To be honest, I had never heard of Gräpplang Castle.
And I had certainly not planned to go to there. But, as I was working on my itinerary for my trip to Lucerne, my stepmother mentioned her family connection to Gräpplang Castle.
The castle used to belong to the Tschudi family. My stepmother is a descendant of the Tschudi family. PRETTY COOL!
My stepmother knew that she would never be able to see it and thought that it would be nice if I could see it for her. I on the other hand, wasn’t too keen on the idea.
I didn’t think I’d have time to fit it in since it wasn’t near anything else I wanted to see. It also seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere and I was traveling solo. And not having a car, meant I’d need to be able to get there using public transportation.
So many excuses for me not to go!
But after a few days navigating the trains and buses in Lucerne, and having a free day, I put my hesitations aside and decided to go for it! And I’m so glad I did!
A little history first
There isn’t a great deal of information online about the castle. From what I have read though, Gräpplang castle was built around 1220 by the Knights of Flums. A couple hundred years later, the Old Zurich War took place and the castle was extorted to get protection, but it was never attacked or destroyed.
In 1528 the property was given to Ludwig Tschudi von Glarus. The castle remained in the Tschudi family for over 225 years, until 1767. Eventually the castle was in ruins and sold for demolition. Finally, in 1923, what was left of Gräpplang Castle was taken over by the commune of Flums and work began to restore the castle.
Getting to Gräpplang castle
After entering Grapplang Castle into Google maps, and seeing how long it was going to take, I almost changed my mind. Three hours! It was going to take me three hours each way using a combination of two trains, a bus, and a mile and a half walk from the bus stop.
There were several route options to choose from but all were sitting at the three hour mark from Lucerne. I like using Google maps because it also includes the information and times for the trains and bus, and even the walking directions.
Now, if I had a car and was able to drive, it would have only been a little over an hour to get there. I would have also been able to drive up to the castle and avoided the long walk. But I really enjoyed the walk!
When I got off at the bus stop in Flums, it was in a small neighborhood. Very picturesque with narrow streets, Swiss cottages, and an old church off to the left. A beautiful way to begin the mile and a half trek to the castle.
I made my way down the neighborhood street – someone was washing their car, kids were riding bikes, a family was out on a walk. It was so refreshing to see local Swiss life outside of the tourist cities!
Eventually the pavement ended, and the path turned to dirt for a short bit before coming to a highway overpass.
This doesn’t even seem real!
Once you make your way to the other side of the overpass, it’s like a different world. If you picture a scene from Heidi, that’s what it looks like! All I could do was look around in amazement. Here I am, in Switzerland, strolling alongside meadows filled with grazing cows, listening to the birds singing in the trees, in the middle of a valley surrounded by stunning mountains. Oh, and let’s not forget that there is a medieval castle in the background!
It’s like walking through a fairy tale. Like a place that only exists in your imagination. Except this is real!
The Castle Grounds
The day I visited, there was no one else there. I had the place to myself and all I could hear were cowbells in the distance and an occasional MOOO! It was so peaceful!
Walking around, I’d try to imagine what activities would have been going on when the Tschudi family lived there. Did they have elegant galas? What was a typical meal? Would there be children running around? It was fun to think about.
As I was looking at the castle ruins from a distance, it had looked like there was only an exterior shell left. I expected the inside to be not much more than a dirt floor.
What a surprise to find a multi-level maze of stairs that takes you to the different areas of the castle! I spent about an hour or so walking all around and definitely got my steps in. It was fun though. There seemed to be hidden rooms at every turn just waiting to be explored.
Getting There
Gräpplang Castle is located in Flums, Switzerland. From Lucerne, it’s a bit over an hour by car or almost three hours using public transportation.
I didn’t have a car, so I used public transportation. Google maps worked perfectly for directions from my hotel in Lucerne. The options were plentiful, and I chose a combination of two trains, a bus, and a mile and a half walk to reach the site of the ruins.
Google maps also has the information and times for the trains and bus and even the walking directions.
It’s a good idea to print out or screenshot the directions and times because you never know if your phone will have coverage. I had very weak cell and internet coverage while I was there and wouldn’t have been able to use Google maps.
If you drive, you can drive right up to the castle. No need to walk the mile and a half.
Final thoughts
Although I had some hesitation about going, I have to say, this ranks right up there as one of the best things I have ever done!
Yes, the castle is truly magical and the journey there was breathtaking…but holy cow (pun intended) what a feeling! To know that I was able to push past my doubts and believe in myself enough to figure out how to get there and actually GO – and go on my own!