
Burgdorf
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Fancy staying somewhere steeped in Swiss history? The 800-year-old castle boasts a museum, restaurant and youth hostel – it’s all ready and waiting for you to explore!

Burgdorf
Bern
Burgdorf Castle, a heritage site of national significance, has stood sentinel on the rocks above the Emme river for more than 800 years. After the castle had been exposed to many different situations, it was opened in the spring of 2020 as a unique place for encounters: a «castle for everyone» and open to the public. The museum provides a variety of educational offers for schools and has been complemented with a wedding chamber, our youth hostel and a restaurant. So whether you’re looking for a venue for a wedding or a party, a stunning place to stay or an educational experience, the castle, remodelled by the Zähringens in around 1200, is your perfect choice. Experiencing history first hand, you may feel like you’ve strayed onto the set of ‘Night at the Museum’. And with a special room for wedding ceremonies, a wedding suite and a fine banqueting hall, we have everything you need to celebrate your big day in fitting style.

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Burgdorf Castle Youth Hostel
Schlossgässli 1
3400 Burgdorf
Switzerland -
Check-in: 15:00 - 22:00 Check-out: 07:30 - 10:00
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Details on opening hours
Types Season 2022/23 Winter 2023/24 Opening dates Opening dates 01.04.2023 - 31.10.2023 01.11.2023 - 31.03.2024 Check In/Out Check-in 15:00 - 22:00 15:00 - 20:00 Check-out 07:30 - 10:00 07:30 - 10:00 Reception times Mon to Fri: 07:30 - 10:00
15:00 - 22:0007:30 - 10:00
15:00 - 20:00Sat and Sun: 07:30 - 10:00
15:00 - 22:0007:30 - 10:00
15:00 - 22:00Meal times Breakfast buffet 07:30 - 09:30 07:00 - 09:30 Lunch 12:00 - 14:00 12:00 - 14:00 Dinner 18:00 - 21:00 18:00 - 21:00

Opening times
Types | Season 2022/23 | Winter 2023/24 |
---|---|---|
Opening dates | ||
Opening dates | 01.04.2023 - 31.10.2023 | 01.11.2023 - 31.03.2024 |
Check In/Out | ||
Check-in | 15:00 - 22:00 | 15:00 - 20:00 |
Check-out | 07:30 - 10:00 | 07:30 - 10:00 |
Reception times | ||
Mon to Fri: |
07:30
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10:00
15:00 - 22:00 |
07:30
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10:00
15:00 - 20:00 |
Sat and Sun: |
07:30
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10:00
15:00 - 22:00 |
07:30
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10:00
15:00 - 22:00 |
Meal times | ||
Breakfast buffet | 07:30 - 09:30 | 07:00 - 09:30 |
Lunch | 12:00 - 14:00 | 12:00 - 14:00 |
Dinner | 18:00 - 21:00 | 18:00 - 21:00 |
How to find us
By public transport:
Between 8 am and 11 pm, take bus 461 from Burgdorf station in the direction of Burgdorf City and get off at the third stop, Burgdorf, Kronenplatz (3 min.). From there, walk east towards Schlossgässli to the castle (4 min.).
Byfoot (approx. 15 min.):
Follow the yellow signs from the train station, in the direction of the Old Town/Castle. Follow Bahnhofstrasse until you reach Lyssachstrasse. Continue east until you reach Mühlegasse, which later becomes Kronenhalde. It leads in the old town with Schlossgässli, from which you turn left towards the castle.
By car:
The castle is not accessible by car. Use the nearest car park. You can get there as follows: from the A1/E25, take exit 39 in the direction of Kirchberg/Langnau i.E./Burgdorf/Alchenflüh. At the roundabout, take the second exit (opposite) towards Langnau i. E./Burgdorf. Follow the signs to Langnau i.E./Burgdorf, then to Langnau i. E./Thun. You will pass the old town and the castle until you see the sign to the left for the Oberstadt and Schloss car park.
To walk from the car park to the castle, take Schmiedengasse in the direction of the old town and follow it until you reach Kronenplatz. Directly opposite is Schlossgässli, which leads you directly to the castle. It takes less than 7 minutes to get to the castle.
