CH-249569 Oberhofen Castle in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland

Oberhofen Castle (Schloss Oberhofen) is a castle in the municipality of Oberhofen of the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is situated on the edge of Lake Thun.  Oberhofen Castle is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

The impressive keep of Oberhofen Castle was likely built in the early 13th Century. In the 14th Century the castle belonged to the Habsburgs. After the Battle of Sempach, Bernese troops occupied Oberhofen and soon afterwards the fortress and surrounding area came under the control of the Scharnachthal dynasty. Other Bernese dynasties followed. From 1652 to 1798, the castle became a bailiwick and was extended and converted into a castle. In 1801, it became a private property again. In the middle of the 19th Century, the castle was transformed under the Counts of Pourtalès whose ancestors had originated from Neuchâtel in Switzerland and migrated to Prussia.

 In 1940, the American lawyer William Maul Measey established the Oberhofen Foundation. In 1954, the Museum opened to the public as an outpost of the Historic Museum of Berne. On January 1st 2009, Oberhofen Castle became an independent foundation again.    

Attached to the castle is a 6 acre park with a beautiful garden that showcases a variety of historic elements. Laid out around 1840, it was shaped over time by prevailing fashions and these influences can still be seen today.

This postcard came from Nathalie (4 August 2015) Postcrossing.