One of my Favorite things to see in Europe are the castles. I had everyone check out of their rooms this morning, pile into our 9 passenger van, and embark on a castle day trip I had carefully planned. In researching what we could see from Bern I came up with a plan which involved visiting 8 different castles and ending up in Zermatt that evening under the Matterhorn mountain.
Our route for the day would take us West and then South and finally back east as we followed a line from one castle to the next. We would skirt 2 lakes and see untold beauty across Switzerland and it was totally worth it! I knew in advance that certain castles were privately owned and not open to the public. There were also a couple of castles that I intended to spend time at and planned accordingly with our drive times.
1) Neuchâtel Castle
Our First stop was Neuchâtel Castle on the Northwestern coast of Lac de Neuchâtel. Driving our Griswald-style 9 passenger van I couldn’t help but be acutely aware of how this castle was at the top of a town with very narrow streets leading up to it. You round a few hairpin turns and you are at the castle. I was a bit worried about meeting a truck coming the other way! We didn’t plan long here and there wasn’t really a place to park so I stayed with the van while the family grabbed some shots where they could openly explore. The view of the lake over the top of the town was amazing from this vantage point.
2) Grandson Castle
Our next stop was the Grandson Castle on the southwest coast of Lac de Neuchâtel. There was a public restroom across from the castle and the gift shop was open. There wasn’t much to see without paying admission so we just took a few exterior shots and enjoyed the pit stop and then loaded into the van for the next castle on our list!
3) Vufflens-le-Château
Taking a side-trip off the north coast of Lake Geneva (or Lac Léman) we headed towards Vufflens-le-Château. It has such a distinct look about it but unfortunately it was privately owned and not open to the public. We were able to take a lot of pictures from around the outside of the Château however. The drive down the country roads to get there were worth the side trip themselves.
4) Chillon Castle
Rated on a list I was following as the #1 of the best castles in Switzerland, we made sure to take time to stop and see Chillon Castle. On the extreme eastern side of Lac Léman, extending out over the lake, was Chillon Castle. I set the family loose on the castle while I drove a ways up and down the street looking for parking. I finally caught someone leaving after about 15 or 20 minutes and was able to pay my own admission and find everyone within the castle.
The inner courtyards, the wooden walkways, the toilet that is open to the lake below. All reasons to love a visit to this castle. One of my favorites of the day.
5) Aigle Castle
Picturesque in an understatement for Aigle Castle. Nestled in a valley, not far from Chillon castle on Lac Léman, surrounded by vinyards on all sides. Driving the narrow roads in our large van to get close was fun. We only briefly looked around from outside and headed to our next destination.
6) Château de la Bâtiaz
Close but not quite is the story of Château de la Bâtiaz. I really only planned a Kodak moment at this castle but after looking around the base in the town below, I wasn’t able to easily find a way up. Not sure that it was even accessible to the public we ventured on.
7) Château de Tourbillon
The castle I was looking forward to the most was the ruins of Château de Tourbillon perched on top of a hill in a valley across from Church-Fortress of Valere (Sion) on a nearby hilltop. Parking was a bit tricky as the area leading up to the trail to the castle was pedestrian only. We ended up parking about a half-mile away on the main street at an open lot I had seen on the way in. Past the cave entrance you can see behind Finn and I ran a small novelty passenger train to take people up the hill to the bas of the climb to Tourbillon.
The trail to the castle varied greatly from dirt to gravel to rocks to pavers to steps all in varying weathered conditions. The view from the top was still amazing even if the structure is just a shell of its former self.
8) Church-Fortress of Valere (Sion)
One of the best things that we didn’t have a chance to enjoy was that this valley hosting the ruins of Château de Tourbillon had two hills. The second had the Church Fortress of Valere (Sion) on it. I hoped we might see both but it got late and we had an injury.
Tammy twisted her ankle right at the top of the climb on the steps of Château de Tourbillon as we were about to leave. The family helped her down and I went and retrieved the van from the remote parking area to meet them when they got down.
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