The canton of Bern stretches from the Swiss Plateau across the Bernese Oberland to the Jura, and across this wide territory lie 115 lost places recorded in our database: a psychiatric hospital set in an abbey, a munitions depot blown apart by explosions, decommissioned Réduit fortresses and abandoned mountain hotels.
This article is part of our dossier on the lost places of Switzerland. The terms lost places Bern, abandoned places Bern and urbex Bern all mean the same thing. Under each spot, an Add to map button drops the coordinates into your profile for free.
The essentials in brief: the canton of Bern counts 115 geolocated lost places. This article presents 4 of them, from the abbey hospital and the rock-cut fortress to the off-limits munitions depot. Free GPS under each accessible spot.
1. Bellelay Abbey: a monastery turned psychiatric hospital
Photo: Lutz Fischer-Lamprecht, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Bellelay Abbey is a 12th-century Premonstratensian abbey in the Bernese Jura, in the municipality of Saicourt, that housed a psychiatric clinic for over a century. In 1899, an asylum for around 260 patients opened in the former monastery; by around 1920 it was overcrowded with more than 340 patients. At the end of 2021, inpatient psychiatry moved to Moutier, because the thick monastery walls could no longer be heated economically. The hospital wings have stood empty ever since; a cooperative is set to take over the buildings from around 2028 to create a space of the senses and of exchange.
Discover every abandoned place in the canton of Bern on the urbex map.
2. Burgfluh Fortress: a Réduit fort carved into the rock
Photo: Paebi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Burgfluh Fortress is a decommissioned artillery fort cut into the rock face of the Burgfluh above Wimmis, at the entrance to the Simmental valley. Built into the mountain between 1942 and 1943 as part of the Swiss National Réduit, it was upgraded around 1985 with four 10.5 cm howitzers and taken out of service in 1999. In 2010, the interior equipment, including the funicular, was dismantled; all that remains are the empty rock galleries hidden in the cliff. Within the same Wimmis barrier position stand further abandoned infantry bunkers.
Discover every abandoned place in the canton of Bern on the urbex map.
3. Royal Park Hotel Bellevue: a grand hotel in a deep sleep
The Royal Park Hotel Bellevue in Kandersteg, a luxury hotel built in 1905 and once the village's only five-star establishment, closed for good on 20 September 2011 and has stood empty since. In 2016, following bankruptcy proceedings, it was sold at a forced auction for 2.36 million francs. A reopening is considered out of the question, because the building sits in a rockfall zone; urbex footage from early 2025 shows the ageing building still abandoned.
Discover every abandoned place in the canton of Bern on the urbex map.
4. Mitholz: the place you are not allowed to enter
Not every famous Bernese lost place is accessible. The former Mitholz munitions depot, in the municipality of Kandergrund, was destroyed in December 1947 by a series of explosions. To this day, up to 3,500 tonnes of munitions residue lie within the mountain. Since 2024, the village has been partly evacuated, and the clearance work will drag on into the 2040s. Mitholz is a military restricted zone and life-threatening: view it from a distance, never enter.
Discover every abandoned place in the canton of Bern on the urbex map.
Lost places in the canton of Bern at a glance
| Place | Type | Built | Status 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellelay Abbey | Abbey hospital / psychiatry | Clinic 1899 | Wings empty since 2021 |
| Burgfluh Fortress | Artillery fort | 1942 | Decommissioned 1999 |
| Royal Park Hotel Bellevue | Luxury hotel | 1905 | Empty since 2011 |
| Mitholz munitions depot | Military depot | Explosion 1947 | Restricted zone, clearance into the 2040s |
What is the best-known lost place in the canton of Bern?
The most striking accessible lost place is the former psychiatric clinic in Bellelay Abbey, in the Bernese Jura. The most famous, but off-limits, site is the Mitholz munitions depot in the Kander valley.
Are you allowed to visit Mitholz?
No. Mitholz is a military restricted zone holding around 3,500 tonnes of munitions residue. The area has been under evacuation since 2024 and will be cleared into the 2040s. Visiting it is forbidden and life-threatening.
What types of lost places are there in the canton of Bern?
The canton covers almost every category: an abbey hospital (Bellelay), Réduit fortresses (Burgfluh), abandoned mountain hotels (Kandersteg) and military restricted zones (Mitholz).
Where can I find free coordinates for Bernese lost places?
Under each spot in this article there is a free button. The full Bern map shows all 115 recorded locations.
Conclusion
The canton of Bern shows the full range of abandoned Switzerland, from the quiet abbey hospital of Bellelay to the rock-cut Burgfluh fortress and the deserted grand hotel of Kandersteg, all the way to off-limits Mitholz. You will find more locations on the Bern urbex map and in the dossier on the lost places of Switzerland. Always with respect: take nothing, damage nothing, and never set foot on private property.