The Artist‘s Castle: History, Art and Spirit

Do you love art and history? Do you think about the Romans every day? My 400-year-old house, built on the foundation of a Roman tower, was once part of a castle and is full of history, books, art, music, inspiration and love. Welcome to "The Artist's Castle," my Schloss Kunterbunt. This is where history meets good vibes. Breathe, be you. You want to create? The studio and workshop are waiting for you. Overlooking the river in my historic oasis in medieval Eglisau. The space The Schlossscheune is history you can touch: Eglisau Castle, once a proud medieval castle, was largely demolished in the 19th century. Our house, the castle barn, as well as the moat with bridge have fortunately been preserved and are now considered a Swiss cultural monument. And this is where you'll be staying! It's magical, the 400-year-old beams tell bedtime stories here.   Important: We are not a hotel, you will be staying with us privately and in a Swiss cultural monument. What breaks here cannot be replaced. That's why we need to know if guests are a good fit for us. You choose me and I choose you, as in any good relationship: - Who are you? - Who are you traveling with and where are you coming from? - What is the purpose of your trip? - We only accept guests with reviews & ID. - No more than 5 guests - No parties! Those who stay with us, pay attention to our old girl! That's what they've been doing here for 400 years. – Otherwise, the castle ghost will chase you 👻 MORE INFORMATION (answers to almost everything) The castle barn has three apartments, you will stay in the manor apartment. My father was an architect specializing in listed buildings, my grandfather a cabinetmaker for antique Swiss farm furniture. Together they collected old wood and bricks throughout Switzerland for about 25 years until they had enough in 1984 for the core renovation of the partial timber building built in 1630. So it has 400-year-old beams and girders from former buildings throughout Switzerland. My grandmother painted the wooden furniture of my grandfather's carpentry in the typical Swiss peasant painting style, which has many pieces of furniture, as well as the shutters of the castle barn.    In the library, I read Michael Ende's "The Neverending Story" for the first time and didn't hear when my mother called me to dinner. To eat in the kitchen with a knight's table, which was always full of family and guests. In the castle barn, there was a lot of cooking and eating, a lot of laughter and enjoyment of life. Music sounded from the gallery of the grand piano and of course from the billiard room (we have a large opera collection on request).   The Schlossscheune is a house full of history and stories, full of life and laughter and we would like to open this beautiful place to others. My name is Dominique Feusi, I am a creative director, artist and writer and grew up here. It was wonderful: In Eglisau, as a child, I mainly drew, laughed, ate and swam in the Rhine or went canoeing. In summer, you are somehow constantly wet here. We have now lovingly redesigned the interior of the Schlossscheune for our guests, excavated photos from archives about the history of the house, graphically reworked them, etc. – there is a lot to discover. We put a lot of love into making your stay as great as possible. For lovers of:   - Lots of history and historical things - Lots of old wood, terracotta floors and beautiful old farm furniture - View of the water, no wonder the Romans built in this location - Lots of nature, lots of birds chirping, two romantic garden seats and beautiful plants - Open, well-equipped kitchen (a lot of cooking was done here) with a knight's table and fireplace (only fire up with the host first – too dangerous!) - 5 meter high billiard room, billiard table (carom, without holes) - Library (German) in the "Dark Academia" style - Gallery with grand piano (Urbas & Reisshauer Dresden) - Art, sculptures, photos/engravings on the history of the house, antiques, quirky twists   Ideal for:   80 meters to the Rhine and small harbor with bathing and boat launch: - Stand up paddling, rowing, canoeing  - Swimming, in the morning, at noon, after the sauna (in the apartment) a swim in the Rhine - Water sports, boat ride - Relax, find yourself - Create, we have a workshop and studio - Inspiring setting - Golf in the nearby Golfclub Rheinblick: championship course with a distant view of the Swiss Alpine panorama. - Hiking, countless beautiful hiking trails on the Rhine - Dog walk: leash obligation in the forest and on the edge of the forest or if marked, otherwise the dog may run freely in the Zurich lowlands. - Retreat (office with small meeting table (4 seats), knights' table with 12 seats, dozens of retreat corners - Bike tours (workshop for any repairs/free parking garage) - Photography, indoors and outdoors: many beautiful spots. And otherwise, architecture, sculptures, plants, the water with its reflections and the changing green of the river, the weather and the Rhine, the town and the bridges, offer many magical moments. - Experience nature - Forget time, it's a mystical place - Discover Switzerland: The Rhine Falls, the largest waterfall in Europe and the most visited and most popular tourist attraction in Switzerland, is only 16.9 km away.   