Vers-les-Châteaux, abandoned village - Middle Ages

Vers-les-Châteaux is an abandoned medieval settlement with castle ruins at Arconciel, in the municipality of Bois-d'Amont, canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. The remains sit on a gentle ridge in a bend of the Sarine river, a few kilometres from the city of Fribourg, and are listed in the Swiss inventory of cultural property.

What is Vers-les-Châteaux?

The site held a castle and a small market town beside it, which together served as an aristocratic seat and trading centre. It first appears in writing in 1082 as castrum Arconciacum, when Emperor Henry IV granted castle and settlement to a man named Cono. It later became the heart of the large Arconciel-Illens lordship, passing to the lords of Glâne and then the house of Neuchâtel. The German name of the place was Ergenzach.

What can you see today?

You can still make out traces of the town, which received a charter of liberties in 1271, along with the castle remains. The heritage inventory mentions a large square tower from the early 13th century, built by the lords of Neuchâtel-Aarberg. Houses stood in two rows, and the settlement peaked in the 12th and 13th centuries. Today only three building fragments rise clearly from the ground; vegetation and the erosion of the sandstone cliffs are steadily wearing the site down.

Why was it abandoned?

By the middle of the 15th century the place had been left behind, already in poor repair. Its stones were then carried off to build churches and other buildings in Fribourg. The modern village of Arconciel grew on a terrace above the old town.

What else is in the area?

People lived here long before the Middle Ages. Finds include a Mesolithic rock shelter at La Souche, a Rixheim-type sword from the early Late Bronze Age, a Roman villa at Es Nés, and a Roman cemetery from the 1st to 4th centuries at Pré de l'Arche. An early medieval burial ground was also found at Es Nés.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an entrance fee? No fee is documented. It is an open-air site in the countryside, so wear sturdy shoes and take care near steep slopes.

Is Bois-d'Amont the one in France? No. This is the Fribourg municipality created in 2021 by merging Arconciel, Ependes and Senèdes. The Bois-d'Amont in the French Jura is a different place.

How much of the old town survives? Not much: some wall fragments and the outline of the buildings. It suits visitors who enjoy reading history from the landscape.

Is it worth a short stop? Yes, especially as part of a day exploring the Sarine valley and the countryside around Fribourg.