The castle that’s open to all

Aerial view of Burgdorf Castle © Media Team Burgdorf

The conversion project Bustling life has returned to the ancient walls of Burgdorf Castle. Children, teenagers and families enjoy affordable holidays together in a gorgeous setting – an experience enhanced by the fascinating knowledge they pick up in the newly designed museum. Cyclists use the castle as a starting point for their bike rides in the Emmental valley, where an astounding variety of scenic and cultural gems awaits them. Couples say ‘I do’ and celebrate their big day in the Assisensaal, while grandparents arrange get-togethers in the castle restaurant. This is all possible thanks to the unique combination of youth hostel, museum, restaurant and municipal ceremony location, which will boost tourism considerably for the city of Burgdorf and the entire Emmental valley. The ‘castle open to all’ belongs to the Burgdorf Castle foundation (Stiftung Schloss Burgdorf), which has made it its mission to breathe new life into this historic monument and ensure it gets plenty of use. The details of the conversion project were decided by an ideas competition. The winner was Atelier G+S Architekten und Planer AG, Burgdorf, under the management of Rolf Grossenbacher.