Top 20 Castles around Gams
Castles around Gams are primarily found in the surrounding region, as the municipality itself does not host prominent castles. Gams is located in the Wahlkreis of Werdenberg in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland, approximately 5 kilometers southeast of Buchs. This area is characterized by its position in the Rhine Valley, offering views towards the Alpstein massif. The region provides a historical landscape with several notable castle sites nearby.
Best castles around Gams
- The most popular castles is Vaduz Castle, a castle that serves as the seat of the Princely House of Liechtenstein. Built in the 12th century, it is privately owned and not open to the public, but offers views of Vaduz.
- Another must-see spot is Schalun Castle Ruins (Wild Castle), a historical castle ruin. Visitors can reach it from Vaduz via a forest track and enjoy a magnificent view of the Rhine Valley from its location on a rocky terrace.
- Visitors also love Government Quarter, Vaduz, a historical site that encompasses the southern town center of Vaduz. This area includes historical buildings and is the seat of authorities, with Vaduz Castle historically linked to its development.
- Gams is known for its proximity to well-preserved castles, historical ruins, and significant historical sites. The region offers a variety of castles to see and explore, reflecting centuries of history.
- The castles around Gams are appreciated by the komoot community, with more than 580 upvotes and over 350 photos shared by visitors.
Last updated: May 9, 2026
Vaduz Castle
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Vaduz Castle, formerly also called Hohenliechtenstein, is located on a rocky terrace above Vaduz, the seat of government of the Principality of Liechtenstein. Today it is the town's landmark and the seat of the Princely House of Liechtenstein.
The time when the castle was built is not certain. Today, however, it is assumed that the first parts of the building were built in the 12th century. The keep was probably built as one of the first structures and was later supplemented by a residential tower which, thanks to dendrochronological studies, can be dated to 1287. In the decades that followed, the facility was successively expanded and extended.
The castle has been owned by the Princes of Liechtenstein since 1712. From 1712 to 1732 it was now called Hohenliechtenstein and served as the seat of the bailiff with official apartments in the west wing. In the decades and centuries that followed, the castle increasingly fell into disrepair, so that the first restoration plans were drawn up at the beginning of the 20th century.
Prince Johann II finally undertook thorough restoration from 1905 to 1912 under the direction of state curator Franz von Wieser from Innsbruck. Alois Gstrein from Brixen worked as master builder. Prince Franz Josef II had it extended and in 1939 he and his family took up permanent residence in the palace.
The palace is privately owned by the royal family and is therefore not open to the public. The reigning sovereign receives state guests and other visitors for private talks in the palace.
Text/Source: Wikipedia
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Vaduz
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Werdenberg — Old Town, Castle and Lake
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Werdenberg is a town with historical town charter in the eastern Swiss canton of St. Gallen. The town of Werdenberg belongs to the municipality of Grabs and is located 0.5 km west of Buchs. It boasts of being the smallest town in Switzerland with around 55-60 residents. Of the around 40 houses, some only serve as holiday homes. Werdenberg is often visited by tourists because of its very well-preserved medieval houses and the museum in Werdenberg Castle. The Werdenberg Castle Festival has been taking place in Werdenberg Castle since 1985.[
The county of Werdenberg included the castle and town of Werdenberg of the same name, the villages of Grabs, Buchs and Sevelen as well as jurisdiction over the Wartau domain (Wartau Castle and village of Gretschins). The noble family of the Counts of Werdenberg split into several side lines in 1277. The actual county of Werdenberg remained with the line of the Counts of Werdenberg-Heiligenberg.
In 1402 they pledged the County of Werdenberg to the Counts of Montfort-Tettnang, from whom it passed to the Counts of Sax-Misox in 1483. In 1485 the city of Lucerne acquired the county and passed it on to the Barons of Kastelwart in 1493. However, the county remained connected to the Confederation through a castle law with Lucerne, even when the county changed hands again to the Barons of Hewen in 1498. Werdenberg also fought on the side of the Confederates in the Swabian War. In 1517 the Barons of Hewen sold Werdenberg to the canton of Glarus for 21,500 guilders.
