Ruine Weissenau

The stone tower of the Ruine Weissenau rises seventeen meters above the surrounding nature reserve, its square silhouette a rare survivor from the thirteenth century. Once situated on an island in the mouth of the Aare River, the fortress served as a fortified harbor, controlling the flow of goods headed toward the high alpine passes. Its thick walls and protected basin provided a strategic anchor for the medieval lords who held it, standing watch over the transition between the lakes of Thun and Brienz.