Grandson Castle

Grandson is one of the largest surviving medieval castles in Switzerland, a compact block of curtain wall and round towers above Lake Neuchatel, built from the eleventh century and rebuilt in the thirteenth by the lords whose name it carries. It changed hands repeatedly and was held by Savoy, then Bern and Fribourg jointly. The interiors are shown as a private museum with armour, a knights' hall, dungeons and a model collection, alongside a display of vintage cars that has nothing to do with the medieval building and is a reminder that this is a family property run as a business rather than a state monument. The lake shore below has a small harbour and a walking path.

What you actually see

• Round towers over the lake - one of the largest medieval castles in the country.
• Armour and a knights' hall - the museum inside the walls.
• A vintage car collection - the owners' addition, unrelated to the castle.
• Bernese and Fribourg rule - the joint bailiwick after Savoy.

When to go

April to October. Two hours.

Honest expectations

It is privately run and the presentation is uneven - serious medieval material sits beside modern collections. Winter opening is limited. Labelling is mostly French. The town of Grandson is small.

Nearby

Yverdon-les-Bains is south; the Grande Caricaie marshes run along the lake.