Landshut Castle

A gem in the park, a prestigious Museum of Wildlife and Hunting

Surrounded by its magnificent landscaped park, the ancient castle of the Bailiff at Landshut is romantically reflected in the waters of its moat. In this grand building dating back to the 17th century, the only Swiss museum for wildlife and hunting is located.

Time stands still here, when admiring the manorial rooms with their period furniture and paintings, prominent among them being the still lifes by Albrecht Kauw. Visitors experience sheer luxury entering the richly panelled Landshut Room with its beautiful sideboard or the stately ceremonial hall. The Swiss Museum of Wildlife and Hunting at the castle displays the history of hunting in Switzerland from the Stone Age to the present day, continuing with the alpine wildlife and its habitats. Further emphasis is laid on collections of precious weapons and utensils used for hunting, decoys, as well as falconry and hunting with the dog.

Landshut Castle
Humans and game in agricultural landscapes
Permanent exhibition

To some extent, hunters, non-hunters and wild animals all share one habitat.

 

This exhibition uses stuffed animals, pictures, texts and a multimedia station to inform visitors about life and survival in Switzerland's agricultural landscape.

 

Landshut Castle
Falconry – a bird ON the hand
Permanent exhibition

The use of birds of prey as an aid to hunting dates back several millennia. In Switzerland, falconry, or hawking, has an approximately thousand year history.

 

This attractive exhibition explores the historical, biological and symbolic aspects of falconry and the techniques involved.

 

Landshut Castle
The historical La Roche Hunting Collection
Permanent exhibition

The private collection of Dr. René La Roche is one of the most interesting specialized collections of historical hunting equipment and weapons in Europe.

 

It contains around 600 objects, dating from the 15th until the late 19th century, including hunting daggers, boar spears, cross bows, shotguns, rifles and hunting trousses.

A fascinating journey into European cultural history and an aesthetic pleasure even for non-hunters!

 

Landshut Castle
On the trail of hunting in Switzerland
from the Paleolithic Age to the present day
Permanent exhibition

The history, origins and significance of hunting in Switzerland, with information about the development of native game populations.

 

 

Landshut Castle
Decoys, Heinrich and Heidi Brandenberger Collection
Permanent exhibition

The decoys used by hunters to induce flying ducks to alight can be made of a range of different materials.

 

This collection features 75 decoys of European and North American origin.  

 

Landshut Castle
Firearms used by Swiss hunters in the 19th and 20th centuries
Permanent exhibition

What weapons were favoured by Swiss huntsmen in the past and what technical developments have taken place in recent centuries?

 

The firearms collection of a Swiss hunter features the guns used by hunters in Switzerland - and the odd poacher - over the past two hundred years.

 

Landshut Castle
The Hunting Dog – Ally and Friend
Permanent exhibition

It was a brilliant trick of our ancestors – about 20,000 years ago, it occurred to people to tame wolves. The dog, as a pet, came from the wolf in the wild. And so began the fascinating story of the friendship between people and dogs.

 

The exhibition, "The Hunting Dog – Ally and Friend", explains how this close bonding between people and dogs emerged, which influence humankind has had on the evolution of the dog and how the partnership between dog and humans is lived out today in the hunt.

Directly experience the dog’s completely different world of senses! How does an individual use the specific skills of a dog in hunting and what does a young dog have to learn before joining in the hunt? Learn about the eventful history of the Swiss hunting breeds and see which dog breads were bred, trained and put to use for very specific types of hunting.

 

A brochure with explanations in English is available in the exhibition.

 

Landshut Castle
The Hunting Horn
Permanent exhibition

For many hundreds of years, the hunting horn has been used as a device for communication and signalling. Later on, it evolved into the musical instrument we know today.

 

The horns in this small however fine exhibition are providing a historical view. Sound samples are completing the presentation.