Gerishtain Castle
Description:
The ruins of Gerishtain Castle are located in the village of Bolligen, owned by the municipality of Bern. It was an early medieval castle built in the XI century. Its ruins rise on an overgrown rock in the Bolligenstrasse ridge. Initially, it was built of wood, but later replaced by a stone building. Its main purpose was to protect the road between Bern and Aargau.
The first inhabitants were Gerinstein, an aristocratic family that owned it until the early thirteenth century. At the turn of the XIII and XIV centuries, the castle was destroyed during hostilities, and could not be restored. Its ruins, preserved to this day, are the remains of brickwork.
The circular tower with the remains of a spiral staircase, which is of interest among tourists, was completed at a later time on the ruins of the castle.