Heidegg Castle

A PLACE TO BE AMAZED, PLAY, DINE, CELEBRATE AND SLEEP

Heidegg Castle in the Lucerne Seetal valley was formerly an important residence of the Lords of Heidegg and the patrician class of Lucerne.  Nowadays, visitors can come to explore history, celebrate special occasions, enjoy concerts and films and stroll through the park and gardens. 

The oldest living quarters in the canton of Lucerne

Built on top of a lateral moraine, Heidegg Castle overlooks Lake Baldegg.  The castle complex comprises a keep, a chapel, living quarters and a farm, and is situated in an idyllic location, surrounded by forests and vineyards.  Inside the keep you will find the oldest living quarters anywhere in Lucerne, which were constructed, according to tree-ring dating, as far back as 1192.

From a noble fortress to a baroque, patrician castle

By 1237, the Lords of Heidegg had transformed this original building into an impressive, fortified tower and accommodation. In the Late Middle Ages, the noble Büsinger family improved the comfort of the living quarters and incorporated elements of gothic style.  The nobility in the end made way for families of Lucerne’s patrician class who had made their fortune in mercenarism.  The last of these, the Pfyffer family, transformed the keep into a baroque castle tower and founded the Pfyffer von Heidegg branch.  In the 18^th century, the lordship of Heidegg passed into the hands of the city of Lucerne.        

A castle for all citizens

In the wake of the Enlightenment and revolution, the 19^th century was marked by a process of democratisation.  For fifty years the cantonal estate of the castle was managed by a steward.  After the Sonderbund War, the liberal Josef Heggli bought the castle at auction.  From then on, the inhabitants of Seetal would amuse themselves playing skittles, sampling the wine from the local vineyards and watching patriotic plays performed in the castle tower.  From 1875 on, the rich American Caroline Slidell, having married into the Pfyffer family, turned Heidegg into a high-society meeting place for her guests, members of the upper classes and nobility from across the globe.  In 1950, the last members of the Pfyffer family donated the castle to the canton of Lucerne and a museum was set up in the tower.  After a complete restoration from 1995 to 1998, the canton handed over management of the castle and its grounds to the Foundation Pro Heidegg.             

Explore your way up through the castle

Start your visit to the castle with animated stories in the oldest room of the castle. Starting in 2023, "The Heidegg Home Story" can be experienced in the residential museum. Funny and informative audio stories from the lives of the last private castle owners are waiting for you. Newly reconstructed historical curtains also allow visitors to trace the history of the curtain from its beginnings in the 16th century to the present day, giving the chambers back the charm of earlier centuries. Younger guests can enjoy the iconic dream castle with a marble run in the spacious attic. A stimulating and entertaining visit to the castle includes hands-on activities such as the castle model, the dressing room, special exhibitions, shop, café and, on fine weather Sundays, the Buvette on the castle square.   

Celebrate among the roses, vineyards and a panorama of the Alps.

Heidegg Castle is well known for its rose gardens, inspired by the former German Chancellor Adenauer, and for its vineyards that have been growing for centuries.  With its original historic buildings and its impressive views, Heidegg is a unique and authentic location for weddings, parties and seminars.  The castle offers a variety of rooms, each one more beautiful and convivial than the next: the baroque chapel, the festival hall with its stucco decorations, the vaulted cellars, the castle terrace or the rose garden…