If you’re travelling to Switzerland, you’re going to want to make the most of the scenery. Happily, a brand-new 300km hiking trail aims to connect the country’s most beautiful lakes, rivers and mountains, so you can really say you’ve seen the place when you next visit.
The ViaBerna comprises 20 individual stages, which range in length from 10.5km to 24.3km. Helpfully, each has been rated from easy to difficult, so you don’t have to take on the super-heavy-going ones if you don’t fancy it. The route itself is pretty stunning: the first five stages move through the Jura mountains, before entering Bern. We recommend heading into the medieval city and soaking up some of its history (or just kicking back at one of its many, many bars).
After that, you move through river country and wildflower meadows. Hiking through the romantic Taubenloch Gorge is a real highlight, as are the views out over Lake Thun. Visit the city of Thun itself to marvel at its fabulous baroque architecture, then mosey around the botanical gardens at Schadau Park. And finally, you simply must hit up the most spectacular part of the route: the Susten Pass through the Alps. Those panoramas are some of the most breathtaking on Earth.
Sound like the something you’d be into? Find out everything you need to know about the ViaBerna on its official website.
Did you see Romania is building a 1,400km hiking trail spanning the entire country?