Glarus administered Werdenberg very strictly as a bailiwick - the Glarus lords were anything but popular in the Rhine Valley. Because of the confusing legal situation between the counties of Werdenberg and Sargans in the Wartau rule, there were repeated disputes between the bailiffs, which in the “Wartau trade” of 1694/95 were brought up to the federal parliament.
With the fall of the old Confederation and the founding of the Helvetic Republic in 1798, Werdenberg became part of the canton of Linth. When this was dissolved again with the mediation constitution of 1803, Werdenberg became part of the canton of St. Gallen.
Text from Wikipedia
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Government Quarter, Vaduz
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Southern town center of Vaduz at the foot of the hillside of the castle forest, bordered by the English building on the north side and the Vaduz parish church of St. Florin on the south side.
In the late Middle Ages, on this section of the Reichstrasse Lindau–Milan below Vaduz Castle, there was a manorial court, the manorial (own) chapel of St. Florin with court chaplaincy buildings, the so-called Tschaggaturm (→residential towers) and a small customs house; The court sessions and the Landammann elections for the County of Vaduz took place near the nearby lime tree. Poeschel suspects that this is the center of the gaugrave's, later Werdenberg's, possessions in the Vaduz area. Since the 16th century, the area, which was originally located away from the village, has developed into the so-called official quarters (today the government district) through the settlement of manorial and later state authorities.
In 1585 the erection of a «Cantzley» building is mentioned for the first time, which may have been the Landvogtei or today's Rheinbergerhaus. The latter is occupied as an office building in 1617/19, in the 18th/19th In the 19th century it was the office and residence of the pension master, later the seat of the princely domain administration; since 1968 it has housed the Liechtenstein Music School. The bailiff, also mentioned in 1617/19, was the residence (with interruptions in the 18th century) until 1918, and until 1865 also the official seat of the bailiff (or the provincial governor from 1848). The Estates Parliament also met in this building, known as the Verweserhaus, from 1818 to 1862. Until the 19th century, between the Verweserhaus and the Rheinbergerhaus, there was the former manorial courtyard with the «Schellahüsli», which served as a prison.
The Verweserhaus is attached to the former stately tavern that was built around 1500. This also served as a customs building from 1637 and as a government building from 1865 to 1905. The Liechtenstein National Museum has been located here since 1972. To the north of it, the Estates House was built in 1866-67 as a meeting place for the state parliament, which also housed the offices of the regional courts, judges' apartments and a prison bar. It was used as a secondary school from 1905, as a state library from 1961 and demolished in 1970. Between 1903 and 1905, today's government building with the state parliament hall was built between the administrator's house and the parish church built in 1872 (also the cathedral since 1997). Other official buildings in the government quarter are the Schädlerhaus (today, among other things, the registry office), the Liechtensteinische Landesbank (1952), the state archive (1962) and the post office and administration building (1975).
A project by the Ticino architect Luigi Snozzi, which emerged from an urban planning ideas and project competition (1984-87) to redesign the entire area between the English building and the parish church, was rejected in a referendum in 1993. The new state parliament building planned by Hansjörg Göritz (Hanover) was built in 2002-07 between the administration building and the government building, adopting Snozzi's basic urban planning idea (hillside development). The extension of the State Museum (1999-2003) by the architects Brunhart, Brunner, Kranz (Balzers) and the new construction of the archive and administration building (2006-09) by the architects Keller and Brander (Vaduz) complete the hillside development.
