Äussere Birseck - Arlesheim, BL, Switzerland
Posted by: 
fi67
N 47° 29.697 E 007° 37.755
32T E 396755 N 5261079
The ruins of Castle Äussere Birseck east of Arlesheim.
Waymark Code: WMH0FA
Location: Basel Landschaft, Switzerland
Date Posted: 05/02/2013
Views: 7
Äussere Burg Birseck is the ruin of one of the four castles that were standing on the Birseck slope east of Arlesheim. It is located on the southern edge of the ridge of the hill between the ruin of Hintere Birseck and the preserved (Untere) Birseck Castle.
The center part of the site was a tower with a diameter of about eight meters. The preserved walls have a thickness of 2.3 meters. About two meters of the tower base are conserved. South of the tower relics there are some rests of additional building foundations.
We do not know much of the history and architecture of this castle. It was maybe built in the 12th century by the Counts of Froburg. In 1245 the area came under authority of the Prince-Bishop of Basel, but maybe the castle was already abandoned at this time. There are only a few documents from the 13th century that mention this castle; in 1296 it was described as destroyed and uninhabitable.