A fascinating cave castle is located in Balm near Günsberg at the foot of the Balmfluh in the canton of Solothurn. It is the only cave castle in the canton of Solothurn. There are only a handful of similar structures in Switzerland.
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The castle extends six metres deep and twenty metres wide into the Jura rocks. A simple two-storey wooden construction was surrounded by an impressive outer wall. Access was via a steep staircase hewn into the rock.
The castle was built in the middle of the 11th century. The Lords of Balm used the castle for a short time before moving to Altbüron and handing it over to a feudal lord. The castle fell into disrepair in the 14th century and became a ruin.
The Cross
One beautiful summer day in 1860, a girl from Niederwil went looking for berries. She thought the best berries were above the castle in the rock. When she saw the beautiful berries, the young woman noticed the thundering rock too late and fell to her death.
Access
There are a few parking spaces under the castle. From there you walk up the steep stairs.
