A night at the museum. Youth Hostel Burgdorf Castle.
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Intro
Its history is just as impressive as the view into the Emmental: The youth hostel, which opened in 2020, sits high above Burgdorf in a real castle.
Burgdorf Castle
There’s so much to do in Burgdorf Castle, with its unique combination of museum, restaurant and youth hostel. The new museum has many exciting things to reveal about the region and the wider world, while you can dine in a stately setting in the castle restaurant and then spend the night in the castle’s youth hostel. Live like the knights and damsels of old.
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A castle of significance
Recent archaeological finds have brought it to light: As early as 900 BC, there was an important Bronze Age settlement on what is now the castle rock. Around 1200, the powerful Dukes of Zähringen chose the place as their seat and built a castle — out of bricks, a building material that was entirely new to the region. From 1385, the castle was home to the bailiffs of Berne and served as a warehouse for the grain delivered by farmers as a levy. From 1831 to 2010 it was the seat of the Burgdorf administrative district. Burgdorf Castle is one of the most important architectural monuments in Switzerland.
- 270 The long wooden table in the restaurant comes from a 270-year-old fir tree.
- 2020 In 2020, Burgdorf Castle was reopened.
- 800 The castle ghost, conceived by author Lorenz Pauli, tells visitors anecdotes from the castle’s 800-year history.
Burgdorf Castle also serves as a beautiful subject for photographs.
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Architect Rolf Grossenbacher
Architect Rolf Grossenbacher knows the castle today like no other. When the court and prison were relocated and the canton of Bern wanted to sell the complex, his architectural studio won the competition for the conversion project: With the “Castle for All” project, the youth hostel, restaurant, museum and wedding venue intertwine in a way that allows the sectors to feed off one another. Over the past two years, Grossenbacher could explore every corner of the castle and create a stylish future for the imposing past of the Zähringer residence.
There are actually suits of armour and halberds in the museum. I have not encountered a real ghost yet though.
Youth Hostel Burgdorf Castle
In the bedrooms, small exhibits tell bedtime stories from the past, luring visitors into the castle museum, which may also be visited by guests staying in the youth hostel outside of opening hours.
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Finally, the long-time dream of many a Burgdorfer comes true: We can conquer and inhabit this magnificent establishment.
The Burgdorf Castle museum
The castle is a box of delights bursting with amazing objects from down the centuries and from every continent for you to discover. The varied exhibitions with stories from the castle, the town of Burgdorf and the Emmental region establish links with the world both past and present. Visitors of all ages are welcome to try out many of the exhibits, solving riddles or discovering highlights on special tours. Will you find the castle ghost?
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