The ruins of the Gestelnburg castle are situated above the village of Niedergesteln in Valais, Switzerland, on a rocky ridge called Feschti.

The castle was probably built during the 12th century by the powerful Barons de la Tour (English: Tower), which are also called in German Herrn vom Turn.

The rule of this family ended during the wars against the bishop of Sion in the second half of the 14th century, and the castle was finally destroyed by the Upper Valaisans in 1384.

[1] The village of Obergesteln in Goms, in the Upper Valais, seems to have no connection with Niedergesteln, although its name has a similar origin.

The ruins can be easily reached from the village with a wide walkway, which surrounded by life-size wooden sculptures representing the Barons de la Tour.

[1] This building occupied the entire width of the ridge and its walls, which are still preserved, have an impressive thickness of up to 3 meters.

[3] Their family probably descended from the Barons de la Tour du Pin from the Dauphiné, and their successors settled in the Valais in the 12th century.

The weakened Antoine sought help from Amadeus VII of Savoy, who invaded the Valais with his army.

In 1375, the hostilities reached their climax with the murder of the bishop Guichard Tavelli by the mercenaries of Antoine de la Tour at the nearby Seta Castle.

Antoine, who is also called in German "Anton von Turn", is represented by one of the wooden sculptures at the Gestelnburg.

The nature of these representations indicates a date of origin from the first half of the 14th century, which coincides with the peak of the de la Tour family.