The road was already there.

Pilgrims, merchants, envoys: far more people were on the move in the Middle Ages than we tend to assume. The roads were poor, the journeys hard, the dangers real — and still people covered remarkable distances. To markets, to holy places, on the business of their rulers, across Europe and beyond.

So how did people travel? Who was allowed to, who had to? What did they take with them, where did they sleep, and how did they find their way without a map?

«Um der Ehre willen» — a walk through the Knights’ Hall

For honour’s sake: noble travel in the Middle Ages, from Thun to Jerusalem · Twenty stations · from 4 October 2026, at least until the end of October

On Swiss Castle Day a walk in twenty stations opens in the Knights’ Hall. It tells why the ruling class around Lake Thun set out, what they brought home — and where the people from here went on pilgrimage who never got that far. The title quotes Konrad von Scharnachtal of Oberhofen, who had it certified in 1449 that on his journeys he sought «allein ueberkomnus der eren» — nothing but the acquisition of honour.

Along the way you meet the Zähringer and Kyburg families, who took the cross before Thun belonged to them; Adrian von Bubenberg, lord of Spiez, who sold a castle in 1465 in order to travel to Jerusalem; the Bernese gentlemen who outdid one another with knighthoods at the Holy Sepulchre and at Sinai; the pilgrimage places around the lake from Einigen to the cave of Saint Beatus — and finally the Scherzligen Passion panorama of 1469, a Jerusalem ten minutes’ walk from here. Anthony Bale’s lectures take place in the middle of this walk; children follow it with a pilgrim’s passport and collect stamps at five stations.

The panels are in German. You will find the full texts of all twenty panels in English here: «Um der Ehre willen» — English texts — also reachable from a QR code on every panel.

The walk is included in the museum admission and freely accessible during opening hours. It stays up at least until the end of October — whether it stays longer will be announced here.

Programme

Group 1: 9.00–11.30 walk · 13.00 lecture «Roads and Adventures», followed by the book signing
Group 2: 11.00 lecture «Women Travellers», followed by the book signing · 13.30–16.00 walk
All day (10.00–17.00): «Um der Ehre willen» — the walk through the Knights’ Hall opens on this day

Lecture and walk can also be attended independently of each other. The visit costs the regular museum admission. For the walks we ask for registration at info@schlossthun.ch or +41 33 223 20 01 — please state which group you would like to join. The route is about 8.5 kilometres (some two and a half hours including stops for stories); sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate clothing are recommended. The return from Einigen is by bus. Detailed walking programme: geschichte-erwandern.ch. Directions, parking and accessibility: see Directions & location and Frequently Asked Questions.

If you would like to make a day of it: the temporary exhibition «Awarded! The Golden Star of Thun» is open on the same day, and the medallion carpet is on show in the museum as well.