ViaBerna - stage 06 Biel – Aarberg

The trail leads out of the city of Biel/Bienne and onto Nidau. Along the banks of the river Thielle, you pass the inconspicuous castle and later the back of the historic small town. The route then follows the Thielle in the direction of Port, where the wide Nidau-Büren Canal is crossed by the dam. In Port the route swings left to Portwald, with a steep ascent via sunken lanes to Jäissberg, one of the highest mountains in Mittelland. There is a gentle descent from the mountain through Studewald to Studen. The trail takes you close to the ruins of the temple complex of Petinesca, goes around the gravel pit and arrives on the other side of the town in Studegrien on the Alte Aare. You initially follow the wild course of the river towards Busswill and then skirt around the edge of the town from Lyss onto Aarberg. The original course of the Aare passes through largely untouched landscapes. However, the peace is disturbed at times by the nearby road and the go-kart track at Kappelen. The picturesque old town of Aarberg is worth a visit at the end of the hike.

The Bernese Seeland kept being flooded in the Middle Ages. Help came in 1868 - 1891 in the form of the Jura water correction. The Aare was diverted from Aarberg into Lake Biel (Aare-Hagneck Canal), and the Thielle Canal, the Nidau-Büren Canal and the Broye Canal were also constructed. An exhibition at Nidau Castle Museum is dedicated to this pioneering work.

Jäissberg is a long hill with a lot of interesting things to discover. During the Iron Age, the fortified settlement of Helvetti was situated in the middle of the hill. To protect the village, they dug a deep trench to the west and built up a wall of earth, which led to the name Keltenwall. The distinctive pile on the very top of Jäissberg was once a castle built not from stone but from tree trunks and branches. That is why the area is still known as Chnebelburg today. The Petinesca temple complex is also on the hill. It was once the site of several temples and chapels that belonged to a nearby small Roman town. Only the foundation walls remain today.

The course of the Aare between Aarberg and Büren an der Aare used to be a busy transport route for people and goods. This stretch of water lost its importance with the Jura water correction and became the “Alte Aare” (Old Aare), a nature reserve. This benefited the plant and animal world, along with people, who could enjoy a beautiful river and riverside landscapes.

Aarberg’s location meant that it was once a flourishing place for trading. The Romans had already crossed the Aare here, followed by the merchants, boatmen and raftsmen of the Middle Ages. But the town lost its importance when the Hagneck Canal opened. What is left is one of the most beautiful small towns in Switzerland.