located on a hilltop just outside the village of Melchnau. From the parking lot in Melchnau Oberdorf, it takes about 10 minutes to follow a well marked trail to the ruins. Grünenberg castle site The first castle was probably a wooden fort from the 10th or 11th centuries. It was replaced in the 12th century by a stone curtain wall and a tower that would later be replaced by the donjon in the north-west corner. The wall had a silicate core with a shell of roughly trimmed sandstone blocks. The rock was quarried in trenches near the castle grounds. Shortly thereafter, the south and north residences were added inside the curtain wall. The original castle entrance was to the southeast. The southeast wall was protected by two trenches, which were spanned by a bridge at the original castle gate. The castle chapel and well house were added later, probably in the 13th century, onto the south residence. During the 14th century the castle expanded as the fortunes of the family grew. The northern residence block was extended and dominated the entire northern side of the castle. The castle gate was relocated to the northern corner. The steep cliff face on the northeast limited the size of the gatehouse. The large circular oven was added to the western side of the courtyard at about the same time. See also List of castles in Switzerland References External links Castle Grünenberg Castles in the Canton of Bern