Burgruine Mülenen

Reichenbach im Kandertal, Switzerland, Switzerland

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Burgruine Mülenen is a 13th-century medieval castle ruin paired with the Letzi Mülenen defensive wall in the village of Mülenen, part of Reichenbach im Kandertal municipality in Switzerland's Canton of Bern.

Built by the Freiherr von Kien as their second stronghold to guard the Kandertal valley entrance, it featured a fortified residence, courtyard, well, and dry moat, first mentioned in 1269, with the wall evolving from 12th-century earthworks to a stone barrier by the 13th century amid conflicts like the 1294 Bernese clash.

Acquired by Bern in 1352, it was abandoned around 1400 when the castellan relocated to Frutigen, later demolished for building materials, though excavations in 1941 and 1990s preserved remnants now designated a Swiss heritage site of national significance visible along hiking paths.