In summer, the castle barn is a cool oasis thanks to the thick walls, which were partly used for fortress purposes. But at any time of the year, the setting with the Rhine and the town offers beautiful pictures and magical moments.     The medieval Eglisau, the "Pearl on the Rhine," was not chosen for nothing as one of the "most beautiful Swiss villages" and is in the federal inventory of the protected local images of Switzerland.     Castle dog, seating, neighbors   Our estate manager, Monika and our castle dog (please do not feed) live next door in the "Stöckli", common main entrance (gate) and courtyard. Each party has its own seating area, but the castle dog is allowed to be everywhere – the seating areas are not separated by a fence. If you are afraid of dogs or hate dogs, you are in the wrong place. The apartment also has a beautiful rear garden with seating overlooking the castle pond (no fence to the seating area of the upper apartment). You have lots of privacy, but there are also other people and animals living here. In the castle barn, we take care.     Parking   2 garage spaces included, 3 hours free parking (parking disc) in front of the house, other paid parking in the area, free parking space for stand-up paddles, bicycles, canoe. Boat trailers (free watering point 80 m below the house) can be parked in a nearby paid parking lot.   Note: Access only for residents, you are allowed. (Attention, upper exit prohibited, one-way) Just opposite the gate, you can park for 3 hours on the edge of the road with a parking card. In addition to the parking card, place the map of the castle barn (we will give it to you) clearly visible behind the car window to identify you as a visitor. Children - Not suitable for small children, as it is dangerous: the historic castle ditch is part of the complex, right at the seat it goes down 5 meters, many steep stairs, narrow spiral staircase, gallery, pointed fences, water. For slightly older children, however, the castle barn is an exciting journey through time to the knights and castle ghosts and a nature experience. I grew up here, it was wonderful.   - Unfortunately, the apartment is not suitable for guests with limited mobility (stairs), structural, historical narrow passages. Dogs   - Dogs: There are two dogs living in the castle barn. They are friendly, but if you panic about dogs or hate dogs, you are in the wrong place.   - Dogs as guests: Only on request, no more than two, (CHF 20 per day/dog), there are two other dogs on the property, females, the dogs must be well socialized and educated. The gardens/seats are not demarcated among the residents. They are also not a place to litter. There is also a dog waste collection obligation everywhere. Difficult for dogs with a great hunting instinct/bathing instinct: pond with many fish in the neighboring property, dangerous pointed fences (but never a problem with all our dogs for decades). Great for dogs: In summer the castle barn stays nice and cool, there are many walks, Zurich Unterland has no leash requirement, only in the forest, otherwise dogs are allowed to run freely, dogs can swim in the Rhine. Please no dogs in bed, on sofas, other seating areas, etc. (or cover with their own blankets) Fire   - No candles, no fire in the fireplace without OK from the host, this house is made of 400-year-old wood, wooden ceilings burn even if candles are in the wrong place underneath and hours after putting them out!!! For safety reasons, we do not fire the large fireplace in the billiard room with guests. - Never put ashes in the trash! Fire hazard!   - Smoking: No smoking inside. Outside, of course, there are two cozy seating areas in front of and behind the house, where you can smoke with a beautiful view, in front of the Rhine behind the garden and the Mühleweiher.   Location: Eglisau, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland   In the Schlossscheune you are in the middle of it all and yet on your own and so it is with Eglisau in the Zurich lowlands: peace, relaxation, nature – as well as the convenient international connection to Zurich Airport (ZRH) (25 minutes by car), urban Zurich (30 minutes by car) (Eglisau train station 15 minutes by foot) and the nearby border crossing to Germany (15 minutes by car).   Eglisau has it all: dozens of shops and restaurants: Pizza Express Eglisau and bakery/cafe Panelio: just above the house, the Vivicafé, Gasthof Hirschen, Rhibar, Restaurant Rank, Cafe Nachtwächter, Migros, Coop, Denner, Landi, 2 gas stations, ATM, post office, weekly market, organic market, doctor, gynecologist's office and pharmacy within walking distance, tiptop infrastructure, you can live, eat and shop here wonderfully.   