Wildberg Castle

Wildberg Castle (Burgruine Wildberg) is a ruined medieval stronghold at Wildberg in the canton of Zurich, in northeastern Switzerland. What survives is mostly the shaped ground itself: a hill with an embankment and ditch, plus traces of walls. It suits visitors who enjoy reading a landscape more than touring restored halls.

What will you see at the site?

The castle mound has two parts and is ringed by a rampart and a moat-like ditch. Traces of a perimeter wall remain, along with the remains of a tower built from large hewn blocks, known as a megalithic tower. There are no rebuilt rooms and no museum, so it helps to read up on the history first. That is what gives the ruin its meaning.

Who lived here?

Wildberg was the seat of a family of the same name. They first appear in records in 1257 as servants of the Abbey of St. Gall, and the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland lists the lords of Wilberg between 1228 and 1439. They served the abbot first and later the Habsburgs. The castle at Wildberg is regarded as their ancestral seat. Besides it, the family held a residential tower at Gündisau and another castle on the Schlossberg hill, both in the municipality of Russikon.

How did ownership change, and why did it fall?

In the 14th century the stronghold passed to other families. The knights of Hettlingen sold it to the barons of Bonstetten, and in 1398 Johannes von Bonstetten, lord of Uster castle, is named as its holder. It was most likely destroyed around 1443-44 by troops from Schwyz during the Old Zurich War, the conflict over the Toggenburg inheritance. It was never rebuilt.

What else can you pair with a visit?

The ruin of Tössegg above the Töss valley is also linked to the lords of Wildberg. It is first recorded as their property in 1383 and was abandoned in the 15th century. A section of its residential tower wall still stands up to about three metres high. The two sites complement each other if you are interested in the nobility of northeastern Switzerland, but Tössegg is a separate site, not part of Wildberg Castle.

When should you go?

The ruin has no opening hours, and a visit is a walk around the hill. Pick a dry day from late spring to autumn, when the ground is firm and the rampart and ditch are easy to make out. Summer undergrowth can partly hide the outlines, while early spring and autumn show them more clearly. Wear shoes with a good grip.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside Wildberg Castle? There is no building to enter. The rampart, ditch and traces of walls are seen on a walk around the hill.

How old is the castle? The lords of Wildberg are recorded from 1228, and the family tied to the castle from 1257. The stronghold was destroyed around 1443-44.

Who destroyed it? Most likely troops from Schwyz during the Old Zurich War.

Is it the same as Tössegg? No. Tössegg is a separate ruin above the Töss valley, owned in the 14th century by the same lords of Wildberg.

Is this the Wildberg in Germany? No. This castle stands in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland, and has no connection to places of that name in Germany.