Hospental Castle
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| Hospental Tower | |
|---|---|
| Hospental | |
 Tower with the Spitzberg in background (2006) | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Spur castle |
| Code | CH-UR |
| Condition | Ruin, partially conserved |
| Location | |
  Hospental Tower  Hospental Tower | |
| Coordinates | 46°37′07″N 8°34′00″E / 46.618691°N 8.566786°E |
| Height | 1,509 m above the sea |
| Site history | |
| Built | 13th century |
Hospental Castle or Langobarden Towers is a ruined medieval castle in the municipality of Hospental in the canton of Uri in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.[1]
The tower, which was made of uncut stones, was erected in the 13th century for the Hospental family, originally serving as a watch tower[citation needed]. The castle most likely didn't serve as means to control the flow of inbound people (e.g., as a customs facility), but rather as a prison. From the 15th century, Hospental castle was no longer inhabited and gradually fell into a dilapidated state. In 1898, it was widely restored. The site is declared as a cultural heritage site of national importance.[2]