Higher part of the canton of Bern, Switzerland
The
Bernese Oberland
(
German
:
Berner Oberland
;
Alemannic German
:
Barner Oberland
;
French
:
Oberland bernois
), sometimes also known as the
Bernese Highlands
, is the highest and southernmost part of the
canton of Bern
. It is one of the canton's five administrative regions (in which context it is referred to as
Oberland
without further specification). It constitutes the
Alpine
region of the canton and the northern side of the
Bernese Alps
, including many of its highest peaks, among which the
Finsteraarhorn
(4,274 m (14,022 ft)), the highest in both range and canton.
The region essentially coincides with the upper basin of the
Aare
, the latter notably including
Lake Thun
and
Lake Brienz
, the two large lakes of the region. On the banks of the lakes or the Aare are the main settlements of
Thun
,
Spiez
,
Interlaken
,
Brienz
and
Meiringen
. The numerous side valleys of the Bernese Oberland include a large number of Alpine villages, many of them being tourist resorts and connected by mountain railways to Spiez and Interlaken. The
Lotschberg
, a major north-south axis through the Alps, links the region with both the capital of the canton,
Bern
, and its sizable southern neighbour, the canton of
Valais
.
The flag of the Bernese Oberland consists of a black eagle in a gold field (in reference to the region's old status as
reichsfrei
) over two fields in the cantonal colours of red and black.
The
Swiss German
dialects spoken in the Bernese Oberland are
Highest Alemannic German
, contrasting with the
High Alemannic
Bernese German
spoken in
Bern
and the northern parts of the canton.
In the short-lived
Helvetic Republic
(1798?1803), the Bernese Oberland was a
separate canton
.
History
[
edit
]
Prehistorically the Bernese Oberland was crossed by hunters or traders, but the first known settlements were from the
Roman era
. The Romans settled along the river and the lakes. They used a number of alpine passes including; the
Brunig
,
Susten
(with a Roman
mansio
),
Grimsel
,
Lotschen
,
Gemmi
,
Rawil
,
Sanetsch
and the
Col du Pillon
.
During the
High Middle Ages
, a number of Bernese Oberland villages grew around valley
parish churches
which were religious and cultural centers within each surrounding valley. During the Middle Ages, the Bernese Oberland first belonged to the
Kingdom of Burgundy
followed by the Dukes of
Zahringen
. After the extinction of the Zahringen line, the Bernese Oberland was ruled by a number of local Barons (including Oberhofen, Strattligen, Brienz-Ringgenberg, Wadenswil, Weissenburg). For a time, some of the
Walser
barons (Raron, vom Turn) ruled portions of the Bernese Oberland. The Saanen valley was ruled by the Counts of
Gruyeres
. Portions of the alpine passes were held, until the 19th century, by the
Bishop of Sion
.
[1]
The expansionist policy of the city of
Bern
led them into the Bernese Oberland. Through conquest, purchase, mortgage or marriage politics Bern was able to acquire the majority of the Bernese Oberland from the indebted local barons between 1323 and 1400. Under Bernese control, the five valleys enjoyed extensive rights and far-reaching autonomy in the
Bauerten
(farming cooperative municipalities) and
Talverbanden
(rural alpine communities). Throughout the Late Middle Ages, the Bernese Oberland, as a whole or in part, revolted several times against Bernese authority. The Evil League (
Boser Bund
) in 1445 fought against Bernese military service and taxes following the
Old Zurich War
,
[2]
in 1528 the Bernese Oberland rose up in resistance to the
Protestant Reformation
and in 1641
Thun
revolted.
During the Middle Ages, the settlement pattern in the Bernese Oberland was somewhat consistent. A main settlement grew on the valley floor below an elevation near 1,100 m (3,600 ft). This main settlement had a market and often a castle or other fortifications. This
market town
was surrounded by scattered villages,
hamlets
and individual farm houses to an elevation of 1,600 m (5,200 ft). During the 14th?16th centuries, the Bernese Oberland villages began extensive trading with the Bernese grain producing towns in the lowlands. This allowed the alpine villages to renounce self-sufficiency in grain and focus on raising cattle in the high alpine pastures and bringing them down into the valleys in the winter (
transhumance
). They then exported cattle over the passes into Italy and into the Bernese lowlands. Around 1500, in addition to the seven medieval markets, eleven new cattle markets opened to allow the Bernese Oberland villagers to sell their cattle.
[1]
After the
Napoleonic invasion of Switzerland
in 1798, the old Bernese order was fractured and the Bernese Oberland was separated from the canton of Bern, forming the
canton of Oberland
. Within this new canton, historic borders and traditional rights were not considered. As there had been no previous separatist feeling amongst the conservative population, there was little enthusiasm for the new order.
The 1801
Malmaison Constitution
proposed reuniting the canton of Oberland with Bern, but it was not until the
Act of Mediation
, two years later, with the abolition of the Helvetic Republic and the partial restoration of the
ancien regime
, that the two cantons were reunited.
[3]
In 1729,
Albrecht von Haller
published the poem
Die Alpen
about his travels through the alpine regions. This combined with other reports and alpine paintings started the tourism industry in the Bernese Oberland. By 1800 there were resorts on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz (especially at Interlaken between the two lakes). Shortly thereafter the resorts expanded into the alpine valleys (Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald), and began attracting English guests. However, because of the widespread poverty of the 19th century many residents of the Simmen valley and the Interlaken district emigrated to North America, Germany or Russia.
In the late 19th century, new transportation links made it easier for people to travel into the valleys. The
Bern-Lotschberg-Simplon railway
opened in 1913 and became the largest privately owned railroad in Switzerland. The collapse of the hotel industry during both world wars forced a diversification of the economy. After 1950 a new wave of hotel construction of hotels and holiday homes and apartments, led to a strong population growth. Starting in the 1930s and increasingly after 1950
funiculars
, cable cars and chair lifts opened up many of the high alpine villages for winter sports and tourism.
[1]
Geography
[
edit
]
The Bernese Oberland designates primarily an area around the upper valley of the
Aare
with its many larger and smaller side-valleys. It makes up the northern side the
Bernese Alps
and includes most of its highest peaks:
Finsteraarhorn
(4,274 m (14,022 ft)),
Jungfrau
(4,158 m (13,642 ft)),
Monch
(4,110 m (13,480 ft)),
Schreckhorn
(4,078 m (13,379 ft)),
Gross Fiescherhorn
(4,049 m (13,284 ft)) and
Lauteraarhorn
(4,042 m (13,261 ft)). Other lower ranges partially in the Bernese Oberland are the
Uri Alps
(east) and the
Emmental Alps
(north).
[4]
Its largest part and the Alpine part of the Aare before the river enters
Lake Brienz
is called the
Haslital
culminating on the
Grimsel Pass
at its southeastern corner connecting with the
Goms
in the
Upper Valais
, and
Andermatt
in
canton of Uri (UR)
via the
Furka Pass
. And its major side-valley, called the
Gadmertal
, on its most eastern point culminates at the
Susten