Weinstein Castle
Weinstein
castle sits on a hill in the middle of a vineyard overlooking the beautiful
Rhine river valley in northeastern Switzerland (near Rebstein). It has been a
landmark in the area for over 600 years. Today's owners operate a restaurant
there, so it is possible to visit it and enjoy the same view enjoyed by our
ancestors, who were its first owners.
Early
records mention a Hans Varnbühler there in 1375; he is the first documented
Varnbühler. Later his son Ulrich, mayor of St. Gallen, enlarged the castle,
only to have it confiscated a few years later as the result of a major
political dispute involving the local abbey (see Ulrich's biography in the
Contents list). Possession was later regained through a lengthy legal process
initiated by his sons and the intervention of Emperor Maximilian. Eventually it
was sold and it has changed owners several times over the centuries.
This photograph of Weinstein appeared on a
Swiss calendar in 2001