ViaBerna - stage 07 Aarberg – Frauenkappelen

From the medieval small town of Aarberg, the route follows the course of the Aare, switching to the bank on the other side at the dam. The route takes you through the forest at Bargeholz and you return to the Aare at Niederried. From the weir here, you get a good view of the semi-natural riverside landscape at the reservoir. Natural landscapes also characterise the views at the Oltigematt nature reserve at Wittenberg. Shortly afterwards you reach the mouth of the Saane/Sarine where the trail follows the river for a short stretch, takes you over the Saanesteg bridge and then returns to the Aare. A short time later, the impressive plant of the now shut down Mühleberg nuclear power station comes into view. The route takes you around it in a curve. After passing the Mühleberg dam, the third on this hike, you reach Fuchsenried on the surprisingly wild south bank of Lake Wohlen. Streams flowing into the river have made deep ditches in the soft sandstone, so the hiking trail has to make numerous changes of direction. After Jaggisbachau, you climb up to Studenweid and Frauenkappelen.

"Gang doch e chli der Aare naa / Dere schöne, schöne, schöne grüene Aare naa", sings Bernese band "Stiller Has". The Aare is a constant companion on this hike. It is the longest purely Swiss river. It has its source in the Oberaargletscher , flows through Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, passes by the federal capital, Bern, is diverted into Lake Biel and follows the Jurasüdfuss before flowing into the Rhine at Koblenz.

In the riverside landscapes of the Aare, you will keep coming across the traces of an animal that was eradicated from Switzerland 200 years ago. Beavers themselves are rarely seen because they are nocturnal but the traces they leave, like gnawed and fallen trees, are impressive. The growing number of beaver dams shows that the protected rodents feel at ease again. Their dams create unique riverside landscapes.

Operations at Mühleberg nuclear power station began in 1972 and it was switched off by Bernische Kraftwerke (BKW) in 2019. The removal of the nuclear parts of the plant is supposed to be complete by 2030. The Mühleberg hydroelectric power station has already been making electricity with water from the Aare since 1920. It supplies energy to around 45,000 households in the Bern region. As the name Mühleberg suggests, the hydropower of the Aare was once also used by mills.

The Niederried dam, where around 10,000 aquatic birds spend the winter, is a nature reserve of national importance. Lake Wohlen also provides a habitat for countless aquatic animals. The dam near the city of Bern also attracts people seeking relaxation.