Hilterfingen Reformed Church with Rectory

Hilterfingen Reformed Church with Rectory is a church-and-parsonage ensemble on the shore of Lake Thun, in Oberhofen am Thunersee, canton of Bern. The former St Andrew's church sits right on the boundary between two municipalities: it carries the Hilterfingen name but stands on Oberhofen ground. Its coordinates are roughly 46.734 N, 7.662 E.

How old is the church?

The present building dates from 1727, yet worship here goes back far further. Four earlier churches occupied the spot, the first one in the 7th or 8th century. That makes it one of the oldest sacred sites on the lake. A medieval chronicle of the Strättligen family lists it among the twelve churches around Lake Thun.

Control of the church changed hands several times. A gift from the lords of Oberhofen to the Amsoldingen chapter was later contested, and after a long dispute the Interlaken monastery held it. In 1424 it passed to the owners of the Oberhofen lordship, and in 1652 to the city of Bern. Today it belongs to the Bernese Reformed Church, hence its name.

What can you see?

The church and its rectory form a historic ensemble. The parsonage has stood beside the church for a long time, as it already appears in an 1822 print of Hilterfingen by Jakob Samuel Weibel. The exterior is a plain, practical Bernese village church, without lavish decoration.

The bells are a nice detail. The four small historic bells that once hung in the tower are now displayed in the historical museum of Oberhofen Castle. The tower today holds five bells cast in 1962 by H. Rüetschi AG of Aarau, which Swiss radio SRF featured in its "Glocken der Heimat" series.

How do you get there and what else is nearby?

The church stands between the villages of Hilterfingen and Oberhofen, close to the lake at about 560 m above sea level. Hilterfingen got its first boat landing in 1925, and Switzerland's first sailing school opened here in 1935. Nearby you can visit:

• Oberhofen Castle and its historical museum,
• neo-Gothic Schloss Hünegg (built 1861-1863), now a museum of domestic culture,
• the lakeside paths with views toward the Bernese Alps.

Check the parish website for opening hours of the interior. This is a working parish church, and it may be closed outside services.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Hilterfingen church actually in Hilterfingen? Not formally. It stands on the municipal boundary, on Oberhofen am Thunersee land, but belongs to the Hilterfingen parish.

When was the current building constructed? In 1727. Four older churches preceded it, the earliest from the 7th or 8th century.

Is there an entrance fee? No admission fee is documented. It is an active parish church, so visitors should behave as in any place of worship.

What else is worth seeing close by? Oberhofen Castle, Schloss Hünegg and the lake promenades, with Thun and Spiez a short trip away.