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About this place
Ruine Rotenfluh (also spelled Rothenfluh) is a ruined medieval castle in the canton of Bern, on the edge of Wilderswil, right where the Lütschine valley opens. It belongs to a rare type of fortress known in Switzerland as a Balmburg, or cave castle, built into a hollow in a rock face.
What is a cave castle like Rotenfluh?
A Balmburg uses a natural recess in a cliff as part of its structure. Rotenfluh is the only one of its kind in the canton of Bern where wall remnants still survive. Its name means "red rock face" and is linked to a rust-coloured band of iron-bearing rock in the cliff above.
Who built it, and why?
The builders are unknown. Sources date the castle to the 13th century. Its job was to watch over a bridge across the Lütschine near Gsteig and the route linking the Bödeli, the plain between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, with the Lütschine valleys. The earliest written record dates from 1298 and calls the site a "munitio sive balma", a stronghold or cave.
What is its history?
In the 13th century the site belonged to the lordship of Burkart von Thun. Before 1224 it passed by marriage to the Free Lords of Wädenswil. After a division around 1280 it went to the Lords of Weissenburg.
From 1308 the region was held by the Habsburgs, who pawned it to the Weissenburgs in 1318. During the Laupen War of 1339 Bern took the castles as a peace pledge. The Habsburgs later pawned them to other vassals, including the lords of Interlaken, Hallwyl and Kyburg. By 1577 the site was already described as a ruin.
What can you see today?
Wall remnants still stand, set into the rock hollow. The ruin was last partly restored in 2003–2004. A castle path links it with the Unspunnen ruin, so the two sites are easily combined in one walk.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Ruine Rotenfluh? Near Wilderswil in the canton of Bern, above the entrance to the Lütschine valley, close to Interlaken.
Where does the name come from? It means "red rock face", and is linked to the rust-coloured iron-bearing band in the rock above the ruin.
When was the castle built? Sources date it to the 13th century. The first known written mention is from 1298.
Can I visit another castle on the same walk? Yes. A castle path leads to the Unspunnen ruin.
Has the ruin been restored? Yes, the latest partial restoration took place in 2003–2004.
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