Emmental is a hilly region in the Bernese Mittelland in the canton of Bern, encompassing the catchment areas of the Emme and Ilfis rivers. Gentle hills and valleys, green meadows and fields, charming villages and traditional Emmental farmhouses shape the landscape. When planning your trip, it is worth first considering whether you would rather explore by bike, discover bridges and trails, or focus on museums and regional specialities.
Rolling hills and cycle routes
For e-bike tours, the regional «Hügu Himu» network offers more than 600 kilometres of signposted routes across the Emmental hills. A more specific option is the Emmental Cheese Route: this app-based themed cycling route visits 21 attractions related to Emmental cheese and starts and ends in Burgdorf. The short loop is around 35 kilometres long and is described as a day trip; the long loop covers around 78 kilometres and is designed to take two days. Both can be completed by e-bike. The loops therefore differ not only in length, but also in the time set aside for them.
Another option is the 30-kilometre Kambly Experience Tour from Langnau. It follows fully signposted Route No. 777 through the Emmental’s characteristic hilly landscape. The Wooden Bridges Trail can also be explored on foot or by bicycle, but focuses on the architectural history of the bridges: its stops illustrate their development from Baroque bridges and the arched bridges of the 19th century to modern structures.
Experience cheese and Kambly
At the Emmentaler AOP Show Dairy, you can experience how Emmentaler AOP is made across 17,500 square metres. The show dairy is housed in four former dairies from different generations. Groups can also make their own Stöcklikäse or fresh cheese there. This makes hands-on participation an integral part of the visit, alongside learning about production.
The Kambly Experience tells a different story: in the first Kambly bakery and at interactive experience stations, visitors can learn more about the traditional brand and its biscuits. The production trail offers a look at the manufacturing process, from dough preparation to dispatch. At the show confectionery, visitors can watch the Maîtres Confiseurs at work every day. So if your focus is on cheese, the visit offers a different experience from learning about biscuit production.
Museums and literary heritage
The Chüechlihus Regional Museum is located in the region’s oldest wooden building. It presents Emmental’s cultural heritage through topics ranging from alpine cheese-making to the «SCL Tigers» ice hockey club. Changing exhibitions and projects invite visitors to take part and have their say, as well as to reflect and discuss. A visit therefore brings together the region’s past and present under one roof.
At the Gotthelf Centre, you can discover how Jeremias Gotthelf lived with his family and where works such as «Uli the Farmhand», «The Cheese Factory in Vehfreude», «Anne Bäbi Jowäger» and «The Black Spider» were written. The centre is about a ten-minute walk from Lützelflüh-Goldbach railway station. Group tours provide an introduction to the writer’s life and work.
The Franz Gertsch Museum exhibits works by the Swiss artist, alongside regularly changing exhibitions featuring artists from Switzerland and abroad. The collection’s core includes large-format photorealistic woodcuts printed on Japanese paper. Burgdorf Castle offers a different focus: it is regarded as the best-preserved Zähringer castle complex and brings together historical and ethnological collections as well as objects from the Gold Chamber. Visitors can also solve puzzles and try things out for themselves at the castle.
Explore on foot
The Gohlhaus Bridge is a 62-metre-long wooden bridge dating from 1843 and is open to cyclists and pedestrians. The Gohlhaus Bridge barbecue area has seating, a grill grate, and play and climbing facilities. The Comic Adventure Trail starts at Langnau railway station and leads through the village as a detective story: along the way, visitors solve the mystery of «The Wrong Emmental Cheese». The trail is accessible year-round and is suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs; check the conditions before your visit.
Discover more destinations: Affoltern im Emmental, Courtelary, Konolfingen, Thun, Nidau, Aarberg, Obersimmental, Frutigen.
For the full travel overview: Bern.
