Kyburg Castle and Village

28 August 2025

The Kyburg is first mentioned in a document from 1027. The original name was “Chuigeburg” (Kuhburg (Cow Castle). The Count of Kyburg expanded the castle around 1200. The beautiful chapel, parts of the large tower, and some outer walls still stand today.

The 12th-century wall

The Kyburg family, alongside the Habsburgs and the Savoyards, was one of the most important noble families in the area of today’s Swiss Midlands.

The place and the chest (copy) in which Rudolf I and Albrecht I of Habsburg kept the imperial regalia. 

After the death of the last Kyburger in 1264, Rudolf I of Habsburg acquired the area. After his coronation in 1273, King Rudolf I had the imperial regalia handed over to him and kept them at Kyburg Castle.

In the judge’s chamber, the bailiff passed judgment on offences.

Zurich acquired the village and castle of Kyburg in the 15th century and converted it into the residence of the bailliff.

After acquiring and renovating Kyburg Castle, Zurich refurbished the chapel. The murals bear witness to late medieval piety and stately self-confidence.

In 1890, the chapel’s castle was completely repaired and restored to its pre-Reformation ideal condition. In 1866, Switzerland’s first castle museum was opened in Kyburg.

The Bridge over the Töss

The garden was restored in 2001 based on historical sources.

 

The chapel

The village of Kyburg