Castle Wörth

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Castle Wörth
Schlösschen Wörth at the Rhine Falls

Schlösschen Wörth at the Rhine Falls

Creation time : 12th Century
Castle type : Moated castle
Conservation status: Castle
Geographical location 47 ° 40 '40.1 "  N , 8 ° 36' 42.4"  E Coordinates: 47 ° 40 '40.1 "  N , 8 ° 36' 42.4"  E ; CH1903:  688,095  /  281455
Height: 359  m above sea level M.
Schlösschen Wörth (Canton Schaffhausen)
Castle Wörth
The Schlösschen Wörth with the Rhine Falls rocks in the foreground

The Schlösschen Wörth ( Swiss German Schlössli Wörth) is a castle built in the 12th century , which stands on a small Rhine island in the basin of the Rhine Falls near Neuhausen am Rheinfall in the canton of Schaffhausen , Switzerland . The castle is now used as a restaurant.

history

The Upper Rhine was used as a transport route for many centuries. Goods of all kinds were transported between Basel and Lake Constance . The Rhine Falls and rapids near Schaffhausen were insurmountable obstacles for shipping. All goods had to be transported by car between Schaffhausen and the Rhine Falls basin. The city of Schaffhausen owes its foundation in the 11th century to this fact. The Güterhof and Schweizerhof warehouses still shape the appearance of Schaffhausen today .

Werd Castle, as the Wörth Castle was originally called, was built in the 12th century as a customs and goods transhipment point. In the 13th century she was lehe of the dukes of Austria. A Meyer family from Jestetten appeared at this time as fiefdoms. The family later called themselves Meyer von Werd. In 1291 the Schaffhausen family Schultheissen von Randenburg acquired the castle. In 1429 the castle became the property of the Benedictine monastery of Allerheiligen in Schaffhausen. In 1524 the monastery ceded the castle to the city of Schaffhausen. In 1621 and 1622 the castle was redesigned. In 1832 the city ceded the castle to the canton of Schaffhausen . In the years that followed, the castle was renovated and converted into a restaurant, which opened on Candlemas in 1837. A hall with different heights (eleven, ten and nine shoes) was installed on three floors. To this day, Schlösschen Wörth is owned by the Canton of Schaffhausen.

investment

The castle consists mostly of an irregular hexagonal tower, which in its basic form should go back to the time of construction. The tower has three storeys and stands on a rock surrounded by the Rhine. The island can be reached via a footbridge. In the 1960s, a covered panoramic terrace was added, which, however, affects the appearance. At the same time, a self-service restaurant with a kiosk and toilet facilities in modern concrete construction was built on the island next to the castle. The landing stage for the excursion boats is also located there.

tourism

The Schlösschen Wörth is used intensively for tourism today. Hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world visit the Rhine Falls every year. It should therefore be one of the most photographed castles in Switzerland.

literature

Web links

Commons : Schlösschen Wörth  - Collection of images, videos and audio files