Medieval Castles of Switzerland
By Mike Salter
Folly Publications
184 pages, 550 illustrations (plans and colour pictures)
 
This book features 250 of Switzerland’s castles which are accessible to the public. Other castles not open to the public are included in the introductory chapters describing the features and development of castles in Switzerland between the ninth century and the early sixteenth century. Historical information on the featured castles mainly concentrates on the same period.
Many of Switzerland’s castles have spectacular positions on the foothills or lower slopes of snow-clad mountains, and some of the more remotely located ruins are only accessible from hiking trails. Roofed buildings serving as museums, restaurants or administrative or cultural centres are more likely to be found in the northern and western parts of the country, where there are a few low-lying castles on islands or within water-filled moats fed by rivers. Nearly everything that is of interest is at least visible from public roads or open spaces. Features and layouts that one associates with the castles of the surrounding countries of Austria, Germany, France and Italy are all to be found, reflecting Switzerland’s central position and the variety of languages spoken in different parts of the country. Included at the end are brief details of the castles of the independent state of Liechtenstein which adjoins the east side of Switzerland.