Tucked away on a hill above the beautiful village of Oberhofen there is a mystic spot. A path leads into the forest and a short climb up to the top of the hill. It is overgrown with trees. But if you look out you will still see some of the old age ruins overgrown by tree roots.
A 1000 years ago the castle of Balm used to sit on top of the hill with a splendid view of the lake and of the small village of Oberhofen down below. The noble knights’ family who lived up here owned the whole shore of this side of the lake.
Then in the 12 century the God fearing three brothers Werner, Selber and Libo didn’t have any male descendant. So the daughter Itha inherited the family fortune. She was married to the noble man Walter who moved into the castle to join his wife. Walter built the water castle of Oberhofen, down at the lake. Over time the castle above fell apart and nature has fully reclaimed this spot.
