Grasburg Ruins
Overview
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Gantrisch Nature ParkBern Region
Intro
Grasburg was once the home of feudal tyrant Count Amadeus. He oppressed his subjects in every possible way and threw people in the castle dungeons for no reason. A maid finally pushed him into the roaring waters of the River Sense one stormy night.
Today, Grasburg is one of the most beautiful mediaeval castle ruins in Switzerland. Built in the 11th or 12th century, the romantically overgrown fortress sits high above the Sense on a flat sandstone plateau. Despite its ruined state, the castle is impressive in size. Covering an area of 150x50 metres, it is the largest castle in the canton of Bern.
The 140 steps provide safe access to the ruins. These steps hewn from the rock were intended as an escape route from the castle. The spacious castle square was originally entirely built over with various farm buildings, including a chapel. Grasburg had several changes of ownership. It belonged to the Dukes of Zähringen, the Counts of Kyburg and Habsburg, and was even ceded to Savoy – and each occupant made some change or other.
After the construction of the civil headquarters in Schwarzenburg around 1576, Grasburg was no longer used as an administrative seat and slowly fell into disrepair.
General information
| Time required |
2 to 4 hours (half day)
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|---|---|
| Suitable for children with age |
10 to 13 years, 14+ years
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| Suitable for |
Groups, Individual, Couples
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| Weather |
Outdoor
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| Category |
Education
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Overview
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