Ehrenfels Castle is a

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

in the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality ...

Sils im Domleschg Sils im Domleschg ( Romansh: ''Seglias'') is a municipality in the Viamala Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. History Sils im Domleschg is first mentioned in 1149 as ''de Sillas''. Geography Sils im Domleschg has an area, (as of the ...

of the

Canton of Graubünden The Grisons () or Graubünden,Names include: *german: (Kanton) Graubünden ; * Romansh: ** rm, label=Sursilvan, (Cantun) Grischun ** rm, label= Vallader, (Chantun) Grischun ** rm, label= Puter, (Chantun) Grischun ** rm, label= Surmiran, (Can ...

in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. Today it is a youth hostel.

History

The castle was probably built in the first half of the 13th century. The first mention of the Lord of Ehrenfels is in 1257. In 1320 it was owned by Burkhard and Rudolf von Schauenstein, who also used the name Ehrenfels or Herrenfels. They probably expanded the simple

bergfried ''Bergfried'' (plural: ''bergfriede''; English: ''belfry''; French: ''tour-beffroi''; Spanish: ''torre del homenaje'') is a tall tower that is typically found in castles of the Middle Ages in German-speaking countries and in countries under German ...

with residential space and a

ring wall A curtain wall is a defensive wall between two fortified towers or bastions of a castle, fortress, or town. Ancient fortifications Evidence for curtain walls or a series of walls surrounding a town or fortress can be found in the historical s ...

around that time. The castle was first mentioned in 1423 with Hermann von Ehrenfels as the owner. Toward the end of the 15th century or in the early 16th century it was given to

Cazis Cazis ''( Romansh: Tgazas)'' is a municipality in the Viamala Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of Portein, Präz, Sarn and Tartar merged into the municipality of Cazis. History Cazis is first m ...

Monastery, but the Schauenstein-Ehrenfels family continued to occupy it. During the 16th century the castle was renovated and rebuilt into a more comfortable

palas A ''palas'' () is a German term for the imposing or prestigious building of a medieval '' Pfalz'' or castle that contained the great hall. Such buildings appeared during the Romanesque period (11th to 13th century) and, according to Thompson, ...

. However, by 1600 Ehrenfels was abandoned and began falling into ruin. Parts of the castle were demolished for building material, and when the Ehrenfels-Schauenstein male line died out in 1742, only a ruin remained. In 1933 it was acquired by the ''Schweizerische Burgenverein'' (Swiss Castle Association) and converted into a

youth hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, with shared use of a lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared ...

. Since the conversion was done without archeological investigation or records, much of the history of the castle was lost. In 1954 Swiss Youth Hostels bought the castle from the Association. It remains in operation today with 38 beds.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ehrenfels Castle Sils im Domleschg Cultural property of national significance in Graubünden Castles in Graubünden

History

See also

References