Burgdorf Castle

Burgdorf castle was built by the Zahringen dukes around 1200 on a moraine spur above the Emme, and its brick-and-stone keep and hall are among the oldest surviving secular buildings of their kind in the region. Bern took it in 1384 and used it as a bailiff's seat for four centuries. Pestalozzi ran his experimental school here from 1799 to 1804, an episode central to the history of modern primary education. After a long period as a district court and prison, it was reopened in 2020 in a new configuration: a museum of the castle and the Emmental, a restaurant, and a youth hostel occupying part of the historic fabric, so visitors can sleep inside the walls.

What to look for

• A Zahringen keep of about 1200 - among the oldest secular buildings in the region.
• Pestalozzi's school rooms - where he taught from 1799 to 1804.
• A hostel inside the walls - part of the 2020 conversion.
• The Emmental museum - the region's history in the castle rooms.

When to go

All year. Two hours.

Things to know

The museum closes on Mondays and parts are given over to the hostel and restaurant. The climb from the station is steep. Labelling is in German. Burgdorf itself is a modest town.

Nearby

The Emmental valley runs east; Bern is a short train ride south-west.

Key facts