Founded around 1250 as a place to hold meetings and as a prison, Rätia Ampla Castle in Riom has been one of the most idiosyncratic cultural amenities in the Alps since 2006. Currently used as a theatre, the castle hosts the largest theatre and culture festival in Graubünden: the Origen Festival Cultural.

Rätia Ampla Castle in Riom is one of the most important castles in Graubünden and is protected by the canton and the Swiss Confederation.
After the village burned down in 1864, all the wood from the fortress was used in the rebuilding project. Until 1977, when a new roof was installed, the castle endured a miserable existence as a ruin.

These days, new life has moved into the old walls of the castle. The first professional theatre for Romansh cultural history was opened in 2006, and since then the resurrected castle has been the setting for theatrical performances as part of the Origen Festival Cultural event. The colossal, rough walls of the medieval castle provide a dramatic and historical backdrop for theatrical performances.

It also provides a home for Europe’s highest colony of jackdaws in the castle walls. Up to 300 birds call these old walls their home at one time or another.