Ital Reding-Hofstatt

Ital Reding House

The manor house, Bethlehem House and the farm building (now the cantonal library) are located inside the enclosing wall. The manor house was built by Ital Reding in 1609. In front of the building is a baroque garden flanked by two shade houses. Inside, you can admire the magnificent design of the manor house. The large garden hall is on the ground floor, with the beautiful vaulted cellar below. On the first floor are the actual state rooms with rich panelling and wooden ceilings in the traditional style. They document the social rise of a family that achieved money, power and prestige through soldiering.

Bethlehem House

The Bethlehem House in Schwyz is considered to be the oldest wooden house in Europe. It is a unique witness from the early days of the Swiss Confederation and was built in 1287. In other words, four years before the three original cantons formed an alliance and laid the foundation stone for today's Swiss Confederation. The two-storey Haus Bethlehem has a differentiated spatial structure. This suggests that it was once a manor house. The brick-built plinth contains a 16th century hall with wall paintings. Apart from the window openings with their draught shutters and the boarded arbours from the 18th century, the original condition has been largely preserved.