Ringgenberg Castle (Ruin)

The origins of Ringgenberg Castle date back to the 13th century, when Baron Cuno von Brienz, appointed Imperial Bailiff of the Lake Brienz region, had a complex built on a hill near Ringgenwil and named it after this place. Whether it was a new construction or an expansion of an existing structure is not fully clear. The original castle included a keep, a palas, and two courtyards, surrounded by high walls. Particularly the north walls of the inner courtyard and the palas were robustly constructed with a thickness of 2.5 meters, presumably for protection against projectiles. Over time, modifications and extensions were made, especially an enlargement of the palas, which caused the outer courtyard to disappear. The von Brienz family later adopted the name “von Ringgenberg.” Johann von Ringgenberg, a well-known minstrel, was lord of the castle until 1350. After his death, the family’s decline began, and the castle was plundered and destroyed by rebellious peasants in 1380. Petermann von Ringgenberg, the last male heir, could not rebuild the castle. His daughters sold the ruin to Interlaken Monastery, and after the Reformation, it fell to the city of Bern. In 1670/71, a church was built on the castle grounds, with parts of the ruin serving as building material. Extensive restorations of the remaining ruins took place from 1946–1949 and again from 2006, with a re-inauguration in June 2008.

The Ringgenberg Ruin is located in the municipality of Ringgenberg in the Interlaken-Oberhasli district, Canton of Bern, Switzerland, at an elevation of approximately 593 m above sea level.

Today, the Ringgenberg Ruin can be visited. On the former castle grounds stands the church of the Evangelical Reformed Parish of Ringgenberg, built in the 17th century using parts of the castle ruin. Among the preserved elements are the Romanesque residential tower and various wall sections.

• Schadburg Ruin (Ringgenberg) (castle), approx. 1.9 km away
• Interlaken Castle (castle), approx. 3.0 km away
• Unterseen Castle (castle), approx. 4.0 km away
• Unspunnen Ruin (Wilderswil) (castle), approx. 4.7 km away