Iberg Castle is located south-west of the town of Wattwil. The central keep is six stories tall and has an entrance on the north-west corner. The keep is surrounded by a curtain wall. The castle hill is protected by moats and some walls.
Iberg Castle was built in 1240 by Heinrich von Iberg who was a vassal of the Prince-Abbot of St. Gallen. The castle was briefly conquered in 1249 following the Toggenburg fratricide and again in 1290 during the rule of the anti-Abbot Konrad von Gundelfingen in St. Gallen. It was damaged during the Appenzell Wars in 1405 and soon thereafter rebuilt. During the conflicts leading to the Battles of Villmergen (from 1699-1712), the castle was besieged in 1710. After the Treaty of Baden in 1718 it was given back to the Abbot.
During the suppression of the monasteries in 1805, the castle became privately owned. Some of the housing was demolished in 1835, but the roof and battlements were rebuilt in 1902 and 1965 by the municipality.
References:The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.