belonged to the Counts of Frohburg.

Is this the same Rickenbach as in other cantons?

No. This is Rickenbach in the Olten district of Solothurn, written Rickenbach (SO).