Bernese Jura: Chasseral, watchmaking culture and cheese-making tradition

From the Chasseral ridge, the view stretches across the wooded Jura pastures, the Three Lakes Region with Lake Biel, Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Murten, all the way to the Alps. The 1,606-metre-high summit offers a 360-degree panorama. Trails, watchmaking culture and the cheese-making tradition around Bellelay also give the Bernese Jura a distinctive travel profile.

Chasseral and trails through nature

The Chasseral Regional Nature Park has been recognised since 2012 by the Swiss Confederation and the cantons of Bern and Neuchâtel. It includes, among other places, the Combe-Grède and Combe-Biosse nature reserves. The climb to Chasseral through the Combe-Grède nature reserve involves ladders. For a route with a more distant destination in mind, the eighth stage of the Chemin des Crêtes du Jura starts at Chasseral and leads to Val-de-Ruz.

The Sentier des Monts connects Mont-Soleil and Mont-Crosin. This easy, six-kilometre family hiking trail features games and information about renewable energy, wildlife and plant life, climate change, geology and weather. The Mont-Soleil tour offers a different perspective on the landscape: it leads through pastures and forest, passing solar installations on Mont-Soleil and wind turbines on Mont-Soleil and Mont-Crosin.

The season also affects the activities available. In winter, you can go cross-country skiing on the trails at the Prés-d’Orvin Nordic Centre, on Chasseral. Conditions vary seasonally; check the current trail status before setting out.

Watchmaking culture in the Vallon de Saint-Imier

In the Vallon de Saint-Imier, the Energies horlogères discovery trail follows in the footsteps of prominent names in the watchmaking industry and the anonymous workers who worked there. This brings different aspects of watchmaking into focus, not just its famous names.

The Musée Longines in Saint-Imier displays almost 400 watches, navigation instruments and timekeeping devices in four themed sections. It is a five-minute walk from Saint-Imier railway station and is accessible by public transport. You must register for a visit at least 24 hours in advance, either by phone or using the online form. Guided tours are offered exclusively in French, German or English. Check the registration requirements before making plans.

Cheese-making tradition and Bellelay

Tête de Moine comes from Bellelay and has been made for more than 800 years. At the Maison de la Tête de Moine, an interactive iPad tour explores the traditions and inherited expertise behind Tête de Moine AOP. A tasting is possible at the end of a visit; traditional demonstrations of production over a wood fire are also held regularly. Check the demonstration schedule before your trip.

Bellelay Abbey was founded in the 12th century. Guided tours of the abbey church cover its architecture and the origins of Tête de Moine. During a visit, you can climb one of the towers and enjoy views over the Petit-Val; availability may depend on booking. For your visit, this offers a different way to discover Bellelay’s history from the cheese-making tradition at the Maison de la Tête de Moine.

A specific date to plan your trip around: the tenth Fête de la Tête de Moine takes place in Bellelay from 30 April to 2 May 2027. The festival celebrates regional cheese, traditions and a variety of activities.

Art and special exhibitions

In Moutier, the Musée jurassien des Arts alternates exhibitions by artists from the Jura region with those by artists from other parts of Switzerland and abroad. Its collection comprises more than 8,000 works dating from the 1950s to the present day. In Tavannes, Expo Digger offers insights into humanitarian mine clearance through realistic scenarios; as part of the exhibition, visitors can put on a mine-clearance worker’s equipment.

Discover more destinations: Thun, Aarwangen, Schwarzenburg, Bern, Oberhasli, Seftigen, Emmental.

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