Aarburg Castle was probably built around 1200 by the Lords of Büron, on a narrow, elongated ridge. Its core is a thirteenth-century keep and tower house with limestone walls 9.8 to 11.5 feet (3 to 3.5 meters) thick. The lowest floor is carved directly from the rock. The castle stands about 1,329 feet (405 meters) above sea level.
The Frohburgs sold it to the Habsburgs in 1299, and Bern captured it on April 20, 1415, after a brief siege. A palace was rebuilt in 1470, and a major Baroque expansion followed in 1659 to 1673. The article describes the style as Baroque, built around a medieval core.
French troops took the castle without a fight on March 10, 1798. The Canton of Aargau took it over in 1804. It now houses the cantonal youth home, and it is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
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