Oberhofen Castle
Oberhofen Castle is a Swiss heritage site of national significance in Oberhofen of the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. Oberhofen Castle with its medieval keep and lake tower is located on the shore of Lake Thun. With its striking tree formations, exotic wood plants, covered walkway and colourful flower parterres, this historic landscape garden is an ideal oasis to linger and unwind.
During the High Middle Ages the Freiherr von Oberhofen built Balm Castle on a hill above the village. In 1200, a daughter of the family, Ita, married into the von Eschenbach family and gave this family the castle and village. In the 13th century they began a new, moated castle on the shores of Lake Thun.
The castle passed into private hands after 1803 and had several owners in the following years. In 1844 the castle was bought and converted to a summer residence by the aristocratic Pourtalès family from Neuchatel and Prussia. In 1952 it became a part of the Historical Museum of Bern and two years later they opened a branch in the castle. The central keep probably dates from around 1200 and is about 11 by 12.5 meters (36 ft × 41 ft) with 2 m (6.6 ft) thick walls.
Note: The castles of Thun, Oberhofen and Spiez on Lake Thun invite families to immerse themselves in the world of the middle ages. On the knight’s trail, pageboys and varlets can learn how to be knights and ladies.
General Information
|
Season |
May – October |
|
Time required |
2 to 4 hours (half day) |
|
Suitable for children with age |
6 to 9 years, 10 to 13 years |
|
Suitable for |
Families, Groups, Individual |
|
Weather |
Indoor |
|
Category |
Education |
|
Language |
German, English |
|
Group Size |
1 – 25 |
Free access to the park.
Dogs are not allowed in the castle or the park, but are welcome in the restaurant.
Further information on the castle park
ENTRANCE FEES – CASTLE MUSEUM : –
Adults :- CHF 10
Adult reduced (AHV, IV, students and unemployed with ID, military): CHF 8
Children (6–16 years) :- CHF 2
Groups over 10 people :- CHF 8
Bernese Oberland Regional Pass :- CHF 8
Free entrance with Museums pass, Oberhofner Museums pass, Schlössercard, Raiffeisenkarte, Flexi Pass, Youth Pass, Museen Bern, VMS-Mitgliederkarte
ARRIVING BY CAR : –
Motorway A1 Zurich / Bern, direction A6 Bern / Interlaken, leave the motorway in Thun-Nord and continue towards Thun Zentrum, direction Gunten / Interlaken.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT :
From Thun railway station :
Take bus no. 21 (Interlaken Ost / Oberhofen) or bus no. 25 (Sigriswil), exit Oberhofen Dorf Or take the boat to Oberhofen (landing key by castle)
Location: Oberhofen am Thunersee
May 12
2:00 pm
10.98 °C
May 12
5:00 pm
11 °C
May 12
8:00 pm
9.73 °C
May 12
11:00 pm
8.4 °C
Address
Schloss 4, 3653 Oberhofen am Thunersee, Switzerland
Opening Time
| Saturday | 11AM–5PM |
| Sunday | 11AM–5PM |
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 11AM–5PM |
| Wednesday | 11AM–5PM |
| Thursday | 11AM–5PM |
| Friday | 11AM–5PM |
Tickets
Swiss travel pass
Duration
2-3 hours
Location: Oberhofen am Thunersee
2:00 am
May 13
7.66 °C 90 % 1015 hPa 0.86 m/s 150 deg
overcast clouds
5:00 am
May 13
6.96 °C 94 % 1016 hPa 1.11 m/s 129 deg
overcast clouds
8:00 am
May 13
8.22 °C 96 % 1017 hPa 0.57 m/s 45 deg
overcast clouds
11:00 am
May 13
11.09 °C 100 % 1016 hPa 1.84 m/s 340 deg
light rain
2:00 pm
May 13
12.26 °C 99 % 1016 hPa 1.99 m/s 354 deg
light rain
5:00 pm
May 13
12.36 °C 100 % 1015 hPa 1.55 m/s 5 deg
light rain
8:00 pm
May 13
10.35 °C 96 % 1016 hPa 1.33 m/s 22 deg
light rain
11:00 pm
May 13
7.96 °C 72 % 1017 hPa 1.05 m/s 154 deg
broken clouds
2:00 am
May 14
8.07 °C 76 % 1017 hPa 0.95 m/s 137 deg
broken clouds
5:00 am
May 14
6.49 °C 71 % 1016 hPa 0.53 m/s 170 deg
broken clouds
8:00 am
May 14
9.04 °C 55 % 1016 hPa 0.29 m/s 359 deg
broken clouds
11:00 am
May 14
13.42 °C 47 % 1013 hPa 1.68 m/s 354 deg
light rain
2:00 pm
May 14
14.05 °C 69 % 1012 hPa 2.21 m/s 357 deg
light rain
5:00 pm
May 14
13.46 °C 91 % 1011 hPa 1.35 m/s 17 deg
light rain
8:00 pm
May 14
11.48 °C 64 % 1011 hPa 0.92 m/s 37 deg
light rain
11:00 pm
May 14
7.32 °C 17 % 1013 hPa 1.71 m/s 163 deg
few clouds
2:00 am
May 15
6.35 °C 16 % 1012 hPa 1.83 m/s 161 deg
few clouds
5:00 am
May 15
5.7 °C 12 % 1012 hPa 1.57 m/s 161 deg
few clouds
8:00 am
May 15
9.3 °C 25 % 1010 hPa 0.22 m/s 250 deg
scattered clouds
11:00 am
May 15
12.46 °C 63 % 1008 hPa 1.87 m/s 352 deg
light rain
2:00 pm
May 15
13.92 °C 72 % 1005 hPa 2.08 m/s 17 deg
light rain
5:00 pm
May 15
13 °C 91 % 1004 hPa 2.07 m/s 358 deg
light rain
8:00 pm
May 15
10.94 °C 95 % 1005 hPa 1.19 m/s 8 deg
light rain
11:00 pm
May 15
8.88 °C 100 % 1006 hPa 0.56 m/s 152 deg
light rain
2:00 am
May 16
8.87 °C 100 % 1004 hPa 0.69 m/s 24 deg
light rain
5:00 am
May 16
9.1 °C 100 % 1003 hPa 1.52 m/s 10 deg
light rain
8:00 am
May 16
9.34 °C 100 % 1002 hPa 1.88 m/s 3 deg
light rain
11:00 am
May 16
9.26 °C 100 % 1003 hPa 1.86 m/s 345 deg
light rain
2:00 pm
May 16
9.75 °C 100 % 1003 hPa 0.86 m/s 354 deg
light rain
5:00 pm
May 16
9.19 °C 100 % 1005 hPa 0.61 m/s 279 deg
light rain
8:00 pm
May 16
8.7 °C 100 % 1007 hPa 0.47 m/s 262 deg
light rain
11:00 pm
May 16
8.43 °C 100 % 1009 hPa 0.51 m/s 301 deg
light rain
2:00 am
May 17
7.97 °C 100 % 1009 hPa 1.08 m/s 325 deg
light rain
5:00 am
May 17
7.46 °C 100 % 1010 hPa 1.07 m/s 325 deg
light rain
8:00 am
May 17
7.32 °C 100 % 1011 hPa 0.56 m/s 303 deg
light rain
11:00 am
May 17
7.78 °C 100 % 1013 hPa 0.95 m/s 326 deg
light rain