Le Jorat–Trois Lacs–Emme
Overview
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Distance 51 km
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Ascent 400 m
Intro
Fleeting glimpses of the secret life of the old Aare, the proud wooden bridge at Büren, the atmospherically emerging silhouette of the St. Ursen Tower in Solothurn. The route swerves southwards to the Grosse Emme, where Bernese farmhouses appear, soon followed by the sandstone cliffs of Burgdorf.
Description
Once upon a time, Aarberg was one of Switzerland’s major transport hubs. Nowadays, the small mediaeval town is known for its sugar factory. On a side note, around one third of this sugar is processed into chocolate: what a sweet way to start this stage! Head through Lyss until you reach Busswil in the Seeland district, where you might notice a rather bracing wind. If you’re travelling with children, the Erlebniswelt Seeteufel adventure park, which has over 40 different species of animal, only requires a small detour.
The section between Dotzigen and Büren an der Aare is a nature conservation and floodplain area of national importance. It chirps and chatters with life and brown hares hop past. In the woodlands of this almost primaeval wilderness, beavers go about their mischief. This impressive stretch is followed by the enchanting Büren an der Aare. The fact that the famous, or perhaps infamous, 13th-century wooden bridge has been destroyed umpteen times by floods, ice and fire does not detract from the town’s historic charm. The stage undulates gently past the Leuzigewald forest towards Solothurn. To your left are the Jura mountains, farming villages, the blue river Aare, the Aare plain and lush meadows where snorting bulls graze, known as “Munis” in the local dialect.
Once upon a time, Attila, King of the Huns, and his troops wrought terror in the “Hunnenwald” (forest of the Huns). Nowadays, you can savour the views over distant Solothurn in peace. The most beautiful Baroque city in Switzerland has plenty to explore: take the Clock Tower, the city’s oldest building, whose “Grim Reaper” puts on a real theatrical performance every hour on the hour. Or the marvellous Cathedral of St. Ursus, the city’s landmark, which was built in the Baroque style, combining Italian and classical influences, in the mid-18th century.
The stage proceeds along pleasant cycling paths through the industrial estates on the banks of the river Emme, which joins the river Aare just a stone’s throw away at Luterbach. Then comes a delightful ride along the river. As a result of revitalisation and rewilding projects, the river Emme has improved drastically in this area and is a real swimmer’s paradise in summer. Landshut Castle, which houses the Swiss Museum of Wildlife and Hunting, gives you a warm welcome to Utzenstorf. There is a veterinary ward that treats injured wildlife before releasing them back into the wild. The stage leads through Altwyden and via Aefligen to Kirchberg and, if you like, you can follow the river Emme further to Burgdorf. Talking of Altwyden: the project for “Switzerland’s central airport” that had once been planned here fell through due to pushback from locals and was scrapped in 1945 in favour of Zurich Airport, making this a political folly that has continued to work in favour of cyclists and old pastures alike to this day.
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 |
Aarberg
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Kirchberg
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| Ascent |
400 m
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| Descent |
340 m
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| Distance |
51 km
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| Distance on tarred ways |
39 km
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| Distance on natural surface |
12 km
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| Physical requirements |
Medium
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| More information | https://schweizmobil.ch/en/cycling-in-switzerland/... |
Quick Facts
Route number
