Towering over the city of Lenzburg is the Lenzburg castle, one of the most prominent and impressive Swiss castles in canton Aargau.
Every year the Lenzburg Castle plays host to a large number of events, many of them outdoors. They also have an extensive museum inside the walls.
Lenzburg Castle is a great place to visit if you are a history buff or just like castles. And, if you happen to be here during one of the amazing events, you can perhaps combine the two.
I once visited here to see one of Shakespeare’s many masterpieces in summer, and it was something you will never forget!
Lenzburg Castle Information
The following is some general information about the Lenzburg castle, opening times, prices, maps and so on.
Prices
There are a variety of options when entering Lenzburg Castle either including the museum or not, and the other museums in the area.
- All entrances include access to the cafe.
- The 3 castles ticket is valid for one year
You can see the prices below for the 3 different options:
| Castle & Museum (CHF) | Castle Only (CHF) | 3 Castles (Lenzburg, Hallwy, Wildegg) (CHF) * Valid one year | |
| Adults | 14 | 5 | 34 |
| Students | 10 | 4.5 | 24 |
| Children | 8 | 2.5 | 19 |
| Castle & Museum (CHF) | 3 Castles (Lenzburg, Hallwy, Wildegg) (CHF) * Valid one year | |
| Family 2 1 adult, up to 5 children | 25 | 59 |
| Family 2 2 adults, up to 5 children | 35 | 79 |
| Castle & Museum (CHF) | Castle Only (CHF) | |
| Groups 1 adult | 10 | 3.5 |
| Groups 1 Student (max 26 yr old) | 8 | 3 |
| Groups 1 Child (4 – 16 yr old) | 4 | 19 |
Free entrance is only available for Friends of Lenzburg Castle and holders of the Museum Pass.
Getting There
The Lenzburg castle is located just outside Lenzburg in Aargau. It can easily be reached by car via the A1 highway, exit 51 – Lengberg. You can follow Google Maps to reach the castle. There is lots of parking at the castle itself.
If you are coming via public transport, you need to get to Lenzburg by train then connect to bus 391 and get off at the Schloss Lenzburg bus stop.
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Travel times on public transport from major cities are below:
- Zurich: 33 minutes
- Basel: 1 hour 13 min
- Bern: 1 hour 8 min
- Lucerne: 1 hour 6 min
Opening Hours
Lenzburg Castle is closed during the winter months and on Mondays in general. Below are the opening hours for Lenzburg Castle.
| Summer Dates | 1st April – 31 October (Closed during winter) |
| Opening Hours | Tuesday – Sunday: 10 am – 5 pm Monday: Closed Public Holidays: Open, but closed second Friday in July (Lenzburger Jugendfest) |
Aargau Museum
The Aargau Museum in the Lenzburg Castle is spread over a number of rooms from the Bailiff’s Residence and East Bastion to the Keep and South Tower. When you visit the various rooms you will see displays of how people lived in the castle from as far back as the 11th century to the mid-1900s. That is over 1,000 years of history in one place!
Experience History & Life In The Castle
Various aspects of life in Lenzburg castle are there to be experienced. From the old cooking implements and huge pots as well as some of the extravagant rooms of the richer members of the household.
There is also an original prison cell to be visited with original inscriptions on the wall from prisoners and torture implements to be inspected.
There is also a large audiovisual display of how life was during the feuding nobility. Between the 11th and 15th centuries the Lenzburgs, Kyburgs and Habsburgs ruled in Lenzburg Castle and these displays show the real “game of thrones” they played at the time.
There are also a few fun things for kids to get involved in such as the Children’s Museum. Located in the attic, it has lots of secret nooks and crannies to discover. And then there is the PLIRRK, a history of the last inhabitant of the castle: polar explorer Lincoln Ellsworth, and his 1925 expedition to the North Pole.
History of Lenzburg Castle
Lenzburg Castle dates back to 1077 when the first written record of the castle can be found. It was originally called “castellum lenciburg” by the Count of Lenzburg Ulrich II.is first mentioned in connection with Ulrich II, Count of Lenzburg,
It seems to have been passed down to his many heirs until Ulrich IV died with an heir in 1173, and then it was inherited by the Holy Roman Empire. Around 1230, the castle was passed to the Counts of Kyburg through a marriage.
However, again in the later part of the 13th century, it changed hands due to lack of an heir, this time to the Habsburgs. They expanded the castle a little during their occupation, adding the Knight’s Hall which you can still visit today.
Things changed drastically in the 15th century when the Bernese invaded Habsburg territory in 1415. Some years later, in 1444 the Bernese Ballifs decided to occupy the castle for themselves. They also worked on the castle adding further fortifications.
The final owner of the castle was Canton Aargau, who took possession of it in 1956. It has since been given over to a public foundation so that it can be preserved and used by the public as a whole.
