Waldhausen Castle

Waldhausen Castle (Burgruine Waldhausen) is a medieval castle ruin in the hamlet of Waldhausen, part of the municipality of Fisibach in the Zurzach district of the canton of Aargau, Switzerland. Only foundations remain, yet the site gives a clear picture of how a local noble seat once stood above the Surbtal area near Kaiserstuhl.

Where is Waldhausen Castle?

The site occupies a rocky spur above the lower Bachsertal, about 3 km south of the small town of Kaiserstuhl on the Rhine. Across the valley is Hohfluh, a castle built into a cave in the rock face. Do not confuse Waldhausen with Schwarzwasserstelz, another castle of the area. That one stood on a rock in the Rhine and was pulled down in 1875 when the Rhine Valley railway was built.

What is the history of the castle?

The site is associated with a family of free barons (Freiherren). They first appear in records in 1113, when they handed over extensive estates in the Studenland region to the abbey of St. Blasien in the Black Forest. The family disappears from the sources shortly afterwards.

Around 1285 it housed ministerials of the Regensberg dynasty, knights bound to serve that house. In the 14th and early 15th centuries it belonged to the Stühlinger von Regensberg family. It was abandoned in the 15th century and never rebuilt.

In later centuries the bailiff of Baden held jurisdiction over Waldhausen, while the lower court in Fisibach itself belonged to Schwarzwasserstelz.

What can you see today?

What survives are foundation remains of a trapezoidal curtain wall with a residential wing on the east side. Visitors report that apart from an information board and a memorial stone there is little to look at. Come for the setting, the history and a walk through the countryside, not for dramatic masonry.

What else is worth knowing about the area?

The Surbtal valley was shaped by monastic landholders: St. Gallen and Einsiedeln in the early and high Middle Ages, then mostly St. Blasien. In the 13th century the upper valley fell within the Regensberg sphere, while the lower part lay with the lords of Tegerfelden and later the Klingen family. Kaiserstuhl and the Rhine make a natural addition to the trip.

Frequently asked questions

Is Waldhausen Castle still standing?

No. It is a ruin site with foundation remains of the wall and the residential wing, and no towers or full walls.

When was the castle abandoned?

In the 15th century. Before that, in the 14th and early 15th centuries, it belonged to the Stühlinger von Regensberg family.

Is it the same as Schwarzwasserstelz castle?

No. Schwarzwasserstelz stood on a rock in the Rhine and was demolished in 1875. Waldhausen lies inland above the Bachsertal.

How long does a visit take?

Not long: the site consists of foundations, an information board and a memorial stone. It works best as one stop on a longer outing around Kaiserstuhl and the Surbtal.