Ligerz is located at the southern foot of the Jura, directly on the German-French linguistic border. Situated on the mountainous shore of Lake Biel, the little village has an enchanting historic centre with late Gothic buildings and vineyards as far as the eye can see.

The trip begins in the lovely winegrowing village of Ligerz. It is located at the southern foot of the Jura, directly on the German-French linguistic border. Situated on the mountainous shore of Lake Biel, the village has an enchanting historic centre with late Gothic buildings and vineyards as far as the eye can see. Directly opposite Ligerz train station is the Vinifuni funicular, which takes guests to the start of the themed trail in Prêles.

Did you know…? The Vinifuni is the only funicular in the world that starts in a German-speaking municipality and ends in a French-speaking one. It takes just a few minutes to whisk passengers from Ligerz through picturesque vineyards, forests and meadows up to Prêles.

The themed trail starts at the upper station in Prêles. Some 13 interactive stations await, each highlighting a different facet of Dürrenmatt’s life and career. It soon becomes clear that he was not just a well-known Swiss author, but had other exciting aspects to his character. This is a chance to discover them. By scanning the QR codes on the information panels, visitors can download interesting and amusing anecdotes about Dürrenmatt.

Birds are a constantly recurring motif in Dürrenmatt’s literary and artistic work. However, the big white cockatoo named Lulu was not just one of his recurring motifs. Dürrenmatt bought the bird for CHF 1,000 in 1964. From then on, Lulu became a regular sight in family photos. Lulu points the way on the themed trail, sharing interesting information about Dürrenmatt’s works.

From Prêles, the trail leads through fields and meadows to the forest. Before visitors enter the forest, an information board explains the background to the detective novel “The Judge and His Hangman”. This work was the young writer’s first success. The detective story is said to be set in nearby Lamboing. Dürrenmatt clearly refers to certain parts of the village and the Twannbach Gorge.

Dürrenmatt became famous for his detective novels and short stories. Although he studied philosophy, he also had a passion for art. While his visual work was created in parallel with the literary output, it remained unknown for a long time. The themed trail also introduces visitors to Dürrenmatt’s artistic side and allows them to become immersed in his works.

The themed trail takes visitors past the hamlet of Festi. The view of the lake, St. Peter’s Island and the Alps is impressive. It has inspired many artists. Friedrich Dürrenmatt also once lived here. In 1949 he moved from his mother-in-law’s house in Ligerz to the small hamlet of Festi. He stayed there for three years and found inspiration for many of his novels. The famous detective novel “The Judge and His Hangman” was written here. This was published in eight instalments of weekly magazine “Der Schweizerische Botschafter”.

From Dürrenmatt’s home, the trail continues through the vineyards back to the lovely winegrowing village of Ligerz. Just before the end of the literary trail, visitors pass a large late Gothic church. It’s worth taking a look around the region’s landmark building. The high, ornate ceilings are impressive. Afterwards, the trail continues past historic houses to the train station, where the themed trail ends.