ViaBerna - stage 01 Bellelay – Tramelan

From Bellelay, ViaBerna takes you along the La Sagne high-moor bog through Côte au Roy to La Rouge Eau. At La Bottière, the route heads right and takes you up an old road and through the forest to the Montbautier mountain. Enjoy a well-earned rest at the wonderfully situated picnic area with a breathtaking view into Vallée de Tavannes. The route then takes you along pasture over to Rière Jorat and onto Haut de Bémont. Here, the hiking trail swings slightly to the right. Through partly wooded Jura pasture, you now keep following the ridge as it gently descends to the picnic area at Pâturage du Droit, where the peaceful route goes down to Tramelan, the destination of the first stage.

Bellelay is a small place that is known far beyond the region because of the abbey of the same name. The first mention of the abbey was recorded in 1141. The abbey, with its eventful history, had extensive land in the 15th century.

Bellelay is also the home of the speciality cheese “Tête de Moine”. The full-flavoured, semi-hard cheese is said to have been invented by the abbey’s monks. The easily carried whole cheese was once used as a means of payment in the region. Even now the cheese is still shaved into rosettes instead of being cut. There is a historic cheese factory with a discovery tour in Bellelay.

The hike also takes you past high-moor bogs. Turf from the moors was once used for heating in the winter. But the moors are now protected. The subsoil of Jura is water-permeable limestone. In this dry landscape, expanses of water and wet areas are especially important habitats for animals and plants.

Montbautier is one of Jura’s mountain ranges. The boundary between the cantons of Bern and Jura runs over this mountain. Montbautier was once home to Mennonites who had been driven out of Emmental.

Situated at the edge of the Freiberge district, the watchmaking town of Tramelan stretches along the entire length of the valley. The town itself is surprisingly diverse. This little country town offers a variety of activities and has some buildings with daring architecture.