Oberhofen Castle
A castle on a Swiss lake
Oberhofen Castle is a castle in the municipality of Oberhofen on Lake Thun in the canton of Bern, Switzerland.
The keep, dating from the 12th century, is surrounded by a late medieval palace. The castle chapel was consecrated in 1473. The lake tower and access bridge were demolished after 1680. The extension of the residential wing to the west was carried out in the 18th century. Between 1849 and 1852 the castle was redesigned in the neo-Gothic style according to plans by the Neuchâtel architect James Colin. The new tower façade, the stair tower to the chapel, corner towers, clock towers, roof structures, battlements, the extensive dependency buildings and the reconstruction of the sea tower were the main additions of the 19th century.
Lake Thun is an Alpine lake in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. The town of Thun, which gave its name to the lake, is located on the northern outflow of the lake. The lake is 17.5 km long and up to 3.5 km wide. The special charm of the lake is due to the surrounding mountains and hills of the Pre-Alps. The Niesen rises like a pyramid above the lake and has been used again and again as a subject for painters.
