Burgdorf combines a striking castle complex and a historic old town with the landscape along the Emme. The small town lies in the Swiss Plateau, about 20 kilometres northeast of Bern. Woods along the riverbanks, sandstone cliffs and the first hills of the Emmental shape the surroundings. In Burgdorf, therefore, urban history and culture sit alongside outdoor paths and recreational spaces; the landscape of the Emmental can also be explored from here.
Discover the castle and old town
Burgdorf Castle is considered the largest and best-preserved Zähringen castle complex and is associated with national, possibly even international, significance. At the Burgdorf Castle Museum, changing exhibitions bring the past to life: visitors can play, discover and try things out. The castle restaurant serves regional specialities and offers views over Burgdorf and the hills of the Emmental. The youth hostel in the castle also embraces history: its themed rooms are integrated into museum spaces and explore historical subjects through related exhibits.
Burgdorf’s old town consists of the Oberstadt and Kornhaus quarter. Its historic urban layout is complemented by culture, markets, dining options and shops. The lanes are home to specialist shops, traditional confectioneries and goldsmith studios. At the market, you can watch town life over a coffee or an aperitif. If you want to get to know the town beyond a single spot, you can use the “Burgdorf gehört gehört” audio guide: it takes you along 30 stops from the railway station to the Oberstadt, to the castle and through the Unterstadt, returning to the station. Ten additional stops add themes such as history, notable figures and local specialities to the tour. No login is required to use the audio guide, and you can choose the order of the stops freely. Digital usage information may change; check it in advance if you are planning the tour.
Cultural history from different perspectives
Beyond the castle, the cultural offering spans architectural and urban history, art and technology. The town church is Burgdorf’s largest church building. Its 72-metre-high tower is visible from far away; the rood screen is considered one of Switzerland’s most precious examples of stone carving. The Siechenhaus was built between 1506 and 1508 on the authorities’ orders and has been available for hire as a venue since 1998. If you are considering using it as an event venue, check the current rental conditions. The Bartholomäus Chapel, also known as the Siechenkapelle, is located a little outside town on the banks of the Emme. You can reach it via the wooden Wynigen Bridge; services and concerts are held there regularly.
The Franz Gertsch Museum is dedicated to the work of artist Franz Gertsch (1930–2022). Just over half of its exhibition space is reserved for temporary exhibitions of contemporary art. The vehicle collection of the Swiss Army Historical Material Foundation offers a different perspective on history: more than 400 objects are housed in three halls at the AMP Burgdorf. The collection documents the motorisation of the Swiss Army and the history of the Swiss truck, tractor and motorcycle industries, which no longer exist. Visitor arrangements may change; check in advance if you are planning to explore this subject. The Old Slaughterhouse, an originally Gothic building, displays part of the extensive body of work by Bernhard Luginbühl (1929–2011).
Paths and nature along the Emme
Burgdorf offers a range of ways to spend time outdoors. The Schachen along the Emme is a popular local recreation area for walkers, joggers, cyclists and people who like to barbecue there. The Oberburgschachen provides an intact habitat for many animal and plant species. Burgdorf also has walking paths through forests and over hills, as well as opportunities for bathing and swimming, playing tennis, horse riding and fishing. The Meiemoos between Burgdorf and Lyssach is listed in the inventory of raised and transitional bogs of national importance.
The themed trails also offer different perspectives: the Bänkliweg leads to 20 distinctive benches and their viewpoints. On the roughly six-kilometre Burgdorf–Wynigen Planet Trail, an outdoor model at a scale of 1:1 billion illustrates the relative sizes of the sun and planets, as well as their distances from the sun. The fish nature trail runs along the Emme and covers fish, their way of life and the species found in the river at eleven stops. This lets you choose between viewpoints, astronomical scales and insights into the river environment, rather than treating all the paths as the same kind of nature experience.
Burgdorf as a base
Burgdorf has an extensive rail and bus network, as well as a nearby motorway connection. The town makes a good base for exploring the landscape of the Emmental and cultural attractions in Bern, Solothurn, Biel and Thun. The Burgdorf Tourist Office provides information about sights, events, hotels, restaurants, camping, holiday apartments and day trips, and organises or arranges guided tours of the town. When choosing where to stay, you can weigh up the town’s cultural offerings and the nature or themed trails along the Emme against possible excursions in the wider area.
Discover more destinations: Lyssach, Oberburg, Krauchthal, Kaltacker and Hasle Bei Burgdorf.
Back to the overarching travel guide: Burgdorf.
