Messerturm

Messerturm stands at the northeastern edge of Rheinfelden’s old town, directly beside the Rhine.

Its triangular plan projects into the riverbed itself.

The tower probably dates from the fifteenth century and formed the eastern end of Rheinfelden’s defensive wall.

Its pointed roof makes the structure easy to recognise beside the river.

The name Messerturm means Knife Tower, and its origin has two explanations in local tradition.

One explanation compares the triangular tower cutting into the Rhine with a knife.

Another legend connects the upper room, the obern Stüblin, with interrogations and punishments under high jurisdiction.

The tale includes a knife-lined shaft beneath a trapdoor.

These darker stories belong to Rheinfelden’s wider tradition of legends about law, punishment, and the old town.

The tower is not open to visitors, while the nearby Känzeli offers a view by the Johanniterkapelle.

Models at the Fricktaler Museum show how Messerturm fitted into the city’s former fortifications.

The old wall places the tower within Rheinfelden’s riverside defences.