The surroundings of Bern, between relaxation and escape

If the city of Bern – with its old town listed as a UNESCO heritage site – itself is worth lingering there, lovers of nature and physical activities will not need to go far from the capital to find what they are looking for. .

Easily accessible from France, Bern is reached by TGV Lyria from Paris to Basel or Lausanne, then via an intercity. The Gurten, Bern’s local mountain, is a summer tobogganing area, a star observatory and the site of an open-air music festival. Come and discover the new funicular, open from May 2024 for the 125th anniversary of the station. The “Güsche”, as the Bernese call it, is particularly appreciated by hiking fans, but also for its wide variety of gourmet restaurants. Will you instead choose the elegant Gurtners, its specialties and its exceptional view of the city of Bern? Or rather the idyllic Red Carpet terrace?

Impossible to pass through the region without making a stop in Emmental! If the famous cheese with holes is attractive, the green hills which invite hikes and bike rides are just as attractive. To cover these different stages, the electric bike is ideal. Stroll through a bucolic landscape, through the Route du Coeur and the Napf, the highest viewpoint between Emmental and Entlebuch. Take the opportunity to visit the charming village of Berthoud – “Burdlef” for short – and its castle overlooking the town, and stop at the demonstration cheese factory in the Emme valley!

Located on the hill ranges between Belp and the Black Lake, the Gantrisch Natural Park offers a breathtaking panorama. Athletes will have a blast on the Via Ferrata and the cycling and hiking trails, where visitors will be seduced by the villages, as well as the protected plant and animal species.

The place has even received the label “Dark Sky Park” for its preservation of the night landscape in the dark zone, to the south of the park. All of space is now within reach since the arrival of the Space Eye, Switzerland’s largest public telescope, in an 8K high-definition planetarium, surrounded by nature.

Among the top 10 most beautiful electric bike excursions are the “888 Grünes Band Bern”, 9 minutes from the capital, or the “Laupen Time Loop”, 31 meditative kilometers in the Laupen region.

Moreover, for a gourmet break, numerous addresses at every corner of the road await you. Whether it’s a direct sales store on the farm, village grocery stores to put together your own picnic, a break in an inn or a restaurant – Bären in Oberbottigen or Zum Zimmermann – you will be spoiled for choice.

To find the vehicle that will accompany all your adventures, the Rent a Bike site offers you the possibility of renting – even for the day – a bike at the station or at TCS Camping Bern Eymatt, 6 kilometers from the capital. The promise of an absolute change of scenery!