Schauenstein Castle (Fürstenau)

Schloss Schauenstein, also known as "Upper Castle", is located in Fürstenau in Domleschg in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Together with Fürstenau's other castle, the Episcopal or "Lower Castle", it originally formed part of the medieval defensive complex.

The core of Schloss Schauenstein consists of a tower, the original eastern end of the old defensive complex. Foundations from that time have been preserved in the sauna. Around 1670, the two cousins Rudolf and Johann Rudolf von Schauenstein acquired the decaying building from the Bishop of Chur and incorporated it into a new construction. The current appearance of the castle still dates back to this extension. On the portal of the west wing, in addition to the year 1667, the initials and alliance coats of arms of Baron Johann Rudolf and his wife Emilie, née Molina, commemorate the builders of the complex.

In 1732, the last Baron von Schauenstein sold the castle to Carl Ulysses von Stampa. On October 27, 1742, Fürstenau and the castle were destroyed by fire and rebuilt in their eastern part. The southern part was restored significantly more simply. In 1769, Barbara von Planta from Geneva acquired the castle from Stampa's widow for her son Major Friedrich von Planta, who brought the paintings on canvas with pastoral scenes in the salon from Paris to Fürstenau around 1790.

In 1813, Schloss Schauenstein was sold to Conradin von Planta from Zuoz. From 1824 to 1840, the western part of the castle served as a boarding school, where young people from Italian and Romance valleys were prepared for the cantonal school. The school was closed in 1840, and the house began to decay.

In 1863, Peter von Planta from Zuoz bought the building. After his death in 1910, Robert von Planta had the house renovated from 1910 to 1912 by the renowned Graubünden architects Schäfer and Risch, making it a meeting place for artists and scientists.

The castle was sold by Gaudenz von Planta to Rudolf Schoeller in 1941, and by him to Emser Werke in 1961. In 1998, the Heinrich Schwendener Foundation from Sils im Domleschg acquired it. The castle is still owned by the Heinrich Schwendener Foundation.

In 2003, chef Andreas Caminada and Sieglinde Zottmaier, as tenants, renovated the house. Since then, Schloss Schauenstein has been run as a restaurant and hotel. In 2010, the restaurant was awarded 3 stars in the Guide Michelin and 19 points in Gault-Millau. In 2011, Schloss Schauenstein made it to 23rd place in S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants.