Stein Castle

Stein Castle (Ruine Stein) is a ruined hilltop fortress rising above the spa town of Baden in the Swiss canton of Aargau. Its broken walls stand on a rocky spur over the gorge of the Limmat river and are protected as a heritage site of national significance.

What is Stein Castle?

Stein is one of the oldest fortifications in this part of Switzerland. It was built on a rocky promontory above the Limmat gorge before the year 1000, so it already stood when Baden first appeared in written records a little after the turn of the millennium. At that time it belonged to the Nellenburg family. Today only ruins remain, and the site is a popular spot for a short walk with a view over the old town.

Who owned the castle?

The fortress changed hands several times. According to the Aargau inventory of protected monuments, it passed to the Counts of Lenzburg around 1077, and in 1172 to the Counts of Kyburg. In 1264 (some sources give 1263) it fell to the Habsburgs. Under them, Stein became the seat of the administration of Further Austria, the Habsburg lands in the western part of their realm, and it also housed the administration's archive. This made the castle far more than a military outpost: for a time it was a centre of government.

What happened in 1415?

In 1415 the Swiss Confederates conquered Aargau. Stein Castle was taken after fierce fighting and destroyed. The end of Habsburg rule in the region meant the end of the castle's old role.

Rebuilt, then demolished

The town of Baden rebuilt the fortress between 1658 and 1670. Its second life was short. During the Second Villmergen War in 1712, the victorious Protestant cantons of Zurich and Bern forced Baden to tear the castle down. Its stones were reused: the Reformed church near today's Bahnhofplatz was built from material taken from the ruins. Since then the castle has remained a ruin.

Why visit?

• A rare chance to walk through almost a thousand years of regional history in one place, from the early medieval lords through the Habsburgs to the religious conflicts of the 18th century.
• A viewpoint over the old town of Baden and the Limmat valley.
• An easy excursion on foot from the town centre, well suited to a break between visits to the spa quarter and the historic streets.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Stein Castle? On a hill above the old town of Baden, in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland.

Is it the same as Stein Castle in Rheinfelden? No. Burg Stein in Rheinfelden was a separate island fortress in the Rhine. The ruin described here is the one above Baden.

Can you go inside? It is a ruin, so there is no building to tour. Visitors can walk around the remains and enjoy the surroundings.

When was it destroyed? First in 1415 during the Swiss conquest of Aargau, and again, after reconstruction, in 1712 when Baden had to demolish it.

Who built it? The builders are not recorded. The castle existed before the year 1000 and its earliest known owners were the Nellenburgers.