Attractions and Places To See around Oberbalm - Top 20

Enchanted place in the Bremgarten forest

The Minster impresses with its imposing façade and the highest church tower in Switzerland, which reaches a height of 100.6 meters. Particularly noteworthy is the main portal of the Minster, which shows the Last Judgement with over 200 figures. These figures are artfully designed and a true masterpiece of medieval art. The interior of the church is equally impressive, with high vaults, colorful stained glass windows and magnificent choir stalls. The choir area is decorated with beautiful carvings and the organ, which is regularly used for concerts, adds a special richness of sound to the room. A climb up the Minster's tower is an absolute must for every visitor. The steep staircase leads to a viewing platform from which you can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of the old town of Bern, the Aare and the surrounding mountains.

Originally a defensive tower, it was converted into a prison in the 13th century and later into a clock tower. Today, it houses one of the oldest astronomical clocks in Switzerland and a carillon. The Zytglogge is famous for its intricate clock, which not only tells the time but also depicts the movements of the sun, moon, and stars. It also features playful figures that move at specific times.

“Completion” of the Minster in the late 19th century The 19th century was a time of accelerated change under the sign of industrialization, especially since Bern was connected to the railway network in the 1850s. In the second half of the century alone, the city's population doubled. On the other hand, this acceleration of change gave rise to the desire to historically assure one's own identity. In the later 19th century, this was done, among other things, through historical commemorations in the name of patriotism. But architecturally, in the spirit of historicism, memory politics were also set in Bern: for example, in 1892-94 with the “medieval” castle building of the Historical Museum, the construction of the casino at the beginning of the 20th century in the style of late Baroque classicism, or with the completion of the Minster tower in 1891-93 in the neo-Gothic style. It was no coincidence that it was also the time when the homeland protection movement experienced its first heyday. The completion of the cathedral tower in the neo-Gothic style between 1891 and 1893, initiated by the cathedral building association through a patriotic appeal to the people of Bern, recalled the era of Matthäus Ensinger, the first master builder of the cathedral. After a break of over 300 years, the aim was to redeem “Bern’s debt of honour to its old, glorious past” in the spirit of historical reflection and historicism. Text / Source: Bern Cathedral, Münsterplatz 1, Bern https://www.bernermuenster.ch/bauwerk/geschichte

Bern Minster The history of Bern Minster reflects the political developments and economic conditions in Bern. The city was founded in 1191 by the Dukes of Zähringen and has been a free imperial city since the granting of charters in 1218. At the beginning of the 15th century, Bern was still a relatively small city with only about 5,000 inhabitants. Since its foundation in 1191, it had slowly grown from the Untertorbrücke/Nydegg Castle via the Zytglogge and the Käfigturm to the Christoffelturm near today's train station. Courtyards and gardens behind the houses made up a large part of the urban area. In this sense, the city was much more "rural" than we are used to from a city today. This applies not least to the smells and noise. In the course of the 14th century, the city had already connected large parts of today's cantonal territory in terms of power politics - albeit initially loosely and mediatized through intermediaries and not in the sense of modern-day national sovereignty. Bern was already much more than just the city in the bend of the Aare - but the outlines of the later powerful city-state were only just beginning to emerge. With the conquest of Aargau in 1415 and the granting of royal privileges by Sigismund of Luxembourg-Bohemia in the same year, the city was able to expand its independence and, immediately before the cathedral was built, had an extensive territory secured in the east by the Swiss allies. Text / Source: Bern Minster, Münsterplatz 1, Bern https://www.bernermuenster.ch/bauwerk/geschichte

The tower of the Bern Minster is - in addition to its significance as part of a late Gothic church building - a unique vantage point. If you climb the 254 steps of the spiral staircase of the southern stair tower to the first gallery, a wonderful view slowly opens up. Once at the top, you can see the roofs of the old town and the clock tower. On clear days, the magnificent panorama of the Bernese Alps with the striking peaks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau can be seen to the southeast, and a small section of the Freiburg Alps to the southwest. The Jura ranges are visible to the northeast and northwest.

The fortified tower, which has been extended several times, was built between 1218 and 1220 as the western end of the main street of Bern, a city founded in 1191. With each expansion of the city, which, due to the location of Bern's old town in a bend of the Aare River, could only proceed westward, the tower moved further into the city center, lost its function as a defensive tower, and was subsequently used for other purposes. Before the great city fire of 1405, it served as a prison. Afterward, it was rebuilt as a clock tower – the Zytglogge Tower or simply Zytglogge – using Bernese sandstone. Its clock with striking mechanism displayed the time binding for the entire city. Travel time was measured from the tower. In 1530, the cuboid tower acquired its towering form and a new clock. Decrees and ordinances are posted in the gateway, and since the 18th century, units of measurement for public control have been displayed there. With the late Baroque renovations of 1770/71, it was fully integrated into its surroundings. Source: Wikipedia.

There is a guided tour for 20 CHF, it lasts 1 hour and includes climbing the tower. It's worth it.