Hiking happiness in the Ilfis Valley

The hike begins in the village of Marbach, which is part of the Entlebuch Biosphere. From the village center, a few steps lead to the Schonbach, which is followed downstream. To the right, the view sweeps over the green hills to the Schratteflue. At Schachenhusweiher, the Hilfere stream flows into the Schonbach, and from here the watercourse initially flows under the name Ilfis through the Entlebuch. In Wiggen, follow the course of the Ilfis further towards Trubschachen. In the Längmatte, you switch to the other side of the river, and soon the hamlet of Kröschenbrunnen comes into view. Here, the Ilfis forms the canton boundary between Bern and Lucerne. An interesting detail at the confluence of the Hämelbach: at this point, you cross a relic from the past, as the crossing was once jointly built by Bern and Lucerne. Shortly before Trubschachen, another historical witness can be discovered: the historic hour stone indicates eight hours for the route to the Bern Zytglogge. After a bend in Steinbach, you pass over the Bärgeflue to the village of Trubschachen. From here, you walk on the beautifully laid riverside path on the south side of the Ilfis to Langnau. Views of the Emmental hills and the river landscape, as well as sturdy Emmental wooden bridges, ensure there is no boredom. Follow the river to the Ilfishalle. Then the trail leads right and over a footbridge to Langnau station.

Background: The Ilfis is a pre-Alpine river with its source area at the Schratteflue. The Ilfis, a tributary of the Emme, shapes the landscape between Wiggen, Trubschachen, and Langnau, which is why the valley is also called the Ilfis Valley. The Ilfis flows into the Emme in Emmenmatt below Langnau. The currents provide ideal conditions for the brook trout. However, the Ilfis does not always babble peacefully – in 2007, flooding led to inundations.