Ehrenfels Castle was probably built in the first half of the 13th century. The first mention of the Lord of Ehrenfels is in 1257. In 1320 it was owned by Burkhard and Rudolf von Schauenstein, who also used the name Ehrenfels or Herrenfels. They probably expanded the simple bergfried with residential space and a ring wall around that time. The castle was first mentioned in 1423 with Hermann von Ehrenfels as the owner. Toward the end of the 15th century or in the early 16th century it was given to Cazis Monastery, but the Schauenstein-Ehrenfels family continued to occupy it. During the 16th century the castle was renovated and rebuilt into a more comfortable palas.

However, by 1600 Ehrenfels was abandoned and began falling into ruin. Parts of the castle were demolished for building material, and when the Ehrenfels-Schauenstein male line died out in 1742, only a ruin remained. In 1933 it was acquired by the Schweizerische Burgenverein (Swiss Castle Association) and converted into a youth hostel. Since the conversion was done without archeological investigation or records, much of the history of the castle was lost. In 1954 Swiss Youth Hostels bought the castle from the Association. It remains in operation today with 38 beds.

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Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Switzerland

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en.wikipedia.org

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4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Andrin Caviezel (3 years ago)
Beautiful place! Can be a rented as entire castle... If you are having a party with good friends and lots of kids, perfect place... Self-catering, well equipped kitchen, nearby caterers (Thusis) who can provide food...
Sebastian Lanz (4 years ago)
Magic!
GEORGE KISLIG (4 years ago)
Memories of 1965 school excursion and educational 2 weeks vacation with 27 pupils. What a fun time it was.
Marcel Twitter (5 years ago)
Für Anlässe, wie Hochzeiten, Geburtstage etc sehr zu empfehlen.
Greg Turnbull (5 years ago)
Nice castle now a youth hostel
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