Author: Michael Pattyn
historisches-lexikon.li/Regierungsviertel
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Schalun Castle Ruins (Wild Castle)
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Schattenburg Castle
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The Schattenburg towers over the city and was the seat of the Counts of Montfort until the end of the 14th century. The keep, the highest part of the Schattenburg, is a viewing platform and allows a view over the whole of Feldkirch. It is particularly interesting for castle enthusiasts, as the complex has been preserved almost unchanged despite some extensions. Here you will also find the Schattenburg Museum and an inn, which invites you to linger and is famous for its giant schnitzel.
Text: Tourist and ticket office, Feldkirch
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Vaduz Castle, "Landmark of Vaduz" Vaduz Castle is the landmark of Liechtenstein's capital city and is visible from afar. Vaduz Castle sits perched approximately 120 meters above the city of Vaduz. The castle's origins likely date back to the 12th century. The keep was probably one of the first structures built and was later supplemented by a residential tower. This residential tower can be dated to 1287. It is first mentioned in historical records in 1322. It came into the possession of the House of Liechtenstein in 1712 and, under the name Hohenliechtenstein, served as the seat of the Landvogtei (bailiwick) with official residences in the west wing until 1732. Afterward, it fell into increasing disrepair, and it was not until 1905 to 1912 that it underwent a thorough renovation and restoration. Prince Franz Josef II then had it expanded and made habitable. In 1939, he moved in with his family and took up permanent residence there. Visiting: The castle is not open to the public. A glimpse inside the castle can be seen in the film "Princely Moments" at the Alte Kino Vaduz (Old Cinema Vaduz). Text / Source: Official Tourism Website of the Principality of Liechtenstein https://tourismus.li/map/poi/schloss-vaduz-8fb7e6cf-99b5-4ffb-b600-9e4c66398e1f.html
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Schalun Castle, also known as the Wildschloss (Wild Castle), can be reached from Vaduz in about an hour along a steadily ascending forest track. Along the way, you'll also pass the new viewing platform. From the castle, you can enjoy a magnificent view of the Rhine Valley. Source: Schalun Castle (Wild Castle) - Official Tourism Website of the Principality of Liechtenstein https://share.google/etl2VY6VLRFX8CUZh
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...also known as the Wildschloss (Wild Castle) is definitely a highlight. It's only a ruin, but it's a great place to rest and there's even a barbecue area.
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The state's government district is located on the east side of the spacious Peter Kaiser Square. Since 2008, the government building, the state parliament building and the state archive have formed the newly designed government district with the impressive Peter Kaiser Square.
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The royal family resides high above the city. Even though you can't go into the castle itself, you can still enjoy a great view of Vaduz from up there.
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High above the capital Vaduz, on a mountain spur, lies the castle-like Vaduz Castle. The castle, which is not open to the public, was probably built in the 13th century and is now owned by the Princes of Lichtenstein. The mighty keep, with its 4-meter-thick walls, is remarkable and immediately draws the viewer's attention. A footpath leads from a free car park to the castle's exterior. Even if you can't go inside, it's still worth a visit.
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Vaduz Castle is owned and inhabited by the princely family. The castle is therefore not open to the public. But around the castle you will find many beautiful places to rest and enjoy the panorama. www.fuerstenhaus.li
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Frequently Asked Questions
What historical castles can I explore near Gams?
While Gams itself does not host prominent castles, the surrounding region offers several significant historical sites. You can explore the well-preserved Werdenberg Castle, which is part of Switzerland's smallest town and houses a museum. Other notable sites include the Schalun Castle Ruins (Wild Castle), offering magnificent views, and Schattenburg Castle in Feldkirch, which features a museum and an inn.
Are there any castles near Gams that are still inhabited or privately owned?
Yes, Vaduz Castle, a landmark in the nearby Principality of Liechtenstein, serves as the seat of the Princely House of Liechtenstein. It is privately owned and not open to the public, but you can still enjoy impressive views of Vaduz from its vicinity.
What is the historical significance of castles in the Gams region?
