THUN CASTLE
Medieval Tower Museum on Lake Thun
The
city of Thun Switzerland sits at the western edge of Lake Thun (Thunersee),
between Interlaken
and Bern, the gate to the Bernese Oberland. The name
of the lake comes from the city and not the other way round. Thun is
derived from the Celtic word for a settlement fortified by a palisade
and a settlement has existed here since the late stoneage. The Barons
of Thun first appeared in historical records at the beginning of the
12th Century. Berthold V of Zähringen acquired lordship of the lands
of Thun in 1186 and built Thun’s castle tower pretty much as it
still appears today.
The
Romanesque era square keep with its four round corner turrets topped
by pointed steeple
roofs is of the classic Norman style of “Donjon” more
commonly seen in France, one of the oldest surviving in this original
form in Switzerland, and one of the prettiest with its white walls
and red caps. The Counts of Kyburg who
came into ownership in 1218 lasted about a hundred years until Eberhard
of Kyburg
notoriously murdered his rival brother Hartmann in a fight, stabbing
him in the eye and throwing him from
the tower in 1322. The rival Habsburgs made a claim on the castle
as penalty for the crime, but the ruling Lords of Bern instead bought
by castle and in 1384 made it the residence for
their appointed governors
of Thun. The castle
has
been
in public
control ever since, now belonging to the City of Thun. The newer part
of the castle, the walls and entrance gate were added in 1429 serving
as a city court and the tower as a history museum since 1888.
Folk Museum
The
Thun Castle historic museum takes up four floors of the tower within
its walls, 12 foot
thick at the base. The floors are reached up wooden
stairs, some through the floors, as they have been since its early days.
No elevators here. The main chamber of the tower is the large Knights
Hall, 24 feet to the ceiling, mostly empty for event occassions, but
with a medieval fire hearth and chimney. The rooms below the Knight’s
hall contain a collection of furniture and 
paintings,
antique toys and dolls, ceramic plateware including some fine examples
of Old Heimberg
pottery. The floor above the hall holds collection of uniforms and weaponry
of the local regiment of the Swiss Confederation Army. Climb a little
higher into the attic of the tower for access to the turrets and a stunning
view over the lake valley and surrounding often snow capped Bernese Oberland
mountains. One of the turret rooms represents the jail which the castle
was for a time with floor manacles (just in case the kids get rowdy and
need a time out).
Visiting Castle Thun
The
Castle of Thun can be reached in 15 minutes on foot from the main train
station, a
bit of an uphill through the old town. Admission is
5 CHF. Thun can be a day visit from Bern or Interlaken, about 20 minutes
by train, or an hour and half by lake boat from Interlaken, or stay over
and enjoy this lesser trod region of the Oberland. 
Thun is also a connecting
point of the rail system south through the Loetschberg Pass to Brig
and Zermatt or Italy. Other interesting sights nearby are the ancient
wooden
slat flood control dam works on the River Aare where it flows out of
Lake Thun toward Bern, similar to the those in Lucerne, across from Thun’s
other “castle” the revival Schloss Schadau, which is now
the home to the Swiss Gastronomy Museum. A variety
of tours of the city and area are available through the city tourism
office. © Bargain
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SEE
ALSO:
CHATEAU
CHILLON ON LAKE GENEVA
