The remains of the Castle can be visited
CastleLauperswil
Wartenstein Castle (Ruin) (Lauperswil)
The Wartenstein ruin was a medieval castle from the 13th century and is located in the municipality of Lauperswil in the canton of Bern. The ruin lies on a narrow mountain ridge of the Hundschüpfen and is surrounded by moats on three sides.
On the southern plateau stood the castle with a tower, a courtyard, and a palas. On the east side were the zwinger and the well. Today the area is wooded, but the remains of the tower and the foundation walls are still visible. The ruin is freely accessible as a resting and barbecue area.
The exact time of construction is not certain.
From 1228, the knights Swaro von Wartenstein are mentioned as owners. These could possibly be the successors/descendants of the Lords of Rüderswil, with their nearby ancestral seat of Zwingherrenhubel, southwest of Rüderswil.
In 1284, the last of the Wartenstein family, Knight Heinrich Swaro von Wartenstein, sold the castle and lordship of Wartenstein to Trub Monastery and subsequently managed the lordship as a fief.
In 1288, Heinrich Swaro died and the castle was acquired by Werner von Schweinsberg from Eggiwil, the father of Werner von Attinghausen.
In 1383, the Burgdorf War broke out between the city of Bern and the Counts of Neu-Kyburg. The Bernese conquered Wartenstein Castle and burned it down.
In 1415, the last male representative Thüring von Schweinsberg died and the property passed to his son-in-law Ulrich von Balmoos.
In 1493, Wilhelm Hug von Sulz from Basel inherited the lordship of Wartenstein and built a new manorial seat in the valley. After several changes of ownership, the Güder family from Bern bought the Wartenstein property in 1603.
In 1690, the lordship was dissolved and annexed to the bailiwick of Trachselwald, where it remained until the French invasion in 1798. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were plans to blow up the castle remains. In 1965, the ruin was conserved. Many stratigraphic references were destroyed in the process. The castle site is now owned by the local association Zollbrück.
Legend+
The last lord of Wartenstein is said to have thrown the family treasure into the well during the siege by the Bernese and to have plunged over the cliff in full armor with his daughter and his warhorse.
To this day, the large castle dog guards the never-found treasure and sits at the site of the well at midnight. When the church bell of Lauperswil strikes one o'clock, he leaves his place and goes to the village to drink water at the church fountain. Afterwards, he enters the cemetery and disappears.
Take Mobile History with you
You are reading this text for free. Premium adds what matters on the road: descriptions read aloud, sites found through your camera, whole regions taken offline.
- Every description, including the ~17,700 Premium sites
- Audio guide: have descriptions read to you on location
- AR finder: see sites through your camera, with distance and bearing
- Unlimited saved sites
14 days free, then from €2.99 a month. Cancel anytime.
Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.
Location: 46.9711, 7.7331