The castles in the wider Gams region, such as Werdenberg Castle, played crucial roles in administering and protecting lands during the medieval period. Werdenberg Castle, for instance, dates back to the 13th century and has witnessed centuries of architectural evolution and historical events, serving as a fortified noble residence and later a cultural museum.
Can I visit museums or learn about the history at these castles?
Absolutely. Werdenberg Castle houses a museum showcasing the history of its rulers and inhabitants across different epochs. Similarly, Schattenburg Castle in Feldkirch also hosts a local museum, providing insights into its past as an ancestral seat and later uses.
Do any castles near Gams offer scenic views?
Many castles in the region are strategically located to offer stunning vistas. From Vaduz Castle, you get a great view of Vaduz. The Schalun Castle Ruins (Wild Castle) provide a magnificent view of the Rhine Valley from its rocky terrace. Werdenberg Castle, perched above the town, also offers picturesque views of the surrounding Rhine Valley and Alpstein massif.
Are there hiking opportunities around the castles?
Yes, the region around Gams and its castles is excellent for outdoor activities. For example, you can reach the Schalun Castle Ruins from Vaduz via a steadily ascending forest track. The scenic location of Werdenberg Castle also makes it a great starting point for hikes and bike rides. You can find various routes, including mountain biking, cycling, and road cycling, in the area. Explore more options on the MTB Trails around Gams, Cycling around Gams, and Road Cycling Routes around Gams guides.
Are there family-friendly castles to visit near Gams?
Many of the historical sites and castles in the region are suitable for families. Werdenberg Castle, with its museum and the charming small town, is a great option. The Government Quarter in Vaduz and Schattenburg Castle also offer engaging experiences for all ages, often including easy walking paths and historical insights.
Are any castles near Gams wheelchair accessible?
While many historical castles, due to their age and construction, may have limited accessibility, some parts of the surrounding areas or specific facilities might be. For instance, the town of Werdenberg around Werdenberg Castle might offer more accessible paths. It's recommended to check directly with the specific castle's visitor information for detailed accessibility options.
What is the best season to visit the castles around Gams?
The castles and surrounding areas are beautiful throughout the year. Spring and autumn offer pleasant temperatures for exploring and hiking, with vibrant natural scenery. Summer is ideal for combining castle visits with other outdoor activities. Even winter can be magical, with snow-dusted landscapes, though some paths might be less accessible. The museums within castles like Werdenberg Castle are open year-round.
What other cultural or historical sites are near Gams?
Beyond the castles, the region boasts rich cultural heritage. The Government Quarter in Vaduz is a significant historical site encompassing the southern town center, with historical buildings and the seat of authorities. The town of Werdenberg itself, with its well-preserved medieval houses, is a cultural hub offering insights into traditional regional life alongside Werdenberg Castle.
How long should I plan for a visit to a castle near Gams?
The duration of your visit depends on the castle and your interest. For a site like Werdenberg Castle and its small town, you could easily spend 2-3 hours exploring the museum, walking through the town, and enjoying the bistro. For ruins like Schalun Castle Ruins, the visit might be shorter, but factor in the hiking time to reach them. If you combine a castle visit with nearby trails or other attractions, plan for a half-day or full-day excursion.
Are there cafes or restaurants near the castles?
Yes, many of the castle sites offer dining options. Werdenberg Castle has a bistro in its courtyard offering homemade cakes and regional snacks. Schattenburg Castle in Feldkirch is well-known for its inn. In the towns surrounding the castles, such as Werdenberg and Vaduz, you'll find various cafes and restaurants to enjoy.
What do visitors enjoy most about the castles around Gams?
Visitors frequently appreciate the rich history and well-preserved architecture of the castles, such as the 800-year history of Werdenberg Castle. The scenic locations offering magnificent views of the Rhine Valley, like from Schalun Castle Ruins and Vaduz Castle, are also highly praised. The combination of cultural experiences, museums, and opportunities for outdoor activities like hiking and cycling makes the region particularly appealing.
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