Laufen Castle and Schlössli Wörth at the Rhine waterfall

29 November 2019

The Rhine waterfall (Rheinfall) Neuhausen (Canton of Schaffhausen), was once called “Grosses Lauffen.” The castle (Schloss Laufen) still bears this name and was first mentioned in 858.

The castle was the ancestral seat of the Lords of Laufen, but it had many owners over the centuries, including the Bishop of Constance, the All Saints’ Convent in Schaffhausen and the Count of Kyburg.

One of the (many) famous visitors was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832). He visited Switzerland three times, and each time, he stopped in Neuhausen to see this miracle of nature.

Another owner, Hans Wilhelm von Fulach, sold the castle to the town of Zurich in 1544. The castle belongs to the canton of Zurich and is a modern tourist destination.

For centuries, the small castle ‘Schlössli Wörth’ served as a customs building and protection for the transit of merchandise.

At the same time, travellers could spend the night here. Schlössli Wörth was built on a rock in the 14th century. Its predecessor was a castle built in the 11th century. The castle was converted into a restaurant and hotel in 1836-1837.

(Source and further information: www.schlosslaufen.ch)

Schlössli Wörth