Hallwyl Castle

Hire rooms for weddings and events

Hallwyl Castle rents out rooms for weddings, celebrations and events: get married in a moated castle, celebrate your birthday in a historical ambience or host a drinks reception in the castle courtyar

 
Wettingen Abbey

Hire rooms

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR VISITS IN 2025 The abbey church is closed in 2025 for restoration, the stained glass windows in the cloister are not accessible The museum is open from 4 April to 2 November 2025 (

 
Hallwyl Castle

Opening hours and entrance fees

Opening hours: castle and bistro 1 April to 2 November 2025 Monday closed Tuesday – Sunday, public holidays* 10 am – 5 pm * Open on the following public holidays: Easter (Good Friday, Easter Sunday an

 
Lenzburg Castle

Opening hours and entrance fees

Opening hours: castle and bistro 1 April to 2 November 2025 Monday closed Tuesday – Sunday, public holidays* 10 am – 5 pm * Open on the following public holidays: Easter (Good Friday, Easter Sunday an

 
Wildegg Castle

Opening hours and entrance fees

Opening hours: castle, garden and bistro 1 April to 2 November 2025 Monday closed Tuesday – Sunday, public holidays* 10 am – 5 pm * Open on the following public holidays: Easter (Good Friday, Easter S

 
Habsburg Castle

Opening hours and entrance fees

Opening hours castle Summer season 1 April to 2 November 2025 Monday closed Tuesday – Sunday, public holidays* 10 am – 5 pm * Open on the following public holidays: Easter (Good Friday, Easter Sunday

 
Vindonissa Legionary Trail

Getting here by car, train and bus

Directions to Vindonissa Legionary Trail Address Legionärspfad Vindonissa – Museum Aargau Königsfelderstrasse 265 5210 Windisch Tel. 0848 871 200 Contact Arrival by public transport and car Arriving b

 
Königsfelden Abbey

Contact

Address Kloster Königsfelden – Museum Aargau 5210 Windisch Tel. 0848 871 200 Contact Organisation Museum Aargau Management Member Contact Dr. Marco Sigg Director E-Mail Dr. Angela Dettling Deputy Dire

 
Vindonissa Museum

Guided tours for groups

A day trip to the Vindonissa Museum is packed with highlights for groups: start an interactive adventure tour as an archaeologist, book a guided tour or discover the exhibitions on your own. All offer

 
Wildegg Castle

Contact

Address Schloss Wildegg – Museum Aargau Effingerweg 5 5103 Wildegg Tel. 0848 871 200 Send a message Organisation Museum Aargau Management Member Contact Dr. Marco Sigg Director E-Mail Dr. Angela Dettl

Gradian
Schlossdomäne Wildegg mit Garten Blickwinkel von unten

Wildegg Castle Estate and history

Wildegg Castle and the Effinger family

Wildegg Castle and the Effinger family

Wildegg Castle Estate includes all lands and properties outside the castle walls. It comprises numerous buildings to this day including Gasthof Bären and an organic farm.

Wildegg Castle Estate has undergone many changes and conversions over the course of the centuries as a result of sales and purchases. In around1770 it achieved its maximum extent of approximately 120 hectares of cropland, meadows, vineyard and commercial premises. From the 18th century onwards the Effinger family sold off parts of the property.

Along with the Castle Estate, the Effinger family also held governing rights over the villages of Möriken and Holderbank - including taxation and lower-level legal jurisdiction. The family passed judgement on smaller-scale offences, appointed the priest and was allowed to open commercial enterprises such as inns and mills. Apart from the fishing rights, these governing rights were lost when the French invaded in 1798.

After 1912, the Swiss Confederation was able to buy back some of the properties sold by the Effinger family such as Gasthof Bären in Wildegg. Today the estate has a surface area of some 100 hectares and comprises 37 buildings, a vegetable and pleasure garden, an organic farm, grapevines, forestry and fishing rights.

In 2011, Wildegg Castle Estate was converted into a foundation of the same name. The foundation is responsible for administering the entire estate. Museum Aargau runs the museum and takes care of the gardens. The aim is to give visitors the opportunity to experience all the facets of a Baroque castle estate in situ.

Enquiries and contact

+41 (0)848 871 200
schlosswildegg@ag.ch

Telephone availability
Tuesday to Friday
9 am – 12 midday
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm

History

Under Habsburg rule

Wildegg Castle was built in the first half of the 13th century by order of the Habsburgs.

Perched on a ledge with a striking main tower and residential annex, the castle was first mentioned in 1242. It was the seat of a branch of the Habsburg family that belonged to the lower gentry, the stewards of Habsburg and Wildegg. Before 1348 the castle was granted to the Lords of Hallwyl as a fief by the Habsburgs. Thüring I of Hallwyl had the complex elaborately modernised in 1372.

13/14th c.

Under Bernese rule

When Aargau was conquered in 1415, Wildegg Castle also fell to the Bernese.

The Hallwyls sold the castle in 1437. After various changes of owner it was purchased by the City of Bern. In 1483 it was then sold along with all its lands and rights to Kaspar Effinger, a member of the Aargau gentry.

From 1415

The Effinger family

Wildegg remained in the possession of the Effinger family for eleven generations until 1912.

The Effingers belonged to the lower nobility and appeared in the town of Brugg in the 14th century where several of them were mayors. When they purchased Wildegg, the Effingers also acquired Bernese citizenship rights and were among the ruling families of Bern from 1680.

The castle virtually burned to the ground in 1552 after being struck by lightning. It was then reconstructed in the Late Gothic style. In around 1700 Bernhard Effinger had the castle converted into a Baroque manor house, with extended gardens replacing the demolished fortification structures.

In the 17th century and again in the 19th century the Effingers also owned nearby Wildenstein Castle in Veltheim. However, the last owners in the 19th century preferred to reside in the more comfortable Erlachhaus and at the country house in Wildegg.

1483-1912

Under the ownership of the Swiss Confederation

In 1912 the last in the family line, Julie von Effinger, bequeathed Wildegg and most of its furnishings and lands to the Swiss Confederation.

Zurich National Museum turned the castle into a residential museum which has been open to the public since 1917. The castle underwent extensive renovation in 1938 and then again from 2007.

1912-2010

Under the ownership of the canton of Aargau

Since January 1st 2011 the castle and its estate have belonged to the Wildegg Castle Estate Foundation established by the canton of Aargau.

Museum Aargau is responsible for running the museum.

Since 2011