St. Beatus Caves

The St. Beatus Caves are a network of caves below Beatenberg near Interlaken in the canton of Bern.

Is located at the north end of Lake Thun with a guide about 1 km inside the Niedhorn massif accessible. According to legend, the Holy Beatus said to have died here. Below the caves runs a part of the pilgrimage.

History and Legend

According to the legend, said to have lived in the Middle Ages in the caves a scary fire-breathing dragon. The Holy Beatus met him with the cross and called the Holy Trinity. Then the dragon fled and plunged with a roar into Lake Thun and drowned. St. Beatus is said to have thereon in the cave built his hermitage and lived there until his death. At the cave entrance can be seen today, the grave of the Holy Beatus and a replica of his cell. Until the Reformation was in the cave is a pilgrimage chapel in honor of the saint, which was under the monastery of Interlaken. The Bernese government had to tear the chapel in 1528 and bricked up entrance to the cave to stop the pilgrimages.