n k rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/css/frenzy.css" />

3-4 hours 10km 500m April - November

There is parking in Biel or (if you want to get out of the city a bit) near the park which is along the way. You can also try and find a parking spot in the nearby town of Frinvillier which is at the north entrance of the gorge.

Download map

For the locals of Biel the Bözingerberg is a popular destination to get out of the city for a while. Biel lies exactly on a language border and is famous for its watch industry and it is not uncommon to hear German and French in equal parts.

The hike starts with a passage of 90 minutes uphill. A lot of path is in the forest, which is good especially in hot and humid weather. The Bözingerberg is actually accessible by car on a tarmaced road. That’s why the mountain is also popular for mountain bikers who take the easy way up. You are likely to encounter some downhill riders on your way up. The path leads you through a small park (Tierpark Biel) where you can watch/feed domestic animals (deer, ibex, marmots and the like) and have a picnic. On top there is a restaurant where you can have an ice cream or something (the Rösti also looked good ). You get a stunning view down to the Lake Biel and the Mittelland (flat region of Switzerland). On a clear day you can see the Alps. If you get bored you can always watch the paragliders take of, since the Bözingerberg is a popular (even official) starting place.

The way back is also through the forest for the greater part. The hike culminates in the last passage that takes you through the Taubenlochschlucht (Pigeon Hole Gorge) along a creek. Note that the gorge is rather short, but still offers some stunning views and a pretty decent waterfall. There are also many caves (the pigeon wholes), some of which you can explore. But be aware that in some of them there are actually full of pigeons!. Also note that bathing in the creek is prohibited since there is a hydro station upstream which might open its gates suddenly. Back in Biel you can relax in the public seaside bath (Seebad Biel), which is very nice.

Pictures