Welcome to
Hiking in Switzerland

Centre and capital of the sparsely-populated Ajoie on the Swiss-French border is Porrentruy, a small medieval town dominated by an impressive castle. Porrentruy is often called the «cultural capital» of Canton Jura.

The small medieval town of St. Ursanne lies in the heart of the Jura Mountains on the banks of the River Doubs. Highlights of this picturesque town are the monastery with cloister and Romanesque-Gothic church, dating from the 12th century.

The farming village of Soubey (476m) lies on the bank of the Doubs. There are scenic hiking and mountain-biking trails along the river, which is a paradise for anglers and canoeists. The village centre has well-preserved 17th to 19th century houses.

Saignelégier is the capital of the Franches Montagnes region in Canton Jura. The town is famous for its Marché-Concours, the national festival of the native horse breed held in August. A natural area of great beauty is the nearby marsh conservation area of Étang de la Gruère.

St. Imier in the Bernese Jura, nestled between Mont Soleil to the north and the Chasseral mountain to the south, is an interesting fusion of traditional watchmaking and modern energy technology.

Chézard-Saint-Martin lies in the charming landscape of the Val de Ruz. An extensive grid of hiking and mountain biking trails runs through the Jura hills and the neighbouring village of Cernier is home to the «Evologia» nature and culture park.

Built out of yellow sandstone, Neuchâtel(or Neuenburg as German speakers call it) is located on the northern shore of Lake Neuchâtel and nestles against the Jura hills. The medieval centre of the town with its many cafes and restaurants, shops and numerous theatres and museums exudes French charm and is ideal for a gentle stroll

The little medieval town of Murten on the south-east bank of the lake of the same name has preserved its original appearance, with the picturesque alleyways of the Old Town and the pleasant shady arcades. Situated on the language border between French and German, the town has a lovely lakeside promenade and offers a wide range of water sports, cultural activities and other excursions.

The small historic town of Laupen, on the River Sense just before it joins the Saane, is dominated by the castle on a sandstone spur. At «Läubliplatz» ancient timber-framed houses huddled up close to the sandstone cliffs, as if from a picture book.

Not many cities have managed to retain their historic features quite as successfully as Bern, the capital of Switzerland. The old town of Bern has been entered in the list of UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Sites and thanks to its 6 kilometres of arcades - the locals refer to them as 'Lauben' - boasts on of the longest weather-sheltered shopping promenades in Europe. The Zentrum Paul Klee houses the most comprehensive collection of works by the artist.

Gümligen literally has it all: it belongs to the affluent and particularly low-taxed municipality of Muri, yet has remained an almost «normal» village, an attractive residential area on the outskirts of Bern.

As so many other municipalities on the edge of a city, in recent years Worb has increasingly become an agglomeration municipality: modern, of its time and functional - but losing some of its atmosphere in the process.

Lützelflüh, the lovely village between Langnau and Burgdorf in the lower Emmental, is mainly known as the Gotthelf Village: pastor and poet Albert Bitzius, better known as Jeremias Gotthelf worked here from 1832 until his death in 1854.

Langnau in Oberemmental is known as a centre for Emmental cheese. But the village with its stately inns has long been a modern commercial, trade and service centre located amidst the beautiful rolling and forested landscape of the Emmental.

Eggiwil is a «sedate» Emmental village with typical inns. The wide rolling Emmental landscape forms a natural arena for various hikes through in deep gorges such as the Räbloch or to vantage points such as the Chuderhüsi.

Marbach – part of the UNESCO Entlebuch Biosphere Reserve – lies in southern Entlebuch in the Ilfis Valley, 5 km south of Wiggen on the Schallenbergstrasse in the direction of Thun. The Marbachegg is popular as a small, family-friendly ski area.

Schangnau lies in the uppermost part of the Emmental. Striking mountain ranges encircle the pre-Alpine landscape of Schangnau with Bumbach and Kemmeriboden: the Hohgant – also known as the crown of Emmental – is the most impressive local summit, and at 2196 metres, also the highest.

The summer and winter holiday resort of Sörenberg in the Lucerne hinterland is situated in the Entlebuch Unesco biosphere. This fantastic moor landscape with its unique plant and animal life has earned the region the distinction of being one of only 400 biosphere reserves world-wide. Ideal for families and nature-lovers.

The village of Giswil in Canton Obwalden lies on the valley floor of the Sarnersee at the foot of the Brünig and Glaubenbielen Passes. The largely unspoilt pretty landscape is dotted with several preserved century-old wooden houses.

Sachseln, centre of Switzerland: the geographical centre of Switzerland lies at the Älggi-Alp on the south-eastern shore of Lake Sarnen. Brother Klaus’ hermitage is in nearby Flüeli-Ranft.