Museen Werdenberg

About the museum

Schloss Werdenberg above the little town (Städtli) of the same name goes back to a castle whose keep was begun around 1228 under the Counts of Montfort. Later the Counts of Werdenberg resided here; after that the lordship changed hands several times. From 1517, bailiffs of the canton of Glarus lived in the castle; a fire in 1695 destroyed parts of the great hall and the roof structure.

In 1835 the Hilty family bought the neglected castle and turned it into a stately residence. Its last resident, Frieda Hilty, donated it together with its furnishings to the canton of St. Gallen in 1956, and it has been open as a museum ever since. In the Städtli, one of the few surviving medieval timber-built settlements in Europe, the Museum Schlangenhaus is devoted to the everyday life of ordinary people, from emigration to home embroidery.

Both buildings reopened in 2014 and 2015 and today form a single permanent exhibition that uses radio plays, audiovisual projections and staged scenes to tell the story of the rulers and their subjects. They are run by the Verein Schloss Werdenberg on behalf of the canton of St. Gallen. The castle is also a cultural venue with the Schlossmediale festival and art installations, including works by Pipilotti Rist.

Highlights

• Castle with rooms from three eras: the counts, the Glarus bailiffs and the Hilty family
• Museum Schlangenhaus in the Städtli on emigration, home embroidery and everyday life
• Radio plays, audiovisual projections and staged scenes in both buildings
• Permanent exhibition “Türggeribel” on Ribelmais corn in the Schlangenhaus
• Art installations in the castle, including works by Pipilotti Rist
• The Städtli Werdenberg as an ensemble with the castle and Lake Werdenberg

Permanent exhibitions

• Museum Schloss Werdenberg – The permanent exhibition leads through the three defining eras of the castle, the age of the counts, the Glarus bailiffs and the bourgeois Hilty family, each on its own floor, with audio tracks and staged scenes.
• Museum Schlangenhaus – In the historic house in the Städtli, the focus is on the life of the people of Werdenberg, from the first traces of settlement through emigration and home embroidery to the rediscovery of the timber-built Städtli in the 1960s.
• TÜRGGERIBEL – A newly designed room in the Schlangenhaus tells the history of corn growing in the Rhine Valley up to the recipe for Türggeribel and looks out onto a small field of Ribelmais.

Founded

1959

Operated by

Verein Schloss Werdenberg (im Auftrag des Kantons St. Gallen)

Admission & discounts

Admission covers the castle and the Schlangenhaus. Free admission also for children and young people as well as school classes from the cantons of St. Gallen and Appenzell Ausserrhoden, children up to 6, and guests with the OSKAR guest card for Eastern Switzerland, the Swiss Museum Pass, Raiffeisen cards (Maestro, MasterCard, Visa, youth card) or the Swiss Travel Pass. Prices for guided tours and for children’s and school programs are available from Werdenberg Tourismus.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Experienced wheelchair users can reach every floor of the castle up to the attic with a stair-climbing wheelchair (SCEWO “Bro”); the visit takes about 2 hours and must be booked in advance through Werdenberg Tourismus, use is included in the ticket. The castle courtyard and bistro are accessible, and an accessible parking space is located right by the castle (access via Egeten).

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Kids’ birthday parties

Workshops and tours for children, young people and families as well as children’s birthday parties in the castle; in the Schlangenhaus, three comic characters (Oi the bear, Idda and Mr. Edison the robot dog) guide visitors through the exhibition with puzzles. There are also radio plays for children. Programs and booking through Werdenberg Tourismus.

Getting there & parking

By car via the Buchs/Schaan FL highway exit, then follow the signs toward Grabs; also reachable by bike along the Rhine dike.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Bistro in the castle courtyard with coffee, cakes and snacks made from regional produce (Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00); museum shop at the Tourist Information. Dogs are welcome at the dog bar in the castle courtyard.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Civil weddings and receptions in the castle (Knights’ Hall) and the castle courtyard; the bistro can be rented year-round for celebrations and corporate events. Inquiries via the website.

Plan your visit