Pfeffingen: the village beneath the ruin

The counts on the rock

Around the year 1000 Emperor Henry II gave the area to the cathedral chapter of Basel. The name “Fefingen” first appears in a charter in 1156. The village lay on the Plattenpass, an important crossing at the time, and above it the Counts of Thierstein built their castle in the mid-13th century.

The Thiersteins thereafter called themselves Counts of Thierstein-Pfeffingen. Their castle was damaged by the earthquake in 1356, burnt down by the people of Basel in 1376, captured in 1445 and rebuilt again and again. In 1519 the family died out, and three years later everything fell to the bishop.

A capital without a town

The bishop's bailiff now resided at Pfeffingen Castle. He ruled over Aesch, Duggingen and Grellingen, held the blood court in Therwil and the high court in Reinach, and owned the salt monopoly. Pfeffingen was the centre in church matters too: the parish of St. Martin included Reinach until 1511 and Aesch until 1803.

By 1702 the castle was so dilapidated that the bailiff moved down to Aesch. That was the end of its importance. In 1761 the castle was auctioned off for demolition.

The ruin has belonged to the canton since 1941. Between 2013 and 2017 the canton had it restored at a cost of around CHF 7.2 million. It is open to the public.

From wine village to hillside neighbourhood

Until 1960 Pfeffingen was a village of farmers and wine-growers. In 1950, 429 people lived here. Then the vineyard land on the Bergmattweg became building land, and by 2000 the population had quadrupled. There has only been a bus since 1986.

What it is like to live here

The village centre lies on the Hauptstrasse by the church, at an altitude of just under 400 metres. Above it the detached houses run up the slope, with views across the Birs valley. Of the 490 hectares of municipal area, only 70 are built on; 258 are woodland. Besides the large ruin, there are three further castle sites from the 13th century in the woods.

Kindergarten and primary school are in the village; the secondary school and the ISB campus are in neighbouring Aesch.

What you need to know

Pfeffingen has a single bus route. Every journey to Basel means changing, and it takes half an hour or more. Without a car, everyday life here is cumbersome.

The low tax multiplier and the view come at a price: despite the peripheral location, the price per square metre is higher than down in Aesch. Houses rarely come onto the market.

Sources: Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, Pfeffingen · Municipality of Pfeffingen in figures · Tax multiplier · Archäologie Baselland, annual report 2017 (restoration of the ruin) · Prices: RealAdvisor, October 2026 · Timetable: transport.opendata.ch