Artilleriewerk Bödeli, Military fortress in Interlaken, Switzerland.
Artilleriewerk Bödeli is a military fortress in Interlaken consisting of five fortified positions spread between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. The entire structure was carved into the mountain rock and parts of it are now open for visitors to explore.
This fortress was built between 1896 and 1901 as a defense post during both World Wars. It remained active through the Cold War period, playing an ongoing role in the region's military history.
The fortress demonstrates Swiss military construction with its network of tunnels, gun positions, and command centers carved into the mountain rock. Visitors can observe how these facilities operated as a hidden defense system and the engineering skill required to build them.
Two sections of the fortress, Kammfluh and Goldey, are accessible only through scheduled guided tours that need to be arranged in advance. Plan enough time and wear appropriate clothing, as the underground passages are cool and stairs are steep.
The fortress features metal ladders bolted directly to cliff faces that military personnel used to access different defensive positions during operations. These raw constructions show the practical solutions the builders had to devise.
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