Travelling without obstacles:
It is possible to reach the castle by public transport from Burgdorf train station by bus 461 as far as the “Kronenplatz” stop. The castle is situated 200m from the bus stop. The road is paved with a 16% incline.
For people with reduced mobility, we recommend taking the car. Contact the youth hostel in advance, and you will be permitted to drive as far as the castle courtyard.
The youth hostel has a paid parking spot adapted for people with reduced mobility. Please reserve in advance. For those with disabilities holding a blue parking badge, parking is free.
Room categories
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Number of beds
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Single room
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Double rooms
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Family rooms
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Shared rooms
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Barrier-free rooms
Infrastructure
Prices (in CHF) and availability
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Gastronomy
Restaurant opening hours
Monday - Sunday 10:00 - 18:00 Self-service without reservation Monday - Sunday 18:00 -22:00 Uhr Service à la carte mit Reservation Menu prices for hostel guests:
Breakfast buffet incl. Evenings: Three-course menu at the knights’ banquet table CHF 19.50 Dinner for children ages 2 to 5 years CHF 8.50 Dinner for children ages 6 to 12 years CHF 14.50 Packed lunch on request CHF 10.00 We accept Lunch-Checks!
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Further price information
- The tourist tax for guests aged 17 and above is CHF 3 per person and per night. Children aged 6 to 16 pay CHF 1.50 per night. Children under the age of 6 are exempt from tourist tax.
- Entry to the Burgdorf Castle museum is included in the price of your stay
- The Hostel Card Standard is included in the price of your stay and is valid from your arrival date to your departure date
- All prices include VAT
- You have the option of purchasing a Hostel Card Premium which entitles you to the lowest accommodation prices. More information about the Hostel Card Premium
- Groups (minimum of 10 people) are advised to buy a Hostel Card Premium (personal: CHF 55.–/transferable CHF 99.–)
- Find our children's prices on the family page.
- Group rates for children: a flat rate of CHF 15.– applies for children aged 2–5, while bed prices/group prices apply for children aged 6–12
- Parking facilities: The castle is not accessible by car. Please use the nearest parking garage «Oberstadt». You can buy parking tickets at the check-in at the reception for CHF 11.– per night
- Voluntary CO2 compensation offset CHF 0.30
- Special offers available for schools and groups
- Prices are subject to change
- All prices are in CHF
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Barrier-free accommodation
Rooms Barrier-free beds per room 1 6-bed room with washbasin 1 bed 7 6-bed rooms with washbasin (3-storey bunk beds in 5 rooms) 2 beds 2 6-bed rooms with washbasin 3 beds 2 4-bed rooms with washbasin 1 bed 1 2-bed room with barrier-free shower/WC 1 bed The youth hostel has a wheelchair accessible lift which connects the different floors.
The width of the doors to the rooms is 80 cm.
Barrier-free wash rooms
There is a barrier-free toilet on the ground floor. One of our two-bed rooms has a fully barrier-free wash room.
The dimensions of the wash rooms are:
- Width of door to wash room: 80 cm
- Toilet seat height: min. 46 cm
- Shower seat
- Grab rails
Barrier-free transport
The road up to the castle is cobbled and has a 16% gradient. We therefore recommend that you arrive by car. Access by car requires permission. Contact the youth hostel in advance to arrange this.
By car
The youth hostel has a wheelchair accessible parking space. Charges apply. Please ensure that you book in advance. We are happy to provide the accessible parking space free of charge to blue badge holders.
Useful information
Links for public transport
- Swiss Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired: Barrier-free public transport (in German and French)
- Swiss Federal Railways (SBB): passengers with reduced mobility
- Barrier-free travel with BLS
Taxi
- Taxi Burgdorf, www.taxi-burgdorf.ch, tel: 0800 002 700
- Ämme Taxi, tel: +41 34 422 41 00
- Local Taxi, www.taxi-local.ch, free phone: 0800 80 76 78 | mobile: +41 79 301 76 78
Nearest pharmacies
700 m
- Apotheke Ryser
Lyssachstrasse 17
+41 34 422 20 13
800 m
- TopPharm Apotheke Zbinden
Bahnhofstrasse 13
+41 34 426 22 72
850 m
- Amavita Apotheke Grosse
Bahnhofstrasse 61
+41 58 878 14 90
Suggestions
- Emme-Uferweg, Route No. 446 (riverside path)
- Tourism inclusive (in German & French)
- Procap Switzerland: cultural opportunities for everyone (in German & French)
Supporting the OK:GO initiative
Swiss Youth Hostels is part of the OK:GO initiative. This initiative aims to ensure that every tourism provider in Switzerland offers information about the accessibility of its services to the public. Learn more about the initiative here.
