Werdenberg, St Gallen
THE LOWDOWN
Blink and you might miss Werdenberg — officially one of Switzerland’s smallest historic towns, it’s a ridiculously pretty little cluster of medieval timber houses, narrow lanes and a peaceful lake, all watched over by a 13th-century castle. Originally built by the Counts of Montfort, Schloss Werdenberg became the family seat of the Counts of Werdenberg, who gave the town its name. Unlike many Swiss castles that are little more than empty stone shells, this one still has plenty of character inside, with rooms showing how its residents lived across the centuries. Today it’s a museum, and the whole place feels like someone pressed pause on the Middle Ages.
ROUND THE CASTLE
Werdenberg has had quite the revolving door of owners. After its early days as a noble residence, the castle ended up in the hands of the Canton of Glarus in 1517, which used it as headquarters for its governors for almost 300 years. These officials weren’t exactly popular with the locals, who had little say in how they were governed. When the old Swiss system collapsed in 1798, the castle eventually passed into private hands, with the Hilty family buying it in 1835 and turning parts of the fortress into a comfortable family home. They kept it until 1956, when it became the property of the Canton of St. Gallen. Inside, you get an interesting mix of medieval architecture and later domestic life, while outside, the little town and lake make the whole setting feel almost suspiciously picturesque.
THE LITTLE TITBIT
In 1722, the people of Werdenberg had finally had enough of being bossed around by their Glarus rulers and staged a rebellion. Unfortunately for them, Glarus wasn’t particularly interested in sharing its famous Swiss freedoms with the people it governed. The uprising was crushed, and its leaders were punished. The irony? Glarus was proud of its own tradition of direct democracy, where citizens gathered to vote on important decisions. Apparently, democracy was a wonderful idea — just not for the neighbours.
Before running water came along, castle servants had the lovely job of hauling buckets of water from the well, probably arriving upstairs with considerably colder water than they’d started with. Most houses in Werdenberg didn’t get running water until after 1950, but the castle was enjoying this luxury as early as 1883. Frieda Hilty, its last private owner, took things a step further, having her bathroom painted bright red and installing a boiler after the Second World War so she could enjoy hot water on demand. When she donated the castle to the canton in 1956, the new owners promptly painted her beloved bathroom white. Years later, an artist brought the red back using coloured lighting. Apparently, even when you give away an entire castle, someone still feels the need to redecorate your bathroom.
Who says defending a medieval Swiss town was strictly men’s business? This rather splendid 19th-century print, titled The Women of Winterthur, shows the town’s women marching through the streets armed with spears and other weapons, with even the children getting caught up in the excitement. Created around 1833, the picture celebrates women taking matters into their own hands when trouble comes knocking. Whether it depicts a real incident or a rather romantic version of history isn’t entirely clear, but the message is unmistakable: underestimate the women of Winterthur at your peril.
