Founded in the third quarter of the 11th century by the Lords of Tarasp, it was in the possession of the house of Habsburg-Austria from 1464 onwards, passing subsequently to the Canton of Graubünden from 1803 until 1900, when it was purchased by Karl August Lingner from Dresden. He restored the crumbling castle, equipping it with historical panelling and furniture. Since 1916 it has been in the possession of the Dukes of Hessen and since 1919 has been opened to the public as a museum. The castle path leads around the rocks, ascending to the highest plateau.

The buildings of the upper castle are grouped around a narrow inner courtyard. The broad keep, towering over the other buildings, dates back to the High Middle Ages. In the castle courtyard stands the Romanesque Chapel of St John's, whose choir projects as an oriole from the circular wall on the east side. The interior harbours wall paintings from the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance era.