Castles & Prisons and a Mormon church near Bern, Switzerland

I'm in central Switzerland, about 15 miles from Bern (capital of Switzerland). I love cycling around this region as the farmland is absolutely beautiful. Farmhouses have these unusual-looking wooden roofs. 
 

Cycling through Krauchtal (population 2,300)  I spot this massive structure way up on a hill.  Wow, is that a castle?

In the town center I use the zoom lens on my camera to get a closer look. 

Looking for the road up to the castle I start stopping locals for info. This is the German-speaking part of Switzerland and my command of the language is pretty much nil (just like my French). 

I ask this elderly couple how I can get up there. I say "Schloss", which is German for castle, point to my bike and point toward the castle. The couple smile and just nod. Jeez, I stop at a car repair shop and I'm given the same response. I spot a young woman walking her dog and ask if she speaks English, "a bit", she answers. She says the place is a prison. Then, it hits me: What a dummkopf! I've been here before! 

In 2016 I cycled through the town but came via a different route.

Back in 2016 I posted about the prison. It was originally Thorberg Castle (dating back to 1175). It was for many, many years a monastery. In 1893 the castle was turned into a prison with a new cell block built in 1998. Now, it's the only maximum security prison in Switzerland. 

So, here's the deal. I have several Swiss maps and they show historical points such as castles with a tiny symbol of a castle. Hindelbank, a farming community of 2,500 inhabitants, is home to Hindelbank Castle. 

I then go to a website listing castles in Switzerland---hundreds are listed but many are just castle ruins. According to this website Hindelbank Castle is now an administrative building for the only woman's prison in Switzerland and it's "public" as opposed to "private".  

So, after leaving Krauchtal (home to the men's max prison) I cycle about three miles into another valley.

In the distance I think I spot Hindelbank Castle. 

Using the zoom on my camera I can see the castle and what looks to be a prison.

This is the road going up to the prison. To the left of the castle is a parking lot. 

The entrance to the prison is at the end of this road. Lots of barbed wire fencing and two female guards are patrolling the gate. I'm shirtless (it's 90 degrees) and after parking my bike in the parking lot--with the guards eyeballing me-I head over to the castle--thinking there's a separate entrance. Nope, the castle is part of the prison compound. One has to enter via the prison gate.

What the heck! I'm not going to enter the prison! That idiot website was wrong about the castle being open to the public. So my original plan was to snap photos of the castle exterior but, with lots of signs announcing security cameras monitoring the area I nix snapping photos as maybe I'd be detained for suspicious behavior. I could imagine the headline in the local paper: " Shirtless American cyclist in custody for taking forbidden photos of the prison". 

So I end up halfway down the road using the zoom lens to snap photos. The castle dates back to 1720. 

If you google Hindelbank Castle you'll see it's huge with extensive gardens. Don't know if the inmates get to enjoy the grounds. 

I'm a mile from Jegenstorf's (population 5,700) town center and this is the entrance to Jegenstorf Castle. 

Can't get a full picture of the castle as two gigantic trees block the view. Fill my water bottle with the cold water from the fountains. 

Still can't get a full picture of the castle.

Why are those black metallic cardboard-like figures placed there? Though Jegenstorf Castle dates back to the 12th century it's famous for hosting/housing General Henri Guisan during World War ll. 

During World War ll General Henri Guisan was the Supreme commander of the Swiss army (similar to  General Eisenhower being the Supreme commander of Allied forces). Don't forget Switzerland was a neutral country and didn't trust the Germans not to invade. In 1944 Jegenstorf Castle became the command post for General Giusan,

Side view of castle. In the Middle Ages a double moat surrounded the castle.

Rear view of castle. In the pond that's a statue of Minerva (Roman goddess of wisdom).

Other side view of Jegenstorf Castle.

Horse stables and housing for the castle help.

Those are the two gigantic trees obscuring the front of Jegenstorf castle. 

Horse stables near the castle entrance. 

I'm in Zollikofen (population 10,500) and this is a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints (LDS) or a Mormon church. So? Built in 1955, it's the first LDS Church in Europe and the first outside the USA and Canada. 

Nice grounds. There's a statue of a man in what looks to be gold leaf atop the church. Wonder if that's Joseph Smith Jr., founder of Mormonism in 1830?