Stein am Rhein. Panorama of the Hohenklingen Castle Surroundings

This is a classic picture of a medieval European settlement. There are high mountains above the river where the castle is built, the town at the foot, and endless fields. All this is presented in one online broadcast from the Swiss town of Stein am Rhein. We are looking at this town from Hohenklingen Castle. It was founded at the beginning of the 13th century and got its modern look at the turn of the 13th14th centuries.

The castle is built at an altitude of almost 600 meters above sea level. The town of Stein am Rhein is located 200 meters below the castle. The name contains an ancient German phrase meaning “mountain stream” or “noisy water”.

The history of the castle and the town are closely linked. At first, Hohenklingen was a private castle, but in the middle of the 15th century, it was bought by the town and used as an important defensive and signal point of Zurich.

The castle was actively involved during the two wars, the Swabian (1499) and Thirty Years War (1618-1648). Over time, Hohenklingen ceased to play a significant strategic role and gradually began to decline. The situation was saved by a hotel and a restaurant opened in the castle, which is now an elite place.