Rüeggisberg
Intro
Rüeggisberg is a small farming village on the southern slope of the Längenberg in the district of Seftigen, nestled among the gentle hills south of the capital, characterised by forests and fields.
The village is dotted with typical 18th and 19th century Bernese farmhouses, with their stately hipped roofs and “Ründinen” (arched tympana), which line the curving main road. The village church, with its ornate steeple, gleams a striking white among the dense rows of farmhouses with their tiled roofs and dark wooden facades. Rüeggisberg remains very traditional in appearance to this day. Fruit trees stand above and below the farmyards, shaping the rustic nature of the village along with the buildings and cottage gardens. Throughout the village, the gaps between the farmhouses reveal amazing views of the Stockhorn chain of mountains and the Bernese Alps.
One feature that is unique for Switzerland is the ruin of a Romanesque church, part of a Cluniac monastery standing below the village centre. This was the first Cluniac priory in the German-speaking region. The history of Rüeggisberg is closely linked with this building; the village was a popular waypoint for pilgrims as two pilgrim routes to Santiago converged here. Despite its importance, however, the monastery rarely housed more than four to five monks. Today, the ruin of the monastery is a small museum that is open daily. Here, the almost 1,000-year history of this place is presented to visitors. The history of the monastery and the conservation works that have taken place in it are also explained. The museum also offers tours of the ruins and in the summer months, it offers a cultural programme including concerts and theatre events.
ISOS
ISOS is the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance. The inventory is maintained by the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) and lists the most significant settlements in Switzerland. Today, some 1,200 places are included in the inventory, from hamlets right through to cities. The inventory provides information on the development and identity of the settlements listed in it, thereby contributing to the preservation of architectural diversity in Switzerland and promoting both sustainable planning and a high-quality Baukultur.
