Aarberg Castle, Government building in Aarberg, Switzerland.

Aarberg Castle is a medieval government building on an island in Aarberg that houses the municipal administration and a cantonal police office. The structure occupies a strategic position surrounded by river channels and serves as the administrative hub for the community.

The castle was established around 1220 as the center of the newly founded town of Aarberg and evolved into the seat of local governance. It has remained the administrative and governmental heart of the region throughout the centuries.

The building is still called a castle, but since 1610 it has served the Bernese administration: today it houses the district prefecture, the debt collection and bankruptcy office, the child and adult protection authority (KESB) and the cantonal police. Inside, heraldic panels commemorate more than 80 Bernese bailiffs who governed Aarberg from here until 1798.

The building stands on the Stadtplatz and is still used daily by the Bernese cantonal police, the district prefecture and the child and adult protection authority, so visitors should keep to public areas and avoid disturbing office work. The six-sided stair tower with its pointed spire on the southwest side is the most visible feature from the square.

The interior holds heraldic panels of more than 80 Bernese bailiffs (Landvögte) who governed Aarberg from 1358 to 1798. The building is listed as a class B Swiss cultural property of regional significance. The six-sided stair tower with a pointed spire on the southwest side is easy to pick out from the town square.