Nearest bakery and pizza: 100 m Good shopping within walking distance Nearest hospital: Bülach Hospital, 8.2 km, 8 min Nearest pharmacy: TopPharm Sonnen Apotheke: 500 m Nearest doctor: 300 m   House Rules: -The house must be left clean: no food, etc.fridge empty, waste bin empty, waste separated and disposed of in the garage in the recycling station. For additional cleaning, our cleaning company will charge CHF 40.00 for each hour or part thereof. - No parties!  - No more than 5 guests - If you want to photograph, celebrate, have an aperitif, a meal with a chef, a retreat (small meeting room table with 4, knights' table with 12 seats, dozens of retreat corners), etc. in the castle barn, contact us, we have dozens of ideas and possibilities.   - You will be staying in someone's home AND in a cultural monument - treat the property and surroundings with care and respect. What breaks here cannot be replaced.   - Your apartment is private, but the castle barn is inhabited, so be considerate.   - No commercial events, shoots, recordings, uses of any kind other than those agreed here without prior arrangement. Got an idea? Wedding, ideal for retreats, etc. – contact us.     - The castle barn is almost 400 years old, the beams creak here and here we are in nature, it is not Disneyland, but real. The castle barn was completely renovated in the 1980s and always maintained, but it is an old girl with history. The furniture and the wood are also old, so here something is jammed and creaking or a spider or a beetle comes in from the garden. That's real 1630.   Key: Guests will receive a maximum of 3 house keys. In case of loss, we must replace the lock for security reasons, the guest is liable, costs: approx. CHF 1500.00. Guests will receive a maximum of 1 garage door opener. In case of loss, we have to replace the entire locking system for safety reasons, as it is old, costing about 2500.00   Noise:   - The castle barn is located with the back to a busy road. We have a noise barrier, you can't see the street, but during the day it is noisy and can be heard in the back garden. Then you go to the front garden. Thanks to the thick walls on the back of the house, which once served as the outer fortification of Eglisau Castle, you will always find a quiet spot somewhere.   - In summer there is a lot going on on the Rhine and in the town, but in the Schlossscheune you always have some distance from the hustle and bustle and can wonderfully observe the hustle and bustle at the small harbor.   - Church bell: In Eglisau, the church bell rings every fifteen minutes – twice – and every full hour – twice. Here it is chimed, the Rhine and the bell, that is the beat of Eglisau. For sensitive people, we have earplugs.    Water: All water in the house, including shower/bath, is drinking water! Please pay attention, as usual in Switzerland, to the careful use of resources. We have two boilers in the house, 500 liters of warm water, 100 liters per person/day (the electricity plant only allows heating at night) Cleaning - The house must be left clean: dishes rinsed, no leftovers, supplies, etc. on tables and cabinets, the refrigerator please empty, waste bins empty, waste separated and disposed of in the garage in the recycling station. The first paid waste bag is already in the bucket, the guest buys additional required waste bags. Cleaning fee: CHF 300.00 In the castle barn, 350 m2 on 2 floors must be cleaned. Plus laundry etc. In the event of heavy soiling, our cleaning company will charge an additional CHF 40.00 for each hour or part thereof.       You will sleep here:   The Crown Suite (antique double bed, small: 140 x 200 cm) (room with private bathroom / bathtub/shower toilet)   The Marie-Antoinette Room (double bed new, box spring size: 180 x 200 cm)   The Writers Room (single bed, 110 x 185 cm) (washbasin in the room)     You will find:   – Towels, beds made, kitchen: dish towel, vinegar, oil, salt, sugar, etc. and also: toilet paper, coffee (Nespresso and Dolce Gusto): We offer you a small selection of basic daily necessities upon arrival. In all cases, you must take care of replenishment and washing yourself.   Currently no TV/entertainment system, only screen. CD player with good speakers and on request large opera CD collection. Listening to music, reading, playing pool, drawing is the thing here. Guest access You have the entire 350 m² of the manor apartment for yourself! You share the courtyard and the back garden with the other residents of the castle barn. You have spacious private areas of your own: a garden seating area in the back and a garden seating area in the front, but the areas are not separated from each other, so a dog says hello from time to time. Other things to note For safety reasons, it is forbidden to build fires alone and without instructions and the OK of the host. Risk of fire!!