Felsenburg: A Medieval Castle Ruin in Kandergrund, Switzerland

Visitor Information

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Official Website: www.burgenseite.ch

Country: Switzerland

Civilization: Medieval European

Site type: Military

Remains: Castle

History

Felsenburg is a medieval castle ruin located above the municipality of Kandergrund in Switzerland. It was constructed during the late 12th century by the baronial family known as the Freiherr of Kien. The castle’s primary purpose was to oversee and control the important mountain passage called the Gemmi pass, which links the Bernese Oberland with the Valais region.

In the centuries that followed, Felsenburg became part of the lordship of Frutigen, a local territorial domain. Ownership shifted in 1290 when the castle passed to the Freiherr of Wädenswil, and then again in 1312 to the Freiherr of Turn. Written records first reference the site in 1339 under the Latin name “castrum de Petra,” meaning “castle of stone,” and later in 1368 it is mentioned as “Stein,” the German word for stone. These changing names highlight the castle’s rocky location and solid construction.

By the year 1400, control of Felsenburg, along with the entire Frutigtal valley, came under the city of Bern. Bern established its administrative center nearby at Tellenburg and subsequently abandoned Felsenburg. Without ongoing maintenance or a governing presence, the castle gradually fell into ruin. Over time, it remained silent testimony to the shifting political tides in the Bernese Alps.

Remains

The ruins of Felsenburg occupy a rocky spur that commands a view over the historic route to the Valais through the Gemmi pass. This elevated position was a strategic choice, allowing those who controlled the castle to monitor and defend the passage.

Today, the most prominent surviving element is the rectangular main tower, known as the donjon. This central keep would have served as the last line of defense and residential quarters in the castle’s active years. Around the tower, fragments of the curtain walls—the defensive stone walls encircling the castle—can still be seen. These remnants reveal aspects of the fortress’s protective layout but stand in varying states of decay.

No detailed records exist concerning construction materials, decorative details, or inscriptions at the site. However, the presence of the donjon and curtain walls is sufficient to attest to the castle’s original function as a defensive stronghold. Situated near the ruins of other medieval fortifications such as Tellenburg and Mülenen, Felsenburg forms part of a network of castles that once shaped the medieval landscape of this region in Switzerland.