Höhlenburg Wichenstein

Cave Castle Wichenstein

Useful Information

Location:	At the Semelenberg. Autobahn A13 Ausfahrt Oberriet, in the village turn left towards Kobelwald. (47.3271735, 9.5538818)
Open:	no restrictions. [2025]
Fee:	free. [2025]
Classification:	Cave Castle
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	L=15 m, A=497 m asl.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Lukas Högl (1986): Burgen im Fels in: Schweizer Beiträge zur Kulturgeschichte und Archäologie des Mittelalters, Bd. 12, Olten, 1986, p. 72 online Burgruine Wichenstein Infotafel pdf
Address:	Höhlenburg Wichenstein, Wichenstein, 9463 Oberriet. Gemeinde Oberriet, Staatsstrasse 92, 9463 Oberriet, Tel: +41-71-763-64-64. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1270	Wichenstein family first mentioned in a document.
1405	cave castle destroyed by rebellious Appenzellers after their victory in the Battle of Stoss.
1458	pledge of Blatten Castle, the “burgsëß Wichenstain” and Kriessern released by Ulrich Rösch, the administrator of the Fürstabtei St. Gallen.
1486	the Abbey of St. Gallen with Abbot Ulrich Rösch finally took possession of the castles and the farm.
1943	cave castle renovated.
1976-1977	archaeological excavation, wall renovated.

Description

The Höhlenburg Wichenstein (Wichenstein Cave Castle) was named after the Wichenstein family, which was first mentioned in 1270. The document mentions a knight with the name Dietric miles de Wichinstain. Another mention of Burkart von Wichenstein follows in 1284. But it’s not known if this family actually built this cave castle, and it is also unknown when it was actually built. But it is known that the castle was destroyed by rebellious Appenzellers after their victory in the Battle of Stoss in 1405.

This castle was quite often mentioned together with nearby Burg Blatten, which was a fief of the monastery of St. Gallen, so most likely this castle was also a fief of the monastery. The fief belonged to the Lords of Ramschwag. In the early 15th century, the Ramschwager family had to pledge their lordship of Blatten. In 1457, this pledge was released together with the “burgsëß Wichenstain” and the lordship of Kriessern farm by Ulrich Rösch, the administrator of the Fürstabtei St. Gallen. Whether the Grottenburg was still habitable at that time is unknown. When the abbey finally took possession of Blatten in 1486 under Rösch, who had now become abbot, Wichenstein was only referred to as Burgstock, which was the old word for a ruined castle.

The castle was built into a huge cave in the middle of a vertical limestone cliff, overlooking the Rhine valley. It is only a single room with a triangular portal. This 15 m long cave portal was closed by a thick wall with some small openings for doors and windows. The wall is 2.1 m thick at the bottom. The door was apparently in the middle of the wall and could be reached via a wooden structure which has since disappeared. This was obviously intended as a part of the fortification. A small section of the wall has collapsed on the left side, and also on the far right side. This opening on the right side today allows easy access. The windows and the holes in the wall for wooden beams suggest that the castle had four levels. The lowest had no windows and was probably a sort of cellar, because of the rising cave floor probably only half the size of the other floors.

The name Wichenstein is derived from the Old High German word “wîh”, which means “holy”. It is possible that an ancient place of worship was located here, or that a sacred object was kept in the castle. In a small, triangular opening above the central window, there was perhaps a relic. These three windows are strange because they get bigger towards the outside. Medieval castles normally have very small embrasures that get wider towards the inside. However, a holy relic would explain the name of the castle.

There are numerous legends and tales about the cave castle. The most famous is the one about the three knights.

The knights Adrian, Udalrich and Beno, terrorized the people in the area with large, black dogs. When the three died, the devil banished their souls into the dogs, which continued to haunt Wichenstein. One day Rofahans from Oberriet walked past Wichenstein at night and heard his name being called. He went into the ruins where he found three men with old-fashioned clothes sitting at a table with a box on top. A toad was sitting on the lid of the box. The knights said that Rofahans could keep the box and the money inside if he managed to remove the toad. However, the toad blew itself up and emitted foul-smelling smoke, that Rofahans fled in fear.

«Wehe, wehe, wehe!		“Woe, woe, woe!
Ein tausendfaches Wehe, wehe, wehe!		A thousandfold woe, woe, woe!
Nun müssen wir wiederum hundert Jahre warten,		Now we have to wait another hundred years,
Bis ein Mensch kann zu uns geraten,		Until a man can come to us,
Um uns zu erlösen von Schuld und böser Tat,		To redeem us from guilt and evil deed,
Die ein jeder von uns im Leben verübet hat.		That each of us has committed in life.
Wehe, wehe, wehe!»		Woe, woe, woe!”

An underground passage led from the Wichenstein down through the rock into the plain, where there were two vaults. It was opened once, but then covered up again.

The castle is located near the village Oberriet. From the A13 exit Oberriet drive through the village, after the church turn left into Kellenstraße. After 600 m the official parking lot with a fireplace is reached. It is the beginning of the Naturschutzgebiet Wichenstein, a nature protection area which protects the swamp and lake at the foot of the cave castle, but not the castle. Following the single lane gravel road for 600 m a second fireplace is reached, turn left uphill 170 m to the cave castle.