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Hard Hiking Trails near Bern

61 routes near Bern qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 30.4 km and 848 m (2,782 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 424 km.

That is 42 percent of the 145 routes we map near Bern. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 30.4 km against 15.8 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 848 m (2,782 ft) on average versus 417 m (1,368 ft) across the wider area.

Hard routes mean sustained ascent, long descents and a real need to watch the clock and the forecast. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Trails

Vista de los alrededores de la comuna de Romoos, en el Cantón de Lucerna (Suiza).
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
16.9 km
/ 10.5 mi
Elevation gain
256 m
Typical duration
3 hr 58 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
BLS RBDe 566 I EMU on a RegioExpress service from Solothurn to Thun. Picture taken near Biglen, Switzerland.
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
18.8 km
/ 11.7 mi
Elevation gain
756 m
Typical duration
5 hr 9 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Die Rossgrabenbrücke von Robert Maillart in Hinterfultigen, Gemeinde Rüeggisberg, Schweiz erbaut 1932
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
17.3 km
/ 10.7 mi
Elevation gain
713 m
Typical duration
4 hr 44 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Wegweiser zur Ruine Wartenstein (Aufstieg)
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
15.7 km
/ 9.8 mi
Elevation gain
665 m
Typical duration
4 hr 18 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
BE 63687 (CH) With funny rims and striping
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
19.4 km
/ 12.1 mi
Elevation gain
887 m
Typical duration
5 hr 31 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Plaffeien Townhall
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
16.1 km
/ 10.0 mi
Elevation gain
629 m
Typical duration
4 hr 19 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Charmey Restorant
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
22.1 km
/ 13.7 mi
Elevation gain
382 m
Typical duration
5 hr 23 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Grenchenberg - Margriet
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
24.0 km
/ 14.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,288 m
Typical duration
7 hr 12 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Naturpark Thal - near Matzendorf
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
20.4 km
/ 12.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,228 m
Typical duration
6 hr 15 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
borNE.DOMB-LEPA.o
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
19.8 km
/ 12.3 mi
Elevation gain
922 m
Typical duration
5 hr 39 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Lake Brienz , Brienz , Switzerland
Expert

ViaJacobi

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
29.6 km
/ 18.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,136 m
Typical duration
8 hr 19 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
500px provided description: Today's yield was three like that, and one bucket of raspberries. Two poplar trees here far off the horizon stay at the entrance to the farm. [#Switzerland ,#Bern ,#K?niz ,#Raspberries ,#Blackberries ,#Liebewil ,
Hard

Trans Swiss Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
21.7 km
/ 13.5 mi
Elevation gain
348 m
Typical duration
5 hr 14 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Gnomes and Homes
Expert

Grenzpfad Napfbergland

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
115 km
/ 71.5 mi
Elevation gain
3,219 m
Typical duration
31 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Primeval forest
Expert

Freiburger Voralpenweg

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
71.9 km
/ 44.7 mi
Elevation gain
2,730 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Abbey Altenryf in Hauterive; Fribourg, Switzerland.
Expert

Fribourg en diagonale

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
68.0 km
/ 42.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,574 m
Typical duration
18 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 40.
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Neuchâtel · Switzerland

Distance
22.2 km
/ 13.8 mi
Elevation gain
479 m
Typical duration
5 hr 33 min
  • Waymarked route
Kloster Schönthal, Basel-Landschaft, Schweiz
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Basel-Landschaft · Switzerland

Distance
21.0 km
/ 13.0 mi
Elevation gain
816 m
Typical duration
5 hr 47 min
  • Waymarked route
Schrattenfluh, Entlebuch region, Switzerland
Hard

Trans Swiss Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
19.1 km
/ 11.9 mi
Elevation gain
467 m
Typical duration
4 hr 48 min
  • Waymarked route
Englisberg - aerial view, northwestern direction - city of Bern in the background
Hard

ViaJacobi

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
21.9 km
/ 13.6 mi
Elevation gain
393 m
Typical duration
5 hr 21 min
  • Waymarked route
All the red lights are on top of windturbines, but one, that looks a bit different is the antenne on Chasseral.
Hard

Trans Swiss Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
19.4 km
/ 12.1 mi
Elevation gain
633 m
Typical duration
5 hr 8 min
  • Waymarked route
Ruettihubelbad near Worb, Eurythmy hall; Berne, Switzerland.
Hard

Trans Swiss Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
17.8 km
/ 11.1 mi
Elevation gain
567 m
Typical duration
4 hr 39 min
  • Waymarked route
Borne frontière Neuchâtel-Bern BE058
Hard

Trans Swiss Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
15.2 km
/ 9.5 mi
Elevation gain
596 m
Typical duration
4 hr 4 min
  • Waymarked route
Bahnhof Affoltern-Weier, Kanton Bern
Hard

ViaJacobi

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
23.4 km
/ 14.5 mi
Elevation gain
548 m
Typical duration
5 hr 57 min
  • Waymarked route
Schwandbach bridge by Robert Maillart near Schwarzenburg, 1933; Berne, Switzerland
Hard

ViaJacobi

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
21.0 km
/ 13.1 mi
Elevation gain
569 m
Typical duration
5 hr 25 min
  • Waymarked route
View from Bantiger, standing on the TV tower.
Hard

