Lötschberg–Jura

The valley basin of Kandersteg is bordered by glaciers and rugged cliffs. You follow the wild waters of the Kander, a trout farm in the deep-blue Blausee, soon the imposing Niesen appears. The whole of the Kandertal is scattered with individual farmsteads, compact villages have only existed here for the last 150 years. It’s not far from Wimmis to the lovely little Amsoldingersee lake. The going flattens out after crossing the Aare.

The agricultural farming area of the Aaretal is followed by the urban sprawl of Bern. Enjoy a colourful experience in Ostermundigen on the outskirts of the capital city, with thousands of works by Paul Klee to admire in the Paul Klee Museum. The route becomes more rural after Münchenbuchsee as you travel to Seeland and then along the Nidau-Büren canal to Biel-Bienne, Seeland’s bilingual metropolis.

After passing through some lovely gorges, the landscape opens up to a wide valley at the end of which appears Delémont, the capital of the canton of Jura. Its historic center is well worth a visit. The mountain pass Col des Rangiers leads to the region where the famous Damassine spirit is distilled from a small plum. Across the fields and on to Porrentruy; its castle alone makes the detour worthwhile, and the view from up there over the old town is superb. Back to Boncourt via La Basse-Allaine in the direction of the French border. After the border, the tour mostly follows the Allaine and Savoureuse rivers on bike paths. The destination is the historic city centre of Belfort with its citadel.