Burgdorf

Burgdorf Castle is the largest and best-preserved Zaehringen castle complex in Switzerland, classified as a historical monument of national significance. Around 1200, Duke Berchtold V of Zaehringen rebuilt the castle in monumental form using red brick -- a material unfamiliar in the region at that time -- giving it a distinctive majestic red appearance. The complex stretches 130 metres along a sandstone rock formation above the Emme river and includes a residential tower (Palas), a fortified tower (Bergfried), and a great hall connecting the two.

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827), the most famous educator in Europe, arrived in Burgdorf in 1799. His revolutionary methods abolished textbooks, emphasised sensory learning, and taught 'the powers of head, hand, and heart.' In October 1800, he moved into Burgdorf Castle itself, establishing his Educational Institute combining a boys' school, a school for the poor, and a teacher-training forum. Hundreds of educators and politicians from across Europe visited to witness his methods. In 1804, the government of Bern demanded he vacate the castle.

The Burgdorferkrieg (Burgdorf War) of 1383-1384 began when Count Rudolf II of Neu-Kyburg launched a reckless raid on Solothurn in November 1382 to force the city to forgive his debts. For Bern, this was the perfect pretext to break the Kyburgs' power. In March 1383, Bern attacked Burgdorf. Under the Kyburg commander Berchtold, the castle withstood a 45-day siege. On 5 April 1384, the Neu-Kyburgs sold Burgdorf and Thun to Bern for 37,800 guilders -- a decisive step in Bern's rise to become the most powerful Swiss city-state.

Emmentaler (known internationally as 'Swiss cheese') originated on the alpine pastures of the Emme valley surrounding Burgdorf. The name first appeared in 1542, though cheese production in the Canton of Bern dates to 1293. The characteristic large holes are caused by Propionibacterium, which consume proteins in the curd during maturation -- the carbon dioxide they produce becomes trapped, forming spherical cavities. Emmentaler received Swiss AOP status in 2000. Over 20,000 tonnes are produced annually in the region's show dairies along the Kaeseroute (Cheese Route).

Burgdorf sits in a meander of the Emme river at its confluence with the Ilfis. The commanding castle hill to the west and the striking Gysnaufluehe cliff formation to the east together form the iconic 'gateway' -- earning Burgdorf its title as the 'Tor zum Emmental' (Gateway to the Emmental). The Emme is an 80-kilometre river rising between the peaks of Hohgant (2,197 m) and Augstmatthorn (2,137 m) in the Bernese Alps. In July 2014, an exceptionally severe flood caused the Emme to reach its highest level in 300 years.

Hornussen originated in the Emmental region, with the earliest documented reference in 1625 from the consistory of Lauperswil (Canton of Bern), where two men were fined 20 francs for playing on Sunday. The first recorded competitive match took place in 1655 in Trub. A striking team hits a puck (the 'Hornuss' or 'hornet') from a flexible ramp at up to 300 km/h, producing a buzzing sound, while the defending team of 16-20 players intercepts it with large wooden boards called Schindeln. The Emmental is the historic heartland of both Hornussen and Schwingen (Swiss wrestling).

On 22 July 1899, the Burgdorf-Thun Railway opened as the first fully electric standard-gauge railway line in Europe. The 41-kilometre line was electrified with 750 volts three-phase AC at 40 hertz, with trains running at a maximum speed of 36 km/h. The project was driven by Emil Blattner, professor of electrical engineering at the Burgdorf College of Technology and city councillor. Electrical equipment was supplied by Brown, Boveri & Cie. (later ABB), with power from the Kander hydroelectric station near Spiez on Lake Thun. The total cost was 5.4 million Swiss francs.

After a 17-million-franc renovation (2017-2020), Burgdorf Castle reopened on 26 April 2020 as a combined museum, youth hostel (31 rooms, 115 beds), restaurant, and civil wedding venue. In 2021, the renovation was honoured with the Atuprix (audience award for exemplary Bernese architecture) and ICOMOS Switzerland's 'Historic Hotel of the Year 2022' award. The castle has served continuously as an administrative seat for over seven centuries, from the Kyburg counts to the Bernese Schultheiss (municipal governor) from 1384, and as a courthouse until 2012.