Laufen Castle

The first documented mention of Schloss Laufen dates back to the year 858 AD. The castle served as the ancestral seat of the Barons of Laufen. The castle lord or his bailiff held jurisdiction over the neighboring communities, while the lordship belonged to the Bishop of Konstanz. In 1544, the city of Zurich acquired the castle. Significant architectural changes were made during Zurich's rule between 1544 and 1547. The feudal rule came to an abrupt end with the arrival of the French troops during the Helvetic Republic in 1798.

From 1799 to 1804, Johann Heinrich Bleuler the Elder established a painting studio here. His son, Louis Bleuler, first as a tenant and later as the owner, opened the Bleuler Art School in 1830. In 1941, Schloss Laufen became the property of the Canton of Zurich. Today, the castle houses a restaurant and, until October 2019, a youth hostel.