Hegi Castle, which dates from the 13th century, is situated to the east of Winterthur. The well preserved castle complex has 1,6m thick walls, and thanks to its 10m tall tower can be seen from a long way off. The castle complex includes a residential tower built in 1200, a knights’ house added later, and a farm building. The interior will transport you to the Late Middle Ages – as the furniture, stoves, ceramic items, glass paintings and weapons date back to the period between the 15th and 18th centuries.
The castle has been open to the public since 1947 and served as a youth hostel until 2000. Nowadays, it is a museum and venue for cultural events.
Old pictures of the castle show that there was once an extensive kitchen garden on its eastern side. Inspired by these illustrations, a new garden with old vegetable varieties was created in 2012. The produce grown in this kitchen garden can be enjoyed on weekends in the “Schloss Schenke”, a stable that has been converted into a restaurant.
References:
The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.