Restiturm, Meiringen, Switzerland

The Restiturm, or Burgruine Resti, is a ruined castle in the municipality of Meiringen. The original castle was built in the 13th century and has been rebuilt several times. The castle is situated at the foot of the Hasliberges. The best preserved part of the castle is its tower, which still stands to this day. An examination of the castle interior reveals that the castle was constructed inside out, with the core's construction beginning in 1250. It took another 50 years before the iconic tower was completed.

The castle was the seat of the Knights of Resti, vassals of the Habsburgs. The first construction was in 1250 by Peter von Resti. It overlooks the Haslital and served to control and protect the valley and the trade routes across the Grimsel Pass, Joch Pass, Susten Pass, Grosse Scheidegg and Brünig Pass.

In the 16th century, the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair. It was restored in 1914 and again in 2004. During this latter renovation, information boards, steel ladders and a terrace were added. Today, only the tower remains. It is owned by the nonprofit association Meiringen.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Ruedi Naef (3 years ago)
A great place for families. Fireplace with wood on site and everything it needs. Thank you dear community of Meiringen for this great service.

Peter M. Kempf (3 years ago)
Ruin of a defense tower. Walkable, requires surefootedness. Nice view of the valley and the community of Meiringen.

Nadia P. (4 years ago)
A nice walk from the village. A short climb to the ruin, then up stairs to the top, from where you can enjoy a beautiful view.

V Grytsenko (4 years ago)
Restiturm is preserved tower of a ruined castle was built in the 13th century and has been rebuilt several times. The tower is situated at the foot of the Hasliberges.

Frank Fietzek (5 years ago)
Easily accessible. Nice view. Interesting

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Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.

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These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.

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