Belp Castle

Belp Castle is a 13th-century castle in the municipality of Belp in the canton of Bern. Together with its associated residential building and the 16th-century Käfigturm (Cage Tower), which is now used as a village museum, it is a monument of regional importance. Renovated in 1992, the castle was used by the Bernese cantonal administration. Until December 31, 2009, it housed the district administration of the Seftigen office: the Government Governor's Office, the judicial authorities of the judicial district IX Schwarzenburg-Seftigen, as well as a department of the district land registry office IX and the debt enforcement and bankruptcy office.
Belp Castle was the seat of a private barony, whose castle on the northern edge of the Belpberg was abandoned in the 15th century and replaced by several fortified houses in the village. Since the 14th century, the lords of the manor were citizens of the city of Bern. From 1631 to 1636/44, the complex was doubled in size to its current extent, supplemented by the castle northeast and distinguished by the tall stair tower. In 1798, the manorial rights definitively fell to the state. It was not until 1812 that the canton bought the castle and its estates from Carl von Wattenwyl to establish a seat for the newly created Seftigen office. Belp Castle is therefore comparable to similar private manorial seats such as Münsingen, Toffen, Burgistein, or Kiesen. The Käfigturm was built in 1542 as the official prison of the private lordship of Belp.