Mariastein
Solothurn

Mariastein

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Conquer the impressive hill castle of the lords and knights of Rotberg! Your reward: winding staircases, a room in a tower and an amazing view.

Outside View Mariastein Youth Hostel

Mariastein

Solothurn

Just like 500 years ago: climb 150 steps between tall trees and you'll reach the steep ridge of the Blauen mountain before heading through a gate into the castle courtyard. Behind walls that are metres thick, you can dine in the knights' hall, which has an open fire, and sleep as the nobles once did, in a bedroom behind a massive wooden door. From the battlements you can see Mariastein nearby, a place of pilgrimage, and enjoy a view across the green hills and forests towards Basel. What's more, you can watch particularly impressive sunsets here. If you'd like to add a few more knightly experiences to your stay, a trip to the ruins of Landskron Castle or a castle hiking tour through the Leimen valley are highly recommended.

  • Mariastein Youth Hostel
    Burg Rotberg
    4115 Mariastein
    Switzerland
  • Check-in: 17:00 - 21:00 Check-out: 07:30 - 10:00
Simple

Opening times

Types 2024 2025
Opening dates    
Opening dates 01.03.2024 - 01.12.2024 07.03.2025 - 07.12.2025
Check In/Out    
Check-in 17:00 - 21:00 17:00 - 21:00
Check-out 07:30 - 10:00 07:30 - 10:00
Reception times    
Mon to Fri: 07:30 - 10:00
17:00 - 21:00
07:30 - 10:00
17:00 - 21:00
Sat and Sun: 07:30 - 10:00
17:00 - 21:00
07:30 - 10:00
17:00 - 21:00
Meal times    
Breakfast buffet 08:00 - 09:30 08:00 - 09:30
Dinner 18:30 - 20:00 18:30 - 20:00

How to find us

By train:

From Basle main SBB station, walk through the underpass to Basle Heuwaage (5 minutes) and take tram no. 10, in the direction of Flüh-Rodersdorf, to Flüh. Continue your journey by postal bus to Rotberg Castle (request stop). The castle is accessible on foot.

By car:

The youth hostel has no car parking spaces. A limited numbers are at branch-off Mariasteinstrasse/Rotbergstrasse

Room categories

  • Number of beds
  • Double rooms
  • Shared rooms

Infrastructure

Prices (in CHF) and availability

  • Breakfast buffet   incl.
    Lunch on request CHF 19.50
    Dinner on request CHF 19.50
    Dinner for children ages 2 to 5 years on request CHF 8.50
    Dinner for children ages 6 to 12 years on request CHF 14.50
    Packed lunch on request CHF 10.00

    Yoummi – the catering option from Swiss Youth Hostels 

    • All prices exclusive of taxes CHF 0.30 (schools) / CHF 1.– (individuals) per person/night, including VAT.
    • The Hostel Card Standard is included in the price of accommodation and is valid from the day of arrival to the day of departure.
    • You have the option of purchasing a Hostel Card Premium and benefit from cheaper accommodation prices in all Swiss youth Hostels. More information about the Hostel Card Premium
    • Groups (minimum of 10 people) are advised to buy a Hostel Card Premium (personal: CHF 55.– / non-personal: CHF 99.–)
    • Find our children's prices on the family page
    • Group rates for children ages 2 to 5 years, a flat rate of CHF 15.–; from ages 6 to 12 years, accommodation prices / group prices apply
    • Rent of the whole castle as a closed company (price on request)
    • Rent knight's hall and self-catering kitchen (price on request)
    • Voluntary climate protection contribution CHF 0.30
    • Rates are subject to change
    • All rates in CHF
  • Rotberg Castle

    Rotberg Youth Hostel near Mariastein and Ehrenfels Castle above Sils in the Domleschg region are the two so-called Swiss "Youth Castles". During the 1930s, voluntary work programmes for unemployed young people were organised under the supervision of the architect Eugen Probst on the line of similar projects in Germany and France. The primary concern of the restoration work was not the preservation of the historic building fabric, but rather to prevent the ruin from further disintegration and to provide young people with a castle suitable for working in and staying overnight.

    The northern Jura plateau region features one of the densest concentrations of castles in Switzerland, with more than a dozen notable castles and castle ruins. Rotberg Castle did not play a particularly important role, nor was it of exceptional interest in terms of architectural history. Speculation that Rotberg Castle may have been the legendary Robur fortress of Emperor Valentinian I intended to provide protection against the Germanic tribes seems implausible. It would appear more probable that the castle was founded at the same time as the majority of Swiss castles, which date back to the12th and 13th centuries.

    The building was erected on a rocky outcrop at the foot of the Blauen hill. Space was so limited that special retaining walls had to be built for the road and a small enclosure.

    Documentary evidence of the von Rothbergs dates back to the second half of the 13th century, with Johans and Wernher von Rothberg as the first representatives of their family to be mentioned. The von Rothbergs sought to be connected to the ever more influential town of Basel at an early stage and subsequently provided the mayor on several occasions. In 1451, a certain Arnold von Rothberg was even ordained as the Bishop of Basel.

    Whether, as early as 1356, Rotberg Castle was destroyed by the great Basel earthquake is not known for certain. However, it is possible that the castle was so severely damaged then that it was never properly repaired and gradually fell into decay.

    The castle estate situated at the foot of the castle mound remained in operation, however. In 1918, the "Allgemeine Consumverein beider Basel" (Co-operative Union of Basel) took over this estate and acquired the ruins into the bargain.

    The reconstruction

    In 1933, the Zurich architect and President of the “Schweizerischer Burgenverein” (Swiss Castle Society), Eugen Probst, proposed rebuilding Rotberg Castle as a so-called “Youth Castle” on the line of examples in Germany and France. To do so, he envisaged the use of unemployed young people in order to offer them an opportunity to gain practical work experience at the same time. The Co-operative Union of Basel supported the venture and had collecting boxes placed in its shops for this purpose.

    Some 30 young people began the work in January 1934. Eugen Probst took care of the planning; the Co-operative Union for its part supplied the building management from among its ranks.

    The work was finally completed on 27 November 1935 and the youth hostel opened.

    • Swisslos Lotteriefonds des Kanton Solothurn
    • Coop
    • Swisslos Fonds Basel Stadt
    • Swisslos Lotteriefonds des Kanton Basel Landschaft
    • Walpurgis night

    • Walpurgis night

    • Walpurgis night

    • Walpurgis night

    • Knight weekend

    • Knight weekend

    • Walpurgis night

    • Walpurgis night

    Here are some impressions of events taking place at Mariastein Youth Hostel.

Member benefits

  • Accommodation at a special price for members
  • Network of more than 50 Swiss Youth Hostels
  • Partner discounts and many more benefits
  • With a membership with Swiss Youth Hostels, you enjoy additional benefits

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