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Museum Schloss Burgdorf
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Interactive 360° tour
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History
History of Burgdorf Castle
The origins of Burgdorf Castle are shrouded in legend. According to the old founding myth, recounted and embellished by Jeremias Gotthelf, a fearsome dragon is supposed to have lived in the rock where the castle was later built. In the year 712, the brothers Sintram and Bertram managed to hunt the beast down and defeat it in a dramatic struggle. With the land now free of the dragon, the two Counts of Lenzburg were able to build a castle on the rock and found a town in the valley below. In thanks for their victory, they built a chapel to Saint Margaret in the castle.
It goes without saying that this is not how things actually happened. Few facts have survived from the castle’s early days. All that we know is that the Counts of Rheinfelden in Burgdorf owned a castle that passed into the possession of the Dukes of Zähringen in 1090. As Rectors (viceroys) of Burgundy, the Zähringens used the castle on the Emme as one of the bases for their expansion westwards.
In around 1200, Duke Berchtold V, the last of the Zähringens, built a series of towns to consolidate his power. These included Burgdorf. In the course of this work, the castle was also rebuilt and acquired its current look. Its three main buildings are the residential tower, the keep and the hall. The castle was constructed in brick – a material that was totally unknown in the region at the time – and its lavish proportions are reminiscent of royal palaces. This and the large church that the duke built for the new town hints that he intended Burgdorf to be the centre of Zähringen Burgundy rather than Bern, as the chronicler Conrad Justinger claimed in the fifteenth century.
After the death of Berchtold V in 1218, the castle passed to the noble Kyburg dynasty. Count Hartmann V made major renovations in the early Gothic style in 1250, and Count Eberhard von Kyburg-Burgdorf had the Zähringen hall modernised in 1273. The castle served as the counts’ residence until 1384.
When Burgdorf was ceded to Bern, the castle became the seat of the Bernese administrator, turning it from a residence of the nobility to a place of magisterial office. Under Bern’s rule, it underwent several more modifications but the character of the thirteenth century building remains unchanged to this day. Burgdorf Castle is considered the best preserved of the Zähringen castles and is classified as a heritage site of national significance.
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Partner
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Educational offers
Burgdorf Castle Museum
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Seminars & Events
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Guest and member benefits
- Free entrance to the Museum Burgdorf Castle, the entrance tickets are available at the reception.
- 10% discount in the Localnet Arena (ice rink). The voucher is available at the reception.
- 10% discount for schools on guided tours and admission to the Gotthelf centre. Individual travellers receive 50% off a non-alcoholic drink. Show your booking confirmation at the location.
- 20% discount on badminton, squash and tennis at Tennishalle Burgdorf. The voucher is available at the reception.
- 20% discount on admission to the Museum Landshut Castle. Show your booking confirmation at the location.
- 33% discount on admission to the Franz Gertsch Museum. Show your booking confirmation at the location.
- CHF 2.– reduction on the adventure tour «Play yourself through Burgdorf» (in german) with over 25 posts. A promo code for the discount is available at the reception.
- CHF 5.– reduction on the painting workshop in the Aebi pottery Show your booking confirmation at the location.
- CHF 2.– reduction when visiting the outdoor mini-golf Burgdorf with 18 holes. Show your booking confirmation at the location.
- CHF 4.– reduction on admission to the Bernhard Luginbühl Museum, young people up to 16 years free of charge, reduction for school classes. Show your booking confirmation at the location.
- CHF 5.– reduction on admission to the «Königsweg» visitor's tour of the Emmental show dairy, young people up to 11 years of age free of charge. Show your booking confirmation at the location.
- CHF 5.– reduction on admission to the Kulturhalle Sägegasse. The voucher is available at the reception.
- 2 for 1 brochure of the "Chüechlitiger children's trail" (incl. craft materials) at the Regional Museum "Chüechlihus Langnau". Show your booking confirmation on site.
Further member benefits
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