ViaJacobi

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
29.5 km
/ 18.3 mi
Elevation gain
921 m
Typical duration
7 hr 58 min
  • Waymarked route
Maggenberg, Tafers, Kanton Freiburg, Schweiz
Hard

ViaJacobi

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
21.0 km
/ 13.0 mi
Elevation gain
387 m
Typical duration
5 hr 8 min
  • Waymarked route
Château de Grandcour
Expert

Chemin des Trois-Lacs

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
62.4 km
/ 38.8 mi
Elevation gain
564 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Luginbühl installation "Signal" (2002) set in fire on Mont Vully
Hard

Trans Swiss Trail

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
18.4 km
/ 11.5 mi
Elevation gain
290 m
Typical duration
4 hr 23 min
  • Waymarked route
Entrance to St. Beatus caves near Interlaken, Switzerland
Hard

ViaJacobi

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
17.2 km
/ 10.7 mi
Elevation gain
589 m
Typical duration
4 hr 32 min
  • Waymarked route
The Amsoldingen castle seen from the back of the church
Hard

ViaJacobi

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
22.7 km
/ 14.1 mi
Elevation gain
389 m
Typical duration
5 hr 33 min
  • Waymarked route
Hüswil railway station at the Lucerne - Huttwil line
Hard

ViaJacobi

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
16.1 km
/ 10.0 mi
Elevation gain
296 m
Typical duration
3 hr 51 min
  • Waymarked route
Town hall of Prez-vers-Noréaz
Hard

ViaJacobi

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
27.5 km
/ 17.1 mi
Elevation gain
354 m
Typical duration
6 hr 38 min
  • Waymarked route
Felsenburg (Kandergrund), Switzerland
Hard

01-Lötschberg Panoramaweg

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
19.4 km
/ 12.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,167 m
Typical duration
5 hr 55 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Sorbach Road Bridge over the Emme River, Eggiwil, Canton of Bern, Switzerland
Hard

Trans Swiss Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
13.0 km
/ 8.1 mi
Elevation gain
744 m
Typical duration
3 hr 50 min
  • Waymarked route
Shot from Passwang, towards Mümliswil, Switzerland on a December day.
Hard

2. Solothurner Waldwanderung

Basel-Landschaft · Switzerland

Distance
17.9 km
/ 11.1 mi
Elevation gain
978 m
Typical duration
5 hr 17 min
  • Waymarked route
Photo: Trams aux Fils. Prise en août 1977 La ligne du C.J. Chemin de Fer du Jura à été construite entre 1884 et 1913 à voie métrique, sa longueur et de 51,1 Kilomètres
Hard

Chemin du Jura - Etappe 5

Jura · Switzerland

Distance
21.2 km
/ 13.2 mi
Elevation gain
129 m
Typical duration
4 hr 48 min
  • Waymarked route
Viaduc de Saint-Ursanne; Jura, Switzerland.
Hard

Chemin du Jura - Etappe 4

Jura · Switzerland

Distance
18.1 km
/ 11.2 mi
Elevation gain
604 m
Typical duration
4 hr 45 min
  • Waymarked route
Kurzenhütten Road Bridge over the Waldemme River, Fluehli, Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland
Hard

Emmenuferweg - Etappe 2

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance
18.6 km
/ 11.6 mi
Elevation gain
123 m
Typical duration
4 hr 10 min
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Panorama Rundweg Thunersee

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
60.1 km
/ 37.4 mi
Elevation gain
2,200 m
Typical duration
17 hr
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Seeland-Solothurn-Weg

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
20.9 km
/ 13.0 mi
Elevation gain
280 m
Typical duration
4 hr 56 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Seeland-Solothurn-Weg

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
15.9 km
/ 9.9 mi
Elevation gain
340 m
Typical duration
3 hr 52 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Seeland-Solothurn-Weg

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
18.3 km
/ 11.4 mi
Elevation gain
403 m
Typical duration
4 hr 31 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

ViaBerna Etappe 10

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
16.7 km
/ 10.4 mi
Elevation gain
240 m
Typical duration
3 hr 54 min
  • Waymarked route

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
European long distance path E4 - part SwitzerlandAargau424 km6,393 m110 hrExpertApril to October
Alpine Panorama TrailBern16.9 km256 m3 hr 58 minHardApril to October
Alpine Panorama TrailBern18.8 km756 m5 hr 9 minHardApril to October
Alpine Panorama TrailBern17.3 km713 m4 hr 44 minHardApril to October
Alpine Panorama TrailBern15.7 km665 m4 hr 18 minHardApril to October
Alpine Panorama TrailBern19.4 km887 m5 hr 31 minHardApril to October
Alpine Panorama TrailBern16.1 km629 m4 hr 19 minHardApril to October
Alpine Panorama TrailFribourg22.1 km382 m5 hr 23 minHardApril to October
Jura Crest TrailBern24.0 km1,288 m7 hr 12 minHardApril to October
Jura Crest TrailBern20.4 km1,228 m6 hr 15 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with European long distance path E4 - part Switzerland, Alpine Panorama Trail, Alpine Panorama Trail. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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