Chemin du Jura bernois
Overview
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Distance 17 km
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Duration 5 h 10 min
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Ascent 880 m
Intro
On the Moron ridge stands the Tour de Moron, designed by Mario Botta and built by 700 apprentice bricklayers and stonemasons in 2004. A 30-metre-high vantage tower giving views over the Alpine foothills to the high Alps.
Description
Moutier is surrounded by deep valleys and gorges and wild nature. You can admire excellent glass works of art in the Notre-Dame de la Prévôté church and the Saint Germain collegiate church. The local precision engineering companies also have a national reputation. The first machine tools were built here and the industry still shapes Moutier today.
The hike begins in the valley basin of the Birs. Part of the river flows directly along by the walls of the houses and forms a narrow alley through Moutier. You reach the end of the residential area across the Birs and briefly following the La Chalière river. You then ascend on an attractive track at the eastern tip of the Moron. The ridge extends over a length of around 12 kilometres, going from east to west, and averages a width of 2 to 3 kilometres.
You reach the broad ridge area through beech and fir forests. Drystone walls stretch in a dead straight line across the hills, and several mountain farms are to be found among the wide-ranging Jura pastures. By the time you reach the hamlet of Prés du Haut de la Charrière, half the climb is done. A gravel road now takes you down a gentler incline to Moron Tower.
The Ticino architect Mario Botta designed the 30-metre-high building. It was completed in 2004 with the help of around 700 apprentices. The construction was intended to promote the work of bricklayers and stonemasons. There is a spiral staircase with about 190 steps in the impressive tower, with each weighing 400 kg. You cover the final metres to the viewing platform on metal steps inside the tower. Once at the top, you enjoy a spectacular panorama of the Alps from Säntis to Mont Blanc, and in the north from the Vosges to the Black Forest. The tower is closed until further notice because several of the steps broke off.
You reach the highest point of the hike at 1,319 metres. Now a light gravel road running straight through the Jura pastures leads downhill again. Passing molehills, attractive trees and horse pastures, you reach the Près de la Montagne farm. The trail turns here and heads north to Sornetan. Just 4 kilometres to the west is the former Abbey of Bellelay, where Tête de Moine cheese was developed in the 12th century.
The trail now runs through the hamlet of Montagne de Saules and then down to Sornetan on surfaced roads. The village is characterised by its well-maintained church, completed in 1709 and several traditional farms from the 18th and 19th centuries.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Moutier
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Sornetan
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| Direction |
One way
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| Altitude (meter above sea level) |
1200 m
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| Ascent |
880 m
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| Descent |
540 m
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| Distance |
17 km
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| Duration |
5 h 10 min
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| Duration back |
4 h 45 min
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| Technical requirements |
Easy
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| Physical requirements |
Difficult
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| Season |
All year
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| Theme |
With panoramic view
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Quick Facts
Route number
