HIKING IN BERN, SWITZERLAND

HIKING IN BERN, SWITZERLAND

By STEPHANIE SHEEHAN

 

Hiking abroad is a great way to combine improving your fitness with a relaxing holiday, making the experience great for both your body and soul.

 

The city of Bern is a beautiful base for a hiking holiday with narrow cobbled streets, rustic markets and extraordinary geography molded by the gently looping River Aare running through its centre – it can be hard to believe that the seemingly quaint city of Bern is actually the capital of Switzerland.

 

 

 

The countryside surrounding Bern attracts hikers, ramblers and trekkers with impressive routes and scenery through the Bernese Oberland mountains, rolling green Emmental hills and the stunning Gantrisch mountain region.

 

Walkers and hikers of all abilities will adore a holiday in Bern. Check out this selection of mixed level walking routes in and around the city, for those looking to experience the exceptional beauty of the Swiss countryside from the historic base of this delightful city.

 

Shorter hiking routes

Walk along the Aare

 

Distance: 7.3km Time: 1.75 hours

For an easy and pleasant hike, a walk along the banks of the Rive Aare is a wonderful way to gently explore the region. Start at Aarwangen, about 50km north east of Bern and make your way eastwards along the river to Murgenthal. Along the way you should be able to spot the historic Aarwangen Castle and enjoy beautiful forest surroundings.

 

Waldhaus to Seldern

Distance: 6km Time: 1.5 hours

 

This peaceful hike follows the river through beautiful valleys, with river crossings and shady pine trees to keep you cool on a warm summers walk. Start at the Berghotel Waldhaus, following the broad path up the valley signed to Selden and the Balmhornhütte, continuing along the track until you reach a bridge over the River Kalder. Turn right after the bridge and follow the path back over the river, through the forest. After a zig zag climb, you will continue to the finish point at Hotel Gasternal in Selden.

 

Medium hiking routes

Valley of the 72 Waterfalls

Distance: 9km Time: 3 hours

 

This is an easy and mostly flat walk starting at Lauterbrunnen railway station, about 65km south-east of Bern, hiking to the ‘Hotel Stechelberg’ Postbus stop in Stechelberg. This area, as the name suggests, is home to a myriad waterfalls, and you’ll be sure to pass a few impressive examples along this route, including Schmadrifällen and Trümmelbach waterfalls, the latter of which you can view from inside the mountain for a small fee.

 

Ridge Walk

Distance: 12km Time: 4.30 hours

 

This walk takes hikers through the Napf region of Emmental, an area famous for its cheese and wonderful landscapes. A good start for this hike is Lüderenalp, around 45km East of Bern, from where you can walk west along the ridge through scenic fields, forests and meadows with wonderful panoramic views of this beautiful region. There are a few well marked routes to take, which will end up in either Romoos, Luthernbad or Mettlenalp.

 

Longer Hiking routes

Trans-Swiss Trail Emmental

Distance: 26km Time: 7 hours

 

The Trans-Swiss Trail in its entirety covers around 460km of across Switzerland, starting at  Porrentruy in the north near the French border, cutting south over the Alps to finish in Lugano. The Emmental section of the trail leads from the centre of Bern, past gardens, buildings and the Bärengraben bear pit towards Boll. Once out of the city, continue into a gentle landscape of flowering meadows, hillsides and farms, offering a wonderful taste of the region as you pass through Diepoldshusenegg to Schafhausen and Goldbach before you finally reach Lützelfüh.

 

Gantrisch Panoramic Trail

Distance: 21kms Time: 7.5 hours

 

For stunning views, the Gantrisch Panoramaweg (Panoramic Trail) is a wonderful hiking option. Leading over the outskirts of Bern and the towns of Fribourg and Thus, the route is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful panorama paths in the region, with views in all directions – even across to the Alps. The trail leads from Zollhaus in Fribourg, about 50km south of Bern, climbing to Hällstett and passing through Pfyffe, Süfternen Kreuzung, Schüpfenfluh and on to the Gurnigel mountain. Along the way you’ll be rewarded with numerous lookouts and plenty of picnic and rest stops.

 

Getting there

• Flying: Travelling to Bern by air from the UK takes from one to two hours, with regular scheduled flights leaving from most major airports. For example, flights to Bern from London City Airport take 1 hour 40 minutes and cost from £211 return.
• Driving: If you would prefer to drive, the scenic trip from the UK to Bern journeys through France to Switzerland via the Channel Tunnel, and should take around 10 hours from London.
• Train: To travel by train to Bern via Paris from St. Pancras, London takes around 7.5 hours.