Hiking through the Emmental Landscape from Röthenbach to Signau

Friday October 25, 2024 -- Still taking advantage of the nice weather, I went out for a walk again this day, choosing a fairly non-strenuous three-hour walk through the Emmental region of Canton Bern. 

This was a good choice, as once again, fog lay thick around the area of the Central Plateau between Zug and the Luzern Back-Country. The fog lifted right about the Canton Border of Luzern and Bern and I had lovely weather for the entire walk between Röthenbach to Signau. The walk was replete with lovely Emmental houses, green grass, sunlight in the forests, and cows in the pastures. Highlights were the 1000-year old wooden church in Würzbrunnen, which we had seen before on a similar hike we did in the area in March of 2017 (photos are HERE). At that time we also walked via a look-out tower where we had a really nice view of the Bernese Alps, but on this day there were a lot of clouds on the Eiger and Jungfrau, so I didn't detour that way.

Another unexpected highlight is that I passed right through a farm that manufactures their own cheese, and found out that the Emmental Cheese made here was ranked first place for Emmental Cheeses in 2023! They offered blocks of it for sale in the attached refrigerator, so I bought some and it was really, really good!

It's nice to enjoy the sunshine again, and it doesn't matter that much of the trail was on paved roads or forestry roads, as our more preferred narrow walking trails are very wet, and my hiking shoes quickly got soaked on those stretches!

After leaving home at 8:15, I arrived in Signau at 10:15 (2-hour train ride) and switched to the bus here, for an additional 20-minute bus ride to the starting point of my hike in Röthenbach. Here is Signau is where I ended my 12-km hike. 

Riding the bus through the Emmental landscape

So many attractive farms in the Emmental Region. 

10:40 is when we arrived in the village of Röthenbach, where we also started another hike in March of 2017 (photos HERE). For some reason I didn't notice the village cheese shop this time, so I just started off with a visit into the village church. 

This church built in 1903 is not very old, but is impressive in its wooden interior (especially the rounded ceiling) and the six east-facing windows. Churches of Protestant denomination in Switzerland are usually less ornate than the Catholic ones, but contain a lot of wood finishings.  

Looking at the church in Röthenbach from the eastern side, with the unique row of arched windows. 

Other very typical Emmental-style houses in the central part of the village of Röthenbach. 

This farmhouse at the west end of the village was particularly impressive. We also saw this one on our March 2017 hike, but without the flowers, it doesn't have the same effect. 

Next to that gorgeous farmhouse was an equally pretty "guest house" (These types of buildings are called Spycher, and were originally for storing grain and also containing a small apartment for grandparents). 

As I head out on my hike at 11 a.m., I get a look over the buildings on the west side of the village of Röthenbach. 

After looking at the buildings in Röthenbach, I started on my hike at 11 a.m., visiting the lovely church in Würzbrunnen, passing through a No.1 Cheese Dairy in Höhe, and arriving in Signau at 2:50 p.m., with still enough time to do a village tour there before the 3:15 train back to Langnau (and then home via Luzern, total 2 hours travel time)

A view toward the Bernese Alps as the trail ascends. It wasn't as cloud-free there as I had hoped

Ah, the cows are enjoying the sunshine as well!

Why are the cows so interested? It's because I set up my tripod on that bench for a self-timed photo of me with the Würzbrunnen church in the background, and kept running back and forth, and this seemed to intrigue them.

In the near distance is the Würzbrunnen church, which we visited last time in March 2017, but which I will also went look at again, because the interior was really impressive. 

Here's that self-timed photo of me when I set up my tripod on the bench, and all the cows are watching!

On the short stretch toward the church, you pass this very attractive Emmental-style house, fairly newly built. It is so lovely to see people build the new houses here in the traditional style!

View toward the Bernese Alps

Originally a Catholic church, first mentioned in Papal Documents of 1148, the church burned down in 1494 and was rebuilt the same year. At the time of Reformation (1520's), though, the Catholic frescoes were painted over, and the church was later decked out in wood. 

Beautiful wood finishings inside this church. This interior with many bible verses on the walls, was created in Baroque Style in 1779 (Wikipedia). It is forbidden to light candles here. 

Wooden balcony with another lovely organ. The organ was built in 1785 and is still in use. 

The church was restored in 1962/63, and the underlying frescoes were discovered. In the upper left-hand corner, a part of the original frescoes was left exposed. 

