Blankenburg Castle (Zweisimmen)

Blankenburg Castle is a castle in the municipality of Zweisimmen, Canton Bern, Switzerland, and a monument of regional importance. It is the seat of the District Governor of the Obersimmental district.

The castle is first mentioned in 1329. At that time, it was owned by the Lords of Düdingen and passed to the city of Fribourg in 1371. During the Burgdorf War, it was conquered by Bern in 1383 and has been a Bernese administrative seat ever since.

In 1767, the castle burned down and was replaced between 1768 and 1770 by master builder Niklaus Hebler with a baroque wing building, which, according to official instructions, was to be commodious but not too spacious. On the medieval substructures and incorporating older masonry, a completely new residence was created for the official, here called Kastlan. The L-shaped building consists of a two-story corps-de-logis and a single-story side wing, which encloses the elevated castle courtyard. To the south is a large terraced garden. The former horse barn belongs to the castle.

Blankenburg Castle today presents the appearance of a late Baroque campagne, i.e., a country estate. Only the double-flight covered outdoor staircase is reminiscent of public and official building, as it reflects the then-town hall staircase in Bern.