Museum für Wohnkultur des Historismus und des Jugendstils

About the museum

Hünegg Castle was built from 1861 to 1863 for Baron Albert von Parpart, a former Prussian officer, on the right bank of Lake Thun near Hilterfingen. The Berlin architect Heino Schmieden was only 26 years old at the time and took his inspiration from the Renaissance châteaux of the Loire, such as Blois, Chenonceau and Azay-le-Rideau. The house got its name in connection with megalithic graves (Hünengräber) discovered in the surrounding area.

After the baron's early death in 1869, the Lemke-Schuckert couple refurnished the interior around 1900, largely in Art Nouveau style. This furnishing has been preserved unchanged ever since, so that the house feels less like a classic museum than like a home whose residents might return at any moment. The Museum of Living Culture of Historicism and Art Nouveau shows salons, dining rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms, wardrobes and the kitchen with their original furnishings.

The tour today also includes the Palazzo Sesavale, a miniature palace on a scale of 1:12 in the castle cellar that took 30 years to build, a small display case exhibition on the Order of St John, and the interactive castle adventure. On the second floor, the Erich Liechti Ship Collection has shown models and plans on navigation on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz since 2023; before that, the Swiss Gastronomy Museum was a guest there from 2018 to 2022. The castle park with old trees and views of the lake and the Alps, an animal enclosure, the Märli-Läse-Hüsli (fairy-tale reading hut) and the castle café round off the visit.

Highlights

• Originally preserved Art Nouveau furnishings from 1900
• Palazzo Sesavale, miniature palace on a scale of 1:12
• Erich Liechti Ship Collection on navigation on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz
• Castle park with lake views, animal enclosure and fairy-tale quiz
• Castle café with its own coffee blend

Permanent exhibitions

• Museum für Wohnkultur des Historismus und des Jugendstils – The rooms of the castle have been furnished unchanged since the redesign around 1900 and show living in the style of Historicism and Art Nouveau.
• Palazzo Sesavale – Miniature palace on a scale of 1:12 by Christian Singer in the castle cellar, completed after about 30 years of construction.
• Schiffsammlung Erich Liechti – Over 140 self-built ship models as well as plans and photos on the history of navigation on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz on the second floor.

Operated by

Stiftung Schloss Hünegg

Admission & discounts

Free admission with association membership card, Swiss Museum Pass, Swiss Travel Pass, Raiffeisen card (debit/credit), ThunerseeSCHLÖSSER-Card and for teachers with professional ID. The castle adventure quiz is free; the castle tour requires admission.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Playground / play area

In the castle, the search for the castle rascal (Schloss-Schlingel) and the castle adventure invite children to explore; in the park there is an animal enclosure with peacocks, rabbits, kangaroos and parrots, the Waldhus, a fairy-tale quiz and the Märli-Läse-Hüsli (open only on selected Saturdays).

Getting there & parking

A parking overview is available as a map on the castle's site plan page.

Amenities & dining

• Café

The castle café with a terrace in the park has the same opening hours as the museum. In the attic, Brocante Royal sells curiosities on Saturdays and Sundays (not objects from the castle).

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The castle cellar can be rented all year round for family and association events; the terrace by the castle entrance is suitable for apéros and small celebrations.

Plan your visit