Lötschberg–Jura
Overview
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Distance 38 km
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Ascent 380 m
Intro
Kandersteg is surrounded by glaciers and rugged rock faces. Kandertal valley is dotted with individual farmhouses; compact villages have only existed here for 150 years. You accompany the rushing Kander, the imposing Niesen appears, the valley becomes wider.
Description
The village of Kandersteg lies at the very back of the Kandertal valley. This is the base for the Lötschberg car transport service, which runs on trains through the tunnel, directly into Valais. The Lötschberg Tunnel was opened in 1913 and has connected the two mountain cantons of Bern and Valais ever since. In the now-famous words of Adolf Ogi, former Federal Councillor and Kandersteg native, «joy reigns» down here. And joy is also guaranteed to reign on your action-packed journey down to the Blausee lake. Behind you is the Blüemlisalp massif, complete with thick undergrowth and moss-covered boulders bordering your path. You’ll have some constant accompaniment in the form of the rushing Kander River, which flows through the Gasterntal and Kandertal valleys on its 47-kilometre journey to Lake Thun. The Blausee (literally «blue lake»), with its exquisite, shimmering turquoise water, is extremely popular with tourists.
The cycle path now runs past a few farmhouses on mostly flat terrain. Although the Niesen may look like a completely ordinary mountain from the upper Kandertal valley, nothing could be further from the truth: its almost perfect pyramidal shape becomes apparent further down in the valley, by which point you’ll have already made it halfway round. This unique mountain has inspired artists such as Ferdinand Hodler, Paul Klee and Cuno Amiet.
The next villages you meet on this stage are Frutigen, with its old viaduct across the Kander, and Reichenbach in the Kandertal valley. Shortly after that, you continue past the Niesenbahn funicular, which takes passengers up to the impressive summit. Looking at the imposing sides of the mountain here, the beautiful old farmhouses seem to be clinging onto the slopes as if they’d merely been dotted on with a paintbrush.
From Wimmis, the route leaves the Kander behind, crossing the Simme River and running briefly through the Simmewald forest. The valley now widens out, and the villages here get larger as you go on. The path takes you through the Augand nature reserve, where the Simme and Kander join. Once you’re level with Lake Thun, you’ll pass Lake Amsoldingen, which is also home to the castle of the same name, with the smaller Übeschisee lake right alongside it. Now it’s not far to your end point for this stage – Thun, the gateway to (or, in your case, exit door out of) the Bernese Oberland.
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 |
Kandersteg
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Thierachern
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| Ascent |
380 m
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| Descent |
900 m
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| Distance |
38 km
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| Distance on tarred ways |
33 km
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| Distance on natural surface |
5 km
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| Physical requirements |
Easy
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Quick Facts
Route number
