Jurasüdfuss-Route
Overview
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Distance 54 km
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Ascent 320 m
Intro
Bielersee wine abounds on its northern shores, the Petersinsel beckons you to stop and relax, the Zihlkanal leads to Lac de Neuchâtel. After charming Neuchâtel, the scene is interlaced with vineyards, wide fields, narrow wine villages and castles.
Description
The stage begins in Grenchen, whose townscape has been dominated by the watchmaking industry since the 1950s. You pass by the railway viaduct, through industrial estates, sunflower fields and allotments to the villages of Lengnau and Pieterlen (Longeau and Perles respectively in French). It’s almost as if the cycle path has been deliberately laid out in a zigzag pattern so that you can get as close a look as possible at everything along the way. After that, you continue on past the Tissot Arena, a multi-use sports and cultural centre.
The route leads you across fields and through short stretches of woodland towards Biel/Bienne. After a short while, you won’t be able to miss a huge semi-circular wooden building ahead of you, which looks a bit like a caterpillar at rest. Perched on the edge of the Schüssinsel park, this is the headquarters of the watch brand Swatch. With its over 600 trees, the Schüss River restored to its natural state, playgrounds, green spaces and various different waterscapes, the park forms a perfect urban oasis that has also won several awards.
The cycle path then follows what is actually the final stretch of the river. Biel/Bienne, where both French and German are spoken, has a small and very pretty old town that’s well worth a detour. Once you reach the shore of Lake Bienne, it’s not much farther to the small town of Nidau with its unmistakeable castle. This houses administration offices for the canton and the castle museum, which has an exhibition on the work done to reroute bodies of water in the Jura.
Once you’re across the Nidau-Büren Canal, you’ll be accompanied by neatly tended vineyards as you follow the shore of Lake Bienne. Soon the Von Rütte estate will come into view, a former 15th-century patrician’s manor, as you gaze down to the glistening lake below. The shallow southern shore forms part of a nature reserve. An alluvial island has recently been created just before Hagneck to establish new habitats in its floodplain landscape, and birds and amphibians in particular appear to be enjoying life here. From here, it’s not far to Lüscherz, where the prehistoric peoples known as pile dwellers once lived. A sign points the way to the «Pfahlbaumuseum», which is dedicated to the pile-dwelling culture. Mostly invisible but perfectly preserved, the pile dwellers’ settlements in the Lake Bienne region are buried under thick layers of sediment. They are among the most valuable of their kind in the world and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The picturesque village of Erlach at the foot of the vine-clad Jolimont mountain is reached next through a quiet stretch of countryside. At this point, the route leaves the lake behind and crosses the Zihlbrücke bridge near Thielle. This crossing over the Zihl River has a long history, dating back to prehistoric times: remains of bridges dating back to the Iron Age, Roman times and the Middle Ages have all been found.
Between here and your destination, the route continues on through a number of fairly small villages strung out along the northern shore of Lake Neuchâtel. You’ll spot lots of vineyards on your way to Neuchâtel, a thousand-year-old city with a vibrant cultural life, just perfect for a relaxing stroll.
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 |
Grenchen
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Neuchâtel
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| Ascent |
320 m
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| Descent |
320 m
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| Distance |
54 km
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| Distance on tarred ways |
43 km
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| Distance on natural surface |
11 km
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| Physical requirements |
Medium
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| Theme |
Along Water
|
Quick Facts
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