Castle ruin Hohburg, Medieval castle ruin in Belp, Switzerland

The Hohburg ruin stands halfway up the northern slope of the Belpberg in the municipality of Belp, canton of Bern. Its hill sits on a projecting rock spur cut off by a buried neck ditch, with the slope falling steeply on three sides. Wall remains are visible on three sides.

The Hohburg was besieged for ten days by Bernese forces after the Battle of Dornbühl in 1298, in which the lords of Belp fought on Freiburg's side, and was then destroyed and never rebuilt. In 1306 Bern forced Baron Ulrich von Belp II to accept a castle-rights treaty and take Bernese citizenship for ten years, in return for which he was allowed to build a wooden castle on the Gürbe, demolished in 1783.

The name Hohburg comes from its elevated location, which gave defenders command over the valley below. You can still see how the stone walls were positioned to watch over the surrounding land.

The hike up to the ruin follows marked walking paths that require sturdy shoes and moderate fitness. Visit on dry days when the paths are safer and easier to navigate.

Many visitors miss the faint earthwork traces on the ground that show where walls once stood. These subtle marks reveal how much more extensive the fortification once was.