Twannbachschlucht hike and picnic

Just in time for the beginning of summer, the sun was in the best of moods last Saturday. It was a splendid day. We were once again on the road in our homeland and used the magnificent day to finally visit the Twannbach Gorge. I had already touched the gorge on a hike from Biel to La Neuveville, but had never completed the classic from Magglingen over the Twannberg down to the pretty wine-growing village of Twann.

Start of the hike in Magglingen with a view

We start comfortably and walk from Biel to the station of the Magglingenbahn. Within a few minutes, the funicular takes us to Magglingen, which is almost 450 metres higher. Before we set off, we admire the panorama over Lake Biel, the Swiss Plateau and the foothills of the Alps from the terrace of the sports centre. The snow-capped Bernese Alps hide behind clouds of haze. On clear days (usually with foehn winds) you can even spot Mount Pilatus from here.

Then we follow a narrow nature path that leads us slightly uphill in the shade of the forest in the direction of Twannberg. In between, we catch a glimpse of Lake Biel through the thicket. But the shade is just right for us in the bright sunshine.

At the end of the forest path we have reached the plateau between Lake Biel and Chasseral – Plateau de Diesse. From here, the path continues past idyllically situated farms, mighty fir trees, grazing goats and flowering fields in the direction of Twannberg. After crossing the main road, we reach the entrance to the gorge. Here the Twannbach still murmurs very softly.

Hike through the Twannbach Gorge

After a few meters, the image slowly changes. The stream branches off into many small branches, which find their way over the large boulders and thus form countless smaller and larger waterfalls. Next to the path, meter-high rock walls suddenly pile up and we are made aware several times with signs that stones could fall down here. In sections, the path leads through undermined rocks barely 2 m high. The walk through the Twannbach gorge takes just under 40 minutes and we are slightly disappointed towards the end. We didn’t see the big thunderous spectacle. At the end of the gorge we pay two francs entrance fee (children pay 1 CHF, adults 2 CHF) and learn from the cashier that it hasn’t rained for a long time and therefore the Twannbach has little water. “When would be the ideal time to visit the Twannbach Gorge?”, I want to know from her. “Mid-April to mid-May, when the snow melts on the Chasseral,” she says.

With a beautiful view of Twann, we tackle the last meters of altitude down to Lake Biel. Once at the bottom, we treat ourselves to a special culinary experience. This year, for the second time, the Jura and Three-Lakes region is offering the “Picnic in the Green” campaign. Six Gault&Millau chefs from around Lake Neuchâtel, Lake Murten and Lake Biel will create an exclusive picnic basket with regional specialities by appointment (3 days in advance / CHF 65 per person) from May to October. One of the partner restaurants – Hotel-Restaurant Fontana is located in the middle of Twann.

Picnic fun at Lake Biel

Before we pick up our picnic basket, we walk through the picturesque village centre of Twann and along the riverside path to find the perfect picnic spot. We almost walked past it carelessly! Between private boathouses and vineyards, a narrow staircase leads to a small meadow directly on the lake. The insider tip among the locals, as the waitress at the Fontana later tells me. The picnic basket is presented to us at the Fontana by chef Daniel Odermatt himself. The friend bravely carries the heavy basket the few meters to the lake. Luckily, we chose the location beforehand.

When we arrive at the lake, we unpack all the goodies that the basket reveals to us, piece by piece. Wow, picnic deluxe! The rest of the day we eat our way through the variety of the picnic basket and dangle our feet in the water. A successful start to the summer!

Practical information about our hike

The map shows our route. The route is about 9.5 km long and includes an ascent of 110 meters of ascent and 550 meters of descent. It took us just under 2.5 hours (without a longer stop). If you visit the region, don’t carry food with you and revive the tradition of a nostalgic picnic in the countryside!

Note: The Jura / 3 Lakes Region provided me with a voucher for the picnic basket. Thank you very much for this! As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm.