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Perhaps the main attraction of Spiez is the medieval castle located in a very picturesque place - at the foot of the mountains, on the shores of Lake Thun. This castle, like many centuries ago, is surrounded by vineyards.
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| Spiez Castle History |
Near the castle there is an old church built in the early Romanesque style back in the 10th century. The first mention of Spiez Castle dates back to 933. The castle was founded by order of the King of Burgundy Rudolph II. The castle walls and the main tower were built in the 12th century. In the 13th century, the town of Spiez emerged outside the castle walls.
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| Spiez Castle History |
In the 14th century, the Spiez Castle passed into the possession of the Bubenberg family. It is very difficult for me to navigate Swiss history, but as far as I managed to find out, one of the representatives of this family, the most famous, is Adrian von Bubenberg, a Bernese knight, as well as the mayor of Bern in 1468-1479. In Switzerland, he is remembered as a hero of the great battle of Murten.
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| Spiez Castle History |
Charles the Bold invaded Switzerland in June 1476. On June 9, the Burgundian army laid siege to the Murten fortress, located 25 kilometers from Bern. The city was defended by a garrison of 1,580 soldiers under the command of Bubenberg. He withstood the twelve-day siege of Charles the Bold Duke of Burgundy, which later played a decisive role in the latter's defeat.
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| Spiez Castle History |
Adrian von Bubenberg The Spiez castle and the surrounding land belonged to the Bubenberg family until 1506, when it was acquired by Ludwig von Diesbach. Ten years later, Ludwig von Erlach acquired the castle and the land. The von Erlach family owned the city and castle until the French invasion in 1798.
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| Spiez Castle History |
After the invasion and creation of the Swiss Republic, the von Erlach family lost their land rights and jurisdiction over the city, but retained ownership of the castle until 1875. After 1875, the Spiez castle changed several owners until the newly created Spiez Castle fund bought it and the church. Now the castle houses a museum, which houses a collection of portraits of the former owners from the von Bubenberg and von Erlach families, as well as the medieval furnishings of the rooms.
The Spiez castle is surrounded by a pretty small park open to visitors.