The castle is first mentioned in 1077 and stands on a rock about 656 feet (200 m) long above the Danube. The Counts of Werdenberg turned it into a residence between 1460 and 1500. Fires in 1632 and 1893 destroyed its eastern parts. Michael Beer rebuilt the eastern wing in 1658 and 1659, and Emanuel von Seidl rebuilt it after 1893.
The stonework is a mix of limestone and conglomerate. Work from 1855 to 1877 added the French Hall and other rooms, and a tuff-stone neo-Gothic tower replaced the keep spire in 1901. The article calls the late 19th century work eclectic.
The Vichy French government was housed there in 1944 and 1945. The Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen family still owns it. It houses museums and offers guided tours.
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