MB Cycling
Bonjour les Romands

Bonjour les Romands

Switzerland, but different

The Jura region offers quite roads, stunning scenery, challenging climbs and most of the time you’ll experience sections with wind.

Depending on what works best for you this route can be started from Biel, Grenchen or Solothurn, whereas the circle is being ridden counterclockwise. Already in Grenchen you’re going to tackle the first, which is “Grenchenberg”. It’s a rather steady climb and you’ll be riding through a forest road, but 750m+ of elevation is what it is. Afterwards the descent to Moutier follows and from there the route takes you through several beautiful valleys, shorter climbs, and gorgeous villages. Personally, I really enjoy the stretch from Saint-Ursanne to Les Enfers as to me, it’s a perfect mix of flowy backroads, combined with climbs that are not too long.

Riding this route counterclockwise makes you climb Chasseral from its backside, which bears the advantage that when you start the final ascent, you’re already about 800 meters above sea level. From there it’s another 800 meters of elevation that needs to be covered to make it to the top. Once at the restaurant I’d recommend continuing to the radio tower, since from there you have an absolutely stunning view over the three lakes, Bielersee, Neuenburgersee and Murtensee. If the skies allow for it, you’ll even see a big chunk of the alps. But be aware, on that last bit to the tower it can be very windy.

Descending Chasseral is going to be a flowy affair once more. There are only a handful of hairpin bends in the beginning, which will allow you to enjoy the scenery with a good portion of wind in your face. Once you’ve made it through the impressive “Twann-Schlucht” (Twann canyon) you’ll ride the home stretch along the “Bielersee”.

Since along the route you’ll be riding through a number of gorgeous little villages, refuling won’t be an issue. There are numerous restaurants along the way and if you’re in a more desperate need of carbs or a cold beverage you’ll also be passing by a few petrol stations.

Stats / Difficulty

Distance: 178km
Elevation gain: ~4’100m
Duration: 6 – 8h
Endurance level: Medium to Expert

Impressions


Map


GPX Download

Download GPX – Bonjour les Romands

You can import the .gpx file into any one of your prefered apps such as Strava, Komoot, Garmin Connect, … and change the route from there if you’d for example like to start from another location.

Leave a Reply