Weissenau ruins
| Weissenau ruins | ||
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 Weissenau castle ruins from the outside |
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| Creation time : | 13th Century | |
| Castle type : | Niederungsburg, island location | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Standing position : | Barons | |
| Place: | Unterseen | |
| Geographical location | 46 ° 40 '12 .5 " N , 7 ° 49' 56.5" E | |
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Weissenau ruin observation tower
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| Basic data | |
| Place: | Unterseen |
| Canton: | Bern |
| Country: | Switzerland |
| Altitude : | 559 m |
| Coordinates : | 630115 / 168845 |
| Use: | Observation tower |
| Accessibility: | Observation tower open to the public |
| Tower data | |
| Construction time : | 12th Century |
| Total height : | 16.00 m |
| Viewing platform: | 14.50 m |
The ruins of Weissenau are the ruins of a medieval low castle in the municipality of Unterseen in the canton of Bern from the 13th century.
Location and description
The Weissenau ruins are the largest and best preserved castle complex in the Bernese Oberland . It is located on a former island where the Aare flows into Lake Thun in what is now the Neuhaus-Weissenau nature reserve.
history
The castle and the associated port were built as an imperial castle in the 13th century to secure and control the movement of goods across the Alpine passes. In the 13th century the castle was owned by the barons of Wädenswil. In 1279 the town of Unterseen was founded, and with it the economic decline of Weissenau Castle. In 1298 it was first mentioned in writing as "castrum de Wissenowe". In 1318 Duke Leopold I of Austria pledged the castle to the Lords of Weissenburg. In 1334 they sold the castle to the Interlaken monastery . In 1530 the Interlaken monastery was secularized and the castle went to the state of Bern . Then the castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The ruin has been a listed building since 1981 and was preserved between 1988 and 1989.
Observation tower
71 steps lead to the viewing platform at a height of 14.5 meters. From here you can see the Aare , Lake Thun and the Niesen in the background .
stairway
Viewing platform
Web links
- Information and pictures about the ruins of the Archaeological Service Bern ( Memento from November 6, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- Information and pictures about the ruin on burgenkids.ch (PDF; 3.3 MB)
- 360 ° panorama photo of the Weissenau ruins
