Photo: Adrian Michael · CC BY 3.0 · editedTellenburg
Sign up free — See who's going and message them.
Is this your place? Get the badge for your websiteAbout
More photos 4
1 / 4
Adrian Michael · CC BY 3.0 · edited
Why go
- The ruined castle walls on the Schlosshubel hill, standing high above Frutigen
- The hilltop site that once controlled a nearby mountain pass, above the town of Frutigen
Know before you go
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday 08:00–12:00 and 13:30–17:00.
- Opening hours: Saturday 08:00–12:45.
- Some parts, such as the tower, are closed to visitors for the next two years.
- Barriers on the site move as the work goes on; the construction track and set-up area stay fixed.
- Private events should be checked with the friends association beforehand to avoid clashes with other events.
What's inside
- The castle walls, where extensive restoration has been under way since August 2024.
Tips for your visit
- The tower will be closed to visitors for the next two years, so plan for the walls only.
- A 360-degree panoramic photo of the castle is available online, so you can see the view before you go.
- Groups planning an event can contact castle manager Hans Gerber about possibilities and limits.
Best time to visit
- Open Monday to Friday 08:00-12:00 and 13:30-17:00, and Saturday 08:00-12:45.
- An open apéro for anyone interested takes place by the castle's tent in 2027.
- Extensive wall restoration has been under way since August 2024, so expect work on site.
Interesting facts4
-
The name Telle likely comes from the German word Zoll, meaning toll.
Tellenburg Castle - Wikipedia -
Burg in the name simply means fortress.
Tellenburg Castle - Wikipedia -
Plans aim to turn the ruin into a meeting place for locals and a venue for events.
Tellenburg Frutigen | Verein Burgfreunde Tellenburg -
A friends association works with the municipality and canton to find a long-term use for the ruin.
Tellenburg Frutigen | Verein Burgfreunde Tellenburg
Shorts
History
The castle was built around 1200 by the Freiherren von Kien on the Schlosshubel hill above Frutigen. Its purpose was to control a nearby mountain pass. Its fortifications were extended in the 13th and 14th centuries. Later owners included the Lords of Wädenswil and the Lords of Turn, who held it from 1312. It remained the administrative seat of the area until 1798. After 1798 it served as a poor house.
- around 1200The Freiherren von Kien built the hilltop castle to control a nearby mountain pass.
- 13th–14th centuryThe fortifications were extended and the castle was expanded and repaired.
- 1400Bern bought the whole Frutigtal valley and made the castle the seat of the bailiff.
- 1798The castle was converted into a charitable institution for the poor.
- 1885A fire gutted the castle. It was never rebuilt and has slowly fallen into ruin.
Show all
- August 2024Extensive restoration of the walls began and is still under way.
Sources: Tellenburg Castle - Wikipedia · Frutigen - Wikivoyage (see) · Tellenburg Frutigen | Verein Burgfreunde Tellen… · Tellenburg - Wikipedia · checked 9 Nov 2026
- Website
- tellenburg.ch/
- Phone
- +41797978086
Questions and answers
What are the opening hours of Tellenburg castle ruin in Frutigen?
Tellenburg is open Monday to Friday 08:00–12:00 and 13:30–17:00, and on Saturday 08:00–12:45.
Where is Tellenburg and how do I find it?
The ruin stands on the Schlosshubel hill above Frutigen in the canton of Bern. Its address is Loetschbergstrasse 16, 3714 Frutigen.
Can I see the whole Tellenburg ruin right now?
Not all of it. The tower will be closed to visitors for the next two years. The walls have been under restoration since August 2024, and the barriers move as the work goes on.
Can groups hold an event at Tellenburg?
Groups planning an event can contact castle manager Hans Gerber at +41797978086 about possibilities and limits. Private events should be checked with the friends association beforehand.
- See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
- Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
- Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.