Castle caretakers trade luxury for hard garden work

Daniela Goll and Christian Hunziker have spent just over a year caring for Wartenfels Castle, a Baroque complex in Lostorf, canton Solothurn, SRF reports. Because the historic castle is very cold in winter, the couple lives in the nearby gardener’s house, built in 1918 and about 50 metres away.

Employed by the canton of Solothurn, the castle caretakers are responsible for operating and maintaining the entire property. Their duties include caring for a vineyard, 20 hectares of forest, meadows, ornamental and vegetable gardens, and the castle itself.

“We are gardeners, caterers, cleaners, event managers, accountants, tradespeople and farmers,” Hunziker says. He trained as a display designer. Goll, a biodynamic farmer, jokes that she sometimes feels like a “weeding machine”.

The Wartenfels complex dates largely to the 17th century and stands high above Lostorf at the end of a steep road. The couple’s nearest neighbours live far down the slope, but Goll says the secluded setting suits them. “You have to approach people if you want contact. You can also be lonely in a detached house in the village,” she says.

Wartenfels Castle is owned by a foundation represented by the canton and two municipalities. The property was recently renovated and can be rented for weddings and other events. The restaurant opens only on Sundays, while the self-service bistro is open almost all the time.

The castle’s gardens include a wild rose garden, a vegetable garden and a formal Baroque garden with symmetrical flower beds, geometrically trimmed shrubs, a manicured lawn and an avenue of hornbeams almost 300 years old.

Goll initially found the formal garden unfamiliar, but says she has grown fond of it. “Because of its structure, it is very peaceful here. You find calm,” she says. Hunziker says he liked it from the start because he has “an eye for geometric shapes”.

The couple had not planned to become castle caretakers. Goll was looking for a farm when she saw the job advertisement, and the pair applied and were hired. Taking the position meant moving in together. “Where could you live more beautifully? The house is big enough,” Goll says.

During their first year, they had to learn how the property worked through every season. Maintaining the old walls and gardens is demanding physical work, but they say they want to stay as long as the job remains enjoyable.

One idea is to allow guests to stay in the gatekeeper’s house in the future. They would have to share the accommodation with the castle cat, Fräulein Linda.

The castle began as a watchtower from which fire signals were relayed from the 13th century. The complex was expanded over time, and today it contains elements from both the medieval and Baroque periods. It received its present form in the 17th century, when it was converted into a “Solothurn turret house” and the Baroque garden was created.