Bolligen: Local history, hiking trails and the Bantiger

Bolligen connects the Worblental and Emmental valleys. There are several ways to shape your stay: explore the historic town centre, hike through the natural landscape or head for the Bantiger. The town also has an indoor swimming pool, and the S7 takes you from Bolligen to Bern railway station. These different options make it easy to choose what suits the themes of your trip to Bolligen.

Local history in the town centre

The historic centre includes the renovated 12th-century church and a parsonage dating from 1581. The church was already standing in 1180 and is dedicated to Saint Nicholas. Its G-sharp bell, also known as the “Evening Bell”, dates from 1489. Together, these landmarks offer several specific points of reference for the town’s history: the church, its bell and the historic parsonage.

The Bolligen Local History Room adds to this picture with extensive photographic documentation of the development of settlements in the three municipalities over the past 100 years. Groups and individuals can also visit the Local History Room outside regular opening hours by appointment. At Geristein, former quarries were to be converted into a command bunker from 1940, and later into a government bunker. The project was abandoned because sections of the ceiling became loose.

Hiking and cycling

Bolligen has 33 kilometres of hiking trails, with short and longer walks and hikes through the natural landscape. The municipal administration provides hiking maps with a range of suggested routes. You can use them to consider different options when planning, before deciding on a hike. Cycling trips are also possible on many forest roads, ranging from less to more challenging routes.

One hiking route starts and ends in Ferenberg, passing through Chlosteralp, Laufenbad, Geristein and the Bantiger. A hike up the Bantiger also includes a described ten-minute detour to the ruins of Geristein Castle and back. Another set of directions starts at the edge of the forest: from there, a path branching off to the right leads to the ruins in about 20 minutes. The time estimates refer to different starting points. To hike the Bantiger, take the train to Bolligen, then the bus to the Hub bei Krauchthal, Schulhaus stop.

Views and landscape

The Bantiger is home to a Swisscom transmission tower with an observation platform and panoramic views in every direction. Four panorama panels on the platform have been open to visitors since spring 2017. The panels feature a total of 430 labels that identify towns, bodies of water, mountains and infrastructure. These specific names add detail to the view from the platform.

The landscape around Bolligen also has clear geographical features. The Lutzere ridge forms the watershed between the Emme and Aare rivers. The Aare and Rhône glaciers met at Hühnerbühl. Together with the link between the Worblental and Emmental valleys, these details give an impression of the landscape surrounding the town.

Indoor swimming pool and connection to Bern

Bolligen indoor swimming pool has a 25-metre pool with four lanes and a water temperature of 28 degrees. There is also a children’s pool with a frog slide; its water can be heated further. The indoor pool also has a sauna. During your stay, you can choose between the swimming pool, a separate children’s pool and the sauna.

If Bern is also part of your trip, the rail connection is useful for planning: the RBS (Regionalverkehr Bern-Solothurn) S7 takes you from Bolligen to Bern railway station in twelve minutes. Check the current timetable before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Ostermundigen, Gasel, Wohlen Bei Bern, Muri Bei Bern, Le Fuet, Lengnau, Bern, Zollikofen

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