Before Falkenstein Castle was given its name, it bore the proud name of Göskon Castle, which was built as early as the 9th century, right at the beginning of the era of castle construction. Over the years, the castle fell into disrepair.
In the early 12th century, the ruins of Neu-Falkenstein Castle were built by a local noble family as the center of their domain. It is one of the medieval castles in the canton of Solothurn and stands on the eastern ridge north of St. Wolfgang on the Klus road to Mümliswil. Following an earthquake in 1356 and damage sustained during the Saffron War, repair work had to be carried out repeatedly. Neu-Falkenstein served as the seat of the Solothurn bailiff of the Falkenstein domain until 1798. During this period, the castle was remodeled several times and was set on fire during the Helvetic Revolution in July 1798.
It wasn’t until nearly 100 years later, in 1895, that the Dienstagsgesellschaft began preserving the ruins. Today, the ruins are owned by the Canton of Solothurn, which has entered into a service agreement with the Falkenstein Castle Association. They are open year-round and offer a great view of the Thal Nature Park. There are also barbecue areas and fire pits.
On the “Tinu von Neu-Falkenstein” adventure trail, you can rediscover the ruins of Neu-Falkenstein Castle.
(Content from https://schlossverein-falkenstein.ch/wpv/geschichte/, image from Thal Nature Park)
