"Æmme-Grien" and hunter's tales

You leave the Burgdorf train station through the underpass on the east side and then head towards the Emme. A well-maintained promenade and later a narrow path follow the river, which usually winds peacefully along the gravel banks. In Alchenflüh, you cross the Emme to Kirchberg. On the right, a church stands on a hill, visible from afar, which is also a beautiful viewpoint. The route continues to Aefligen, where another crossing to the opposite bank is indicated because the gravel banks are more accessible there. Soon you reach the "Emme-Birne," an artificially created riverbed extension that now develops naturally. The gravel banks with their rounded stones, the "Æmme-Grien", invite you to linger. In the floodplain forest, there are dense stands of horsetails and the wild hops and clematis lianas. Passing wooden houses, the path goes between the Emme and Urtenen to the Emme bridge near Bätterkinden. After crossing it, the Landshut Castle near Utzenstorf comes into view. The water castle with museum and park is suitable for a stopover. Then the route continues towards Gerlafingen, past power plants, with short sections through industrial areas.

Background: The section from Burgdorf to the confluence with the Aare at Luterbach is referred to as the Lower Emme. As early as the Middle Ages, the Emme was used for timber rafting, partly combined with the transport of cheese and cattle. Numerous canals were needed to operate mills and sawmills. However, the Emme was also feared because of its frequent and sometimes devastating floods. These natural events led to extensive river engineering. The use of the Emme for industrial development, especially for the paper and textile industries and for hydroelectric power plants, shaped the image of the Lower Emme from the 19th century onwards.