A shingled pyramidal spire above a tower-like chancel roof defines the Chäppeli in Schwarzenburg. The small windows of Wahlern Church also offer a clue to its history: together with the area’s distinctive landmarks and trails, they provide a varied way to explore the municipality’s past.
Chapel, Church and Castle
The Chäppeli is a chapel built in 1463 on the southern edge of Schwarzenburg’s old village centre. Its distinctive feature is at the top: a shingled pyramidal spire sits above the tower-like chancel roof. The name refers to the roof area above the chancel; here, its tower-like shape is emphasised by the spire above it. Wahlern Church stands on a hill spur northeast of the village and is visible from far away. Its small window openings date the building to the Romanesque period of the 12th or 13th century. This is an approximate period, not a specific year of construction.
Schwarzenburg Castle was built between 1573 and 1576 to replace Grasburg Castle. Visitors can explore all the rooms in the castle that are not rented out. Near the castle, visitors can also see a Tätschdach house, a style typical of the area; it is the last Tätschdach house with valuable original features. To visit the interior, a key can be borrowed during office hours from the nearby reception desk of Gantrisch Nature Park in the castle. The office-hours restriction applies to collecting the key to access the house interior.
Museum and Local History
The Gantrisch Regional Museum is a five-minute walk from Schwarzenburg railway station. It has a permanent exhibition of geological finds from the region. During the 2026 exhibition season, the history exhibition explores Schwarzenburg’s 1,000-year history. Audio stations, numerous historical photographs, participatory elements and an object timeline are all part of its design. This offers different ways to explore the area: geological finds provide a glimpse of the region, while the history exhibition focuses on local history and presents it through a variety of elements.
Grasburg and Trails
Grasburg is a medieval castle ruin dating from the 11th or 12th century. Measuring 150 Ă— 50 metres, it is the largest castle in the canton of Bern. It stands high above the Sense on a flat sandstone plateau; more than 140 well-secured steps lead to the ruins. After the administrative building was built in Schwarzenburg around 1576, Grasburg was abandoned as an administrative centre and gradually fell into ruin. The sequence of events illustrates the transition from its former role as an administrative centre to its present state as a ruin.
The Gnomenweg Schwarzenburg starts at the railway station and passes through the village centre. With seven stops and information boards, it takes about 60 to 80 minutes; the time depends on how long you stop. Check local conditions before setting off. The walk can be extended with visits to historic buildings in the roughly 1,000-year-old village of Schwarzenburg. This combines a set sequence of stops with the option of including additional historic buildings in your visit to the village.
Planning and Getting There
The Spycherweg offers a different kind of route: a short hike from Lanzenhäusern to Schwarzenburg that can be walked year-round. The two routes differ in how they are planned: the Gnomenweg has a specified starting point, stops and approximate duration, while the Spycherweg is defined by its route between the two places and its year-round accessibility. Bern is directly connected to Schwarzenburg by S6 suburban train. The ViaJacobi stage between Schwarzenburg and Freiburg is also accessible by public transport.
Discover more destinations: Guggisberg, Sangernboden, RĂĽschegg
Back to the main travel overview: Schwarzenburg.