The frescoes on the outside wall were left exposed (or exposed during renovation? Not sure). 

Trying again to find a good place where I can stand for a self-timed photo!

Continuing on now on my hike through the Emmental landscape, I have to walk through some cow pastures. The look I got here was of high uncertainty!

Lovely landscape

Still lots of colour in the gardens!

This view is to the Schrattenfluh Massif in the East, which is actually in Canton Luzern, but near the border with Canton Bern. 

A close-up look at the north face of Mount Eiger, the most prominent peak in the Bernese Alps. Although the weather there (Grindelwald) was good this day, the peaks of Mönch and Jungfrau were covered with low cloud, so I didn't see them to well from here. 

Every pasture and meadow has a resident cat. This one hopes I can't see it!

At one point looking south, I did see some of the snow-covered Bernese mountains, although this is a zoomed view. I'm not sure what these peaks are called, but they are more to the west, nearer to Kandersteg than to Grindelwald. 

View south to the Bernese Alps

A variety of pretty farmhouses which I passed along the way. 

Here I am approaching a farm called Langenegg. The trail continues all along the road seen in this photo. I was not unhappy about the dry roads, as the grass in the pastures was very wet. 

The trail passes right between the farm buildings. 

The view to the West, all the way to the Jura Mountains 

They are always so curious!

View to the south again. Such a shame that the sky isn't pure blue, so that you could see the profile of the mountains better!

According to my hiking map, I was just passing through a little hamlet with an unassuming name of "Höhe", which means "in the heights". 

In this little hamlet called Höhe was a cheese dairy with a self-serve fridge, so I had a look and found large blocks of Emmental Cheese, so I purchased a block. 

The cheese dairy here in Höhe claims to be producing original Emmental cheese since 1831. On the packaging was a sticker that reads "Top 10 Cheese Dairies 2023". 

When I got home, I looked up "Top 10 Cheese Dairies 2023" and found out that the dairy at Höhe was not only in the Top 10, but actually won First Place for Emmental Cheese in 2023. The cheese was, in fact, very tasty. 

More lovely landscape, seen from the village of Höhe

Approaching the end of my walk now, the view opens up to the north

This farm is called Schlappbach

Everywhere you look you can find some lovingly arranged decorations. 

A view over the village of Signau as I make my final descent

This fellow is also enjoying the sunshine, as am I!

This was an unusual sight in the pastures!

Another look at the Schrattenfluh Massif in Canton Luzern near the border of Canton Bern. 

Another Spycher

Arriving at the village of Signau at 14:50, with enough time to go look at some of the houses there. 

The town of Signau received special status in 1976 as it was included in the federal inventory of Switzerland's nationally important sites worthy of protection. There is a WEBSITE giving some history of the buildings. This building here on the main street is called the Schärerhaus and was built in 1790.

This beautiful house on the main road near the train station is called the Beckhaus and was built in 1788. It is one of the most beautiful wooden houses in Signau. According to the information on the website, the house had to be moved back from the road by three meters in 1977 to make room for a wider main road!

I walked up to see the church, but there was a kids' meeting going on there, so I didn't really go in to have a look, just peeked in the door. This view is from the church steps looking down into the village of Signau. 

A look back at the Signau church building as I head down to the south end of the village. The first church here was from the 13th/14th Centuries, but as is often the case, it received lots of changes, and the current look is from 1850. 

This house, built in 1862, is called the Burrihaus, built by local tobacco factory owners.

I discovered that there was information available about these buildings, as each one was furnished with a QR code which you could scan. This building was particulary pretty, called the Moserhaus, built in 1760, and a rare example of a historical valuable construction. It was built by a cloth manufacturer, and the high space below the roof was specifically made for drying the textiles. 

1760-built Moserhaus

This building, built in 1841, has housed the village bakery since 1858. 

And the main building in the center of town is the Gasthof Bären, built in 1758, also has historical value. It would have received its tavern licence in the 16th Century. 

A final look at the church steeple as I catch the 15:15 train out of Signau to head back home. (I was home from here in just over two hours!)

More views of the Emmental landscape as the train heads toward Luzern. For now the landscape is fog-free (15:50), but the fog started exactly at the town of Entlebuch, 15 minutes from here. 

There are all the hikes we have done in the Emmental Region around Eggiwil and Röthenbach. The pink trail is the one I did this day, 12 km, about 3½ hours of walking.  

Location of Signau within Switzerland