Laupen Castle

The castle's origins date back to the period of the High Burgundian Kingdom. A document from 1014, signed by King Rudolf III in Laupen, provides the first written evidence of its existence. Its construction is presumed to have occurred around the turn of the millennium or in the 10th century. After the end of the Burgundian Kingdom, the castle became imperial-free and was inhabited by various noble families. Under the Zähringer, who fortified the region, the complex took on its current dimensions of approximately 130 meters in length. In the 13th century, Laupen was contested and changed hands between various rulers before passing to Bern in 1324. The Laupen War of 1339, in which the Bernese, led by Rudolf von Erlach, defeated a coalition of Western Swiss nobles and Fribourg, is a known episode. After the battle, the castle was expanded as the center of the first Bernese bailiwick and a new administrative building was added in the 17th century.

Today, Laupen Castle houses the Laupen District Governor's Office. Its Romanesque palace walls in the basement reach up to three meters thick. The defensive tower, also known as the “Käfigturm” (Cage Tower), once served as a prison. The castle's premises are currently undergoing extensive restoration.