On foot: from castle to castle

The hike runs along the bank of the Emme. Enjoyment hikers will get their money's worth here. Whether you start the route at Landshut Castle or at Burgdorf Castle makes hardly any difference. I start at Landshut Castle in Utzenstorf. This is the last intact water castle in the canton of Bern. Numerous watercourses flow through the park surrounding the castle. The castle houses historic rooms, furniture and paintings from the 17th to 19th centuries as well as the Swiss Museum for Wildlife and Hunting, which is the only hunting museum in Switzerland. Landshut Castle stands on a sandstone rock in the former floodplain of the Emme and has been owned by the private Landshut Castle Foundation since 1988. The park around the castle invites you to linger and it is worth stopping on one of the many park benches to enjoy the special atmosphere around the castle. Already in the castle park is the first signpost indicating the way towards Burgdorf. The whole hike is well signposted and if you follow the Emme, you cannot miss the way. From Landshut Castle the path leads directly to the Emme. There I walk along the riverbank to Kirchberg. There is a train station in Alchenflüh. Anyone who wants to shorten the hike can end it at this point or start here. Those who want to enjoy the entire hike continue from here towards Burgdorf. The destination is already in sight from afar. Burgdorf Castle towers on a hill above the town. Hikers can hardly miss the destination. The last few metres – away from the Emme and up to the castle – are the most strenuous. Here, hikers overcome the only significant elevation on this tour. But it is worth it: the view from the castle over the town of Burgdorf is impressive and the historically significant buildings are very well preserved. The 800-year-old castle is the symbol of the town and is one of the nationally important architectural monuments. And very important for hungry hikers: Burgdorf Castle has its own restaurant. Anyone who made it this far definitely deserves a refreshment.

Tanja Isler