Château Prangins

The origins of the current castle lie in a medieval fortress that was the center of an extensive lordship in the 13th century. The Lords of Cossonay-Prangins, who also held Nyon as a fief, came into conflict with the Counts of Savoy at the end of the 13th century and were forced to cede their lordship to them in 1294. Over the following centuries, the estate frequently changed hands. In 1536, the old castle was burned down during Bern's conquest of Vaud. However, the lordship of Prangins continued to exist and was placed under the Bernese bailiwick of Nyon. In 1719, the French banker Louis Guiguer acquired the property. From 1732, he had the current Baroque castle built on the ruins of the previous structure. His grandson, Charles-Jules Guiguer de Prangins, sold the castle in 1814 to Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother. After Joseph Bonaparte's flight and Napoleon's repeated downfall, the castle gradually fell into disrepair until it passed into new hands in 1827. In 1873, it was acquired by the Moravian Church, which established an educational institution there and significantly altered the interior. After 1920, the castle changed owners several times, including Horace de Pourtalès and Josephine Dexter. In 1962, Dexter's daughter, Katherine McCormick, deeded the castle to the US government, which intended to establish the residence of its envoy to the UN in Geneva there, but sold it after McCormick's death in 1967. After a brief ownership by Bernard Cornfeld, the castle passed to the cantons of Geneva and Vaud in 1974, which then transferred it to the Swiss Confederation in 1975. After extensive restorations and renovations, it was opened as a museum in 1998.

Château Prangins is located in the municipality of Prangins in the district of Nyon, canton of Vaud, Switzerland, at an elevation of approximately 408 meters above sea level.

Today, Château Prangins houses the Western Swiss branch of the Swiss National Museum. Visitors can explore exhibitions on Swiss history from the 18th and 19th centuries.

• Roman Theater IVLIA EQVESTRIS (Nyon) (Ancient Buildings), approx. 1.4 km away
• Château Changins (Nyon) (Castle), approx. 1.5 km away
• Château Nyon (Castle), approx. 1.6 km away
• Château Duillier (Castle), approx. 2.0 km away