Rebenweg – hike from Biel to la Neuveville

The weather in Switzerland was really miserable last week and so we used the short dry phase on Sunday for another autumn hike. This time we headed for the Seeland. Along the northern shore of Lake Biel, there is a very dense network of hiking trails through the vineyards, which at this time of year are full of ripe grapes and with a wide variety of leaf discolorations a real splendour.

Rebenweg Biel to la Neuveville at a glance

On the map you can see our chosen route, which is about 14.5 km long and includes an ascent of about 500 m (highest point “only” just under 700 m above sea level). Depending on your mood, you can start the hike right at Biel train station or, like us, take bus no. 11 to Räblus, Vingelz and start from there. We needed about 3.5 hours for the route without a break in between.

Starting point	Biel/Bienne, Räblus Vingelz/Räblus Vigneules
Length	13.3 kilometres
Elevation gain	↗ 298 m 304 m ↘
Duration	3:30 p.m.
Destination	La Neuveville

The hike first leads up through a residential area. Soon you can see wonderfully over Lake Biel to the Bernese Alps. Depending on the weather, this panorama is absolutely unique. Our path then led on a wide gravel path through the forest to the hamlet of Gaich. From there we spontaneously chose a route via the Twannbach gorge. Since the network of hiking trails is very dense and all routes come together again, you can easily adapt your own route at short notice.

The Twannbach Gorge is a nature reserve and very beautiful. Meter-high rock faces, larger and smaller waterfalls, undermined stones and many small bridges create a mystical ambience. It should be noted that at the end of the gorge, above Twann, you have to pay 2 CHF entrance fee (or for our direction exit).

From Twann we continued on the pilgrimage route. It should be noted that most of this section is on tarred roads. However, this section offers a lot in terms of landscape (beautiful mountain and lake panorama including St. Peter’s Island), cultural (vine nature trail) and historical (pilgrimage route with 600 years of history). If you are interested in wine, you can easily spend the whole day on this section and read all the information on the nature trail panels.

The path then leads past the well-known and striking church of Ligerz. Afterwards you can either continue on the pilgrim’s path to la Neuveville or you can go up a bit again and choose the narrow forest path. We chose the latter, as we don’t like to be on tarred roads for a long time. By the way, for climbing enthusiasts, there are some rocks on this section where you can practice a bit.

The last highlight was the village center of la Neuveville, which is really wonderful to look at. In the historic centre there are many colourful houses, old city towers and fountains. If you still have some time, be sure to end the beautiful hike with a candy in a street café (either in the old town or on the lakeshore).

Conclusion: A great, easy hiking trail, ideal for a moderately sporty Sunday. Also easily doable for children and the elderly.