Löwenburg Castle (Ruin)

Archaeological findings suggest that the original wooden castle was built as early as the late 10th century. The Löwenburg was first documented in 1271. Shortly before 1200, the complex was first constructed in stone, initially as a simple curtain wall. In the mid-13th century, a reconstruction transformed the castle into a defensible fortress with rubble stone walls, sandstone work, and tiled roofs. After a fire before 1300, it was immediately rebuilt. The Basel earthquake of 1356 led to the destruction and subsequent reconstruction of the keep and cistern. The castle was originally owned by a Sundgau noble family, who bore a lion in their coat of arms from 1235 onwards, giving the complex its name. It was initially an allod, but later became a fief of the Counts of Pfirt and then the Dukes of Habsburg. After 1360, ownership passed through marriage to the Basel knightly family Münch von Münchenstein. In 1526, the Münch family sold the Löwenburg to the Lützel Monastery, which allowed the fortifications to fall into disrepair and instead converted the manor house into a fortified complex.

The Löwenburg ruin is located at approximately 631 meters above sea level in Löwenburg, a hamlet of the municipality of Pleigne in the Delémont district, Canton of Jura, Switzerland.

The Löwenburg ruin is accessible to visitors. A nearby museum displays prehistoric finds and medieval artifacts that document daily life at the castle, including stove tiles, ceramics, and weapons. A reconstruction model illustrates the castle in its original state.