Münchenstein Castle (Ruin)

The locality, originally Geckingen, was acquired around 1260 by the knightly family of Münch. Between 1260 and 1275, Hugo III. Münch likely began the construction of the castle. The Münch renamed the village Münchenstein after their new castle from 1279. Around 1270, they handed over the castle and village to the Counts of Pfirt and received it back as a fief. After the death of the last Count of Pfirt in 1324, the feudal power passed to the House of Habsburg-Austria. The castle reached its largest extent in 1334 and was damaged by the Basel earthquake in 1356, but quickly repaired. In 1468, Solothurn captured the castle by a surprise attack but had to return it to the Münch a year later. Inheritance disputes and mismanagement led to the family's economic ruin, so they had to pledge the village and castle to the city of Basel in 1470. In 1515, the Münch sold their dominion of Münchenstein to Basel, and the castle became the seat of a Basel bailiff. In 1798, in the course of the revolutionary events, the last chief bailiff left the castle, which was subsequently sold to the municipality and used as a quarry.

The ruin can be visited. Access is blocked by a small gate, but the key is available from the municipal administration of Münchenstein.