Laupen Castle

Laupen Castle (German: Schloss Laupen) is a castle in the municipality of Laupen of the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

Laupen is an exposed medieval fortification on a rocky outcrop. Its strength was based on terrain changes, the neck ditch separating it from the adjacent mountain, and its fortifications, namely the main defense tower and the massive, elliptical circular wall (2.5–3 m thick, 10–12 m high). Important sections of this have been preserved as magnificent rusticated ashlar masonry at their original height. The south, west, and north sides are largely intact, while the tower and the east side remain only as bases.

The most valuable part of the complex is the Palas (palace) , attached to the ring wall, whose three pointed-arch double windows illuminate the massive Knights' Hall . This is one of the best-preserved castle halls in Switzerland, built around 1315, with an intact fireplace, massive beamed ceiling, and exposed brickwork. Above it rises the former residential floor under a huge hipped roof dating from 1395.

Text adapted from “Laupen Castle” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Laupen Castle ranks #5,658 of 8,133 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #78 of the 201 mapped in Switzerland. Founded 1395, it is older than 55% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 604 atlas entries founded in the 14th century. 20 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Bern, 16 km away. See how Switzerland compares in the castle statistics.

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