The best walks and hikes around Balgach

There is fresh drinking water here

Weinstein Castle, first mentioned in documents in the 14th century, is beautifully located in the vineyards of Marbach. You can eat, drink and even get married in the castle.

The wonderful vineyards of Balgach can be discovered along Rebengasse, and the view down into the St. Gallen Rhine Valley is also well worth seeing.

Rustic old inn with an 83-year-old landlady. Be sure to visit while it's still open.

In the middle of Balgach on the main street I have a small square with a few benches. The statues on the edge won't let you feel quite so lonely.

Weinstein Castle, Marbach For centuries, Weinstein Castle, which was first mentioned in documents at the end of the 14th century, belonged to rich and politically influential St. Gallen families, especially the Hans Varnbüler zu Weinstein family (1375). Around a hundred years later (1479), Ulrich Varnbüler, one of the leading politicians in the trading city of St. Gallen, rebuilt the castle. Ulrich Varnbüler was an opponent of Abbot Ulrich Rösch. Because of the growing tensions with the city towards the end of the 15th century, Rösch planned to move the monastery to Rorschach and in 1487 the foundation stone of the Marienberg monastery complex was laid. But now there was resistance among the people of St. Gallen and Appenzeller for economic and political reasons. The conflict escalated and in 1489 the monastery complex under construction was destroyed. Since Ulrich Varnbüler played a leading role in the “Rorschacher Klosterbruch”, he was condemned in 1495 and his property, including Weinstein Castle, was confiscated by the Confederates. Only after an imperial word of power did Ulrich Varnbüler's heirs get the castle back in 1498. Around 1550, the stair tower was added to the building, the roof structure was expanded with a knight's parlor and the historic kitchen, which is still preserved today. At the same time, the west extension was built as a storey annex. Various changes of ownership were followed by the ownership period of Schlapparitzi, Högger and Zollikofer. In 1613, the building, which was reminiscent of a residential tower, was expanded to include the east wing, which included the baroque Schlappritzi Hall, named after its builders. In 1841 a “bourgeois” bought Weinstein for the first time, namely Johann Anton Kuster von Altstätten. He added 1.5 floors to the west extension and set up the first bar in what is now the Torkel-Stübli around 1850. The castle barn dates from a similar period. In 1943, Johannes Herzog von Thal bought the entire property including the agricultural business. The purchase price of 175,000 francs advertised at the time raised doubts about profitability among the farmers' association. Text / Source: Weinstein Castle https://www.schloss-weinstein.ch/schloss-weinstein

Tar road through the Balgacher vineyards, with a beautiful view of the Rhine Valley with the mountains behind.

Actually, technically a very cool and quite long forest trail, but because of the forest you have no views at all and no sun, and it gets a bit boring ... Therefore only conditionally recommended.