Binningen Castle

En un regard

Le château en bref

Binningen Castle stands in the heart of the municipality of the same name, on the outskirts of Basel (Basel-Country). A former moated residence, it is, according to the cantonal inventory, the oldest moated manor house in the Birsig valley. It is first mentioned in writing in 1399, and was built no later than the mid-14th century, probably for the Basel burgher Heinrich von Zeise, then a major landowner in the village. Damaged by the earthquake of 1356, it was destroyed in 1409 by Hans von Lupfen during the feud between Basel and Catherine of Burgundy. Among its occupants was the Anabaptist reformer David Joris, who settled in Basel under the name Johann von Brugg; his remains were exhumed in 1559. After plans for a casino failed, a restaurant opened there around 1873. The municipality of Binningen acquired the whole complex in 1960. The castle now houses a restaurant and a brewery, while a hotel was set up in 2007 in an outbuilding in the park. The historic ensemble also includes a burgher's house and the Imhof house, both protected by the cantonal inventory.