Architecture in Bern Region

Begun in 1421, Bern's Cathedral took 150 years to complete, and was erected entirely by volunteers. The cathedral was built for the purpose of housing a bishop, but Protestantism reached Bern before its bishop did. The cathedral represents the last major work of late Gothic architecture in Europe.

Schadau Castle was built between 1846 and 1854 for the Neuchâtel banker Denis Alfred de Rougemont. The location of the castle, on the southern banks of Lake Thun where the River Aare flows out of the lake, and with its views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, is almost as attractive as the architecture itself.

The Bern Cathedral is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture in the middle of Bern's old town. Climb the highest church tower in Switzerland and admire the architecture and the view of the rooftops of Bern, the Aare and the Alps.

The medieval castle above the town of Thun is a striking focal point at the entrance to the Bernese Oberland region. This almost completely preserved symbol of power contains the Knights' Hall, one of the few surviving halls of its type from the Middle Ages.