invme Place
Everywhere
All cities · Everywhere →
EN
ENEnglish RURussian FRFrench DEGerman ITItalian ESSpanish PTPortuguese PT-BRBrazilian Portuguese ES-MXLatin American Spanish FR-CACanadian French EN-GBBritish English UKUkrainian PLPolish JAJapanese NLDutch KOKorean SVSwedish DADanish NBNorwegian FIFinnish CSCzech HEHebrew ELGreek ZH-HANTTraditional Chinese HUHungarian RORomanian HRCroatian SKSlovak SLSlovenian ETEstonian LVLatvian LTLithuanian BGBulgarian TRTurkish

Oberhofen Castle

Castles & palaces ·Historic sites ·Oberhofen am Thunersee ·Closed
4.62.9K
#3Castles & palaces in SwitzerlandMost reviewed in Oberhofen am ThunerseeTravelers' Choice
  • Visit: 2–3 hours

Erwachsene CHF 15 · Kinder (6–16 Jahre) CHF 6

Make a plan here
Directions Website Call Bookmark

Sign up free — See who's going and message them.

Is this your place? Get the badge for your website

About

Oberhofen Castle stands on Lake Thun in Oberhofen am Thunersee, in Switzerland’s canton of Bern. Its museum explores former residents, especially the 19th-century counts and their household.

More photos 5

1 / 5
Oberhofen Castle — Aerial view of the castle grounds beside the turquoise lake

Oberhofen Castle — Aerial view of the castle grounds beside the turquoise lakeOberhofen Castle — Castle tower and timbered lakeside wing above the stone rampartsOberhofen Castle — Pointed lakeside tower beside the castle wall and lakeOberhofen Castle — Castle gate and courtyard framed by the arched passageOberhofen Castle — Cobbled approach to the castle gate and square stone tower

What's on here

IMMER WIEDER SONNTAGS IMMER WIEDER SONNTAGS Sunday · All day VERKLEIDUNGSATELIER VERKLEIDUNGSATELIER Sunday · All day

Why go

  • A 2.5-hectare park added south of the castle during its Romantic rebuilding.
  • The “Adeliges Leben um 1900” exhibition on aristocratic life during the Pourtalès-Harrach family’s time.
  • An interactive display on servants’ work and living conditions, with a kitchen transitioning into the 20th century.
  • Restored first-floor rooms, including a 1904 bathroom, guest room, billiard room and countess’s bedroom.

Plan your visit

Prices

ErwachseneCHF 15
Kinder (6–16 Jahre)CHF 6

From the venue's website · checked 27 Sep 2026

Opening hours

TodayClosedShow all
MondayClosed
Tuesday11:00 – 17:00
Wednesday11:00 – 17:00
Thursday11:00 – 17:00
Friday11:00 – 17:00
Saturday11:00 – 17:00
Sunday11:00 – 17:00

Don't miss

  • Castle chapel wall paintingsLook for the wall paintings in the chapel consecrated in 1473.Lake-facing side of the keep’s first floor1473
  • 1904 bathroomThis restored room was newly staged and opened to visitors in 2024.First upper floor2024
  • Swiss-cross flower bed and dwarf conifersLook for Measy’s flower bed decorated with the Swiss cross and dwarf conifers in the rear of the park.Castle park, including its rear

Know before you go

  • During the museum season, opening hours are Tuesday–Sunday, 11:00–17:00. The museum closes for its winter break after the season.

What's inside

  • “Stets zu Diensten”, on the second floor, explores the servants’ world in the Harrach-Pourtalès household.
  • “Schlossräume und Schlossträume”, on the first floor, traces 800 years of the estate through its former residents.
  • Other restored rooms open to visitors include the billiard room, guest room, and countess’s bedroom with adjoining dressing room.

Tips for your visit

  • Allow 2–3 hours for a visit.
  • Tickets can be bought online through the castle’s website.
  • Guided tours offer another way to explore the castle.

Interesting facts3

1/3

  1. Oberhofen Castle is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

    Oberhofen Castle - Wikipedia

  2. Count Albert Alexander de Pourtalès served for several years as a Prussian diplomat in Istanbul.

    Oberhofen Castle - Wikipedia
  3. 1853

    The Turkish smoking room was built from 1853 to 1855 to Theodor Zerleeder’s plans, based on rooms in wealthy Cairo houses.

    Oberhofen Castle - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

A foundation established in 1940 took responsibility for the castle and park. It has been independent of the Bern Historical Museum since 2009.

  1. Around 1200The central keep probably dates from this period.
  2. 13th c.The von Eschenbach family began building the moated lakeside castle.
  3. 1306The von Eschenbach family sold the castle to the Habsburgs.
  4. 1386–1397Bern occupied the castle in 1386 and acquired its feudal lands and rights by 1397.
  5. 1652–1798Bern made the castle the centre of the Oberhofen bailiwick, whose governors lived here until 1798.
Show all
  1. 1844Friedrich and Albert von Pourtalès acquired the estate, which became a summer residence.
  2. 1849–1852The Pourtalès family renovated and enlarged the castle, giving it its present appearance.
  3. 1952–1954The foundation was handed to the Bern Historical Museum in 1952, and the castle opened as a museum branch in 1954.

Sources: Oberhofen Castle - Wikipedia · Schloss Oberhofen · Events · Das Schloss · Schloss Oberhofen - Wikipedia · Château d'Oberhofen - Wikipedia · Bilder & Medien · checked 28 Sep 2026

Where
Schloss 4, Oberhofen am Thunersee, 3653

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

How much are tickets to Oberhofen Castle?

Adults: CHF 15; children aged 6–16: CHF 6.

What is the address of Oberhofen Castle?

Schloss 4, 3653 Oberhofen am Thunersee.

Can I hire rooms at Oberhofen Castle for an event?

Rooms can be hired for events. The chapel can be hired for weddings and baptisms.

Can I visit Oberhofen Castle during the winter closure?

A special winter tour goes through the otherwise closed castle.

What additional rooms were planned to open at Oberhofen Castle in 2026?

Summer 2026 plans included the Comtessensalon, the countess’s library and an exhibition about tourism around 1900.

How invme works
  1. See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
  2. Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
  3. Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.
Join free

Reviews on invme

Sign in to review
Comment Share
Loading comments…