Schwarzenhorn Castle

The castle was founded in the first half of the 13th century by the Counts of Montfort-Feldkirch. It is mentioned in documents in 1283. At that time, the lord of the castle was a vassal of the Counts of Montfort-Werdenberg named Schwarzhorn.

After only a few years, the castle lost its importance in favor of the Jagdberg fortress in nearby Schlins. In 1335, the castle was sold by Count Ulrich of Montfort-Feldkirch to Heinrich von Celle. Schwarzenhorn was presumably destroyed in 1405 during the Appenzell War and not rebuilt. Since its destruction, the former castle served for about 600 years as a storage for hewn building material for the houses of Satteins.

Restoration work began in the summer of 2007. Already during the second phase in 2008, the idea for a Leader project for the preservation of castles and ruins in Walgau emerged, focusing on Satteins. The aim was to awaken interest in the historic residences and fortifications in this region. Project components included restorations, uniform signage at the sites, networked hiking trails, and various events. One of these was to be a training construction site for masons in 2010 during the third restoration phase at the Schwarzenhorn ruin.