Gesslerburg Castle (Ruin) (Küssnacht)

The origins of the castle date back to the nobles of Küssnacht, who served as the first lords. In 1302, Knight Eppo demanded such high taxes and services that he was attacked by the inhabitants of the surrounding villages. Later, in 1336, Knight Hartmann, son-in-law of Zurich's mayor Rudolf Brun, was involved in the Zurich guild revolution and found support in an alliance of Lucerne, Zurich, and the original cantons. With him, the male line of the family died out. His coat of arms, a white cushion on a red field, became the emblem of the Küssnacht district. The castle experienced another period of prosperity under the nobles of Silenen from Uri, some famous personalities of whom, such as Jost von Silenen, Bishop of Grenoble and Sion, are said to have been born here. The last of the Silenen resided in Rome, while the castle in their homeland fell into disrepair. According to the oldest Uri Tell play and the historian Aegidius Tschudi, Vogt Gessler is said to have had his seat in this castle, from which the name Gesslerburg is derived. It later served as a quarry for the construction of the parish church and became buried in its own rubble until the Swiss Confederation acquired the castle hill in 1908 and had it excavated. The findings attest to a sophisticated living culture and active trade.

The Gesslerburg ruin is located in Küssnacht in the canton of Schwyz, Switzerland, at an elevation of approximately 502 meters above sea level.

The ruin is accessible to visitors and can be explored. The area also includes a pond and a historic bone mill with a waterwheel that has been in operation again since 1996.

• Schloss Buonas (Castle), approx. 6.7 km away
• Schloss Neuhabsburg (Meggen) (Castle), approx. 7.3 km away
• Schloss Freudenberg (Rotkreuz) (Castle), approx. 8.1 km away
• Schloss Meggenhorn (Meggen) (Castle), approx. 8.7 km away