The castle has had a long and varied history of owners, and has been continuously lived in since the von Eschenbach nobility constructed it by the lake around 1200. From 1652 - 1798, the castle was a bailiff's residence. It later came into private hands and was rebuilt in the historicism style by the Count de Pourtàles family around 1850. The oriental smoking room above the keep dates from this period, and offers breathtaking views. The castle was converted into a museum in the early 1950's and houses a permanent exhibition of Bernese living culture from the 16th to the 19th centuries. A walk through the exhibition rooms reveals the ambiance of feudal Bernese living over the centuries, and the museum can be experienced as a grand historical picture book.

Special Exhibition

Always at your service – In the kitchen

From 12 June, the castle kitchen will be open to the public for the first time. Supported by vivid animations and videos, this extension to the permanent exhibition “Always at your service” reveals the servants’ workplace and kitchen life at the turn of the 20th century. During the counts’ tenure, the kitchen catered for many distinguished guests as well as providing daily meals for the family and their servants. In an engaging manner, the exhibition communicates the kitchen world and shows how food was prepared at that time. Ida, a maid whose job included fetching coal for the cooker, also has her say. The staging of the castle kitchen ensures first-hand experiences and that surprising moments arise. Various kitchen utensils are to be discovered, and are sure to evoke nostalgia for the past.
 

Always at your service

The household of the aristocratic Pourtalès-Harrach family, who lived in the 19th century, would have been inconceivable without domestic staff. Whoever enters the rooms of the servants’ quarters, only recently accessible, is immersed into previously unknown history. The exhibition takes a look at the world of the servants and lets the audience participate in situations that have taken place in the corridors and behind closed doors. It can be found on the second floor.
 

Castle rooms and dreams

Oberhofen Castle was a residence until the mid 20th century. Who were the previous owners? And how did it come about that the former fortress became a summer residence for an aristocratic family? Focused on the previous castle occupants, the exhibition traverses more than 800 years of history. The two parts of the permanent exhibition can be found on the first floor.