Beatus of Lungern - Beatenberg, BE, Switzerland
Posted by: 
fi67
N 46° 41.078 E 007° 46.896
32T E 406827 N 5170840
The grave of Saint Beatus in the cave where he lived as a hermit in the 1st century AD.
Waymark Code: WMCP22
Location: Bern, Switzerland
Date Posted: 09/27/2011
Views: 7
Saint Beatus is known as an early Christian monk and the first Apostle of Switzerland. He was born in France or Scotland and became a Christian monk on a journey in Italy where he met St. Peter. After many years of travel and preaching, he founded the first Christian community in Switzerland and finally moved to a cave in the rocks above Lake Thun to end his live as a hermit. He died at the age of 100 in the year 112 AD. There are many legends about his live, some of them may be conflated with legends of other Saints of the 3rd to 9th century. He was the official national Saint of Switzerland until 1947.
His cave became an important place of pilgrimage until the reformation. In the 19th century the cave was explored deeper and became a tourist attraction in the 20th century. The tomb with human bones in it was found during an excavation in 1904 and moved near the entrance of the cave.
The tomb is located inside the area that is only accessible with guided tours to the cave that is open to the public for over one kilometer. The caves are open daily from April to October, there are guided tours every 30 minutes. One tour last about 1 hour and costs CHF 18 for adults and CHF 10 for children.
First Name: Beatus (born as Suetonius)
Last Name: Not listed
Born: Not listed
Died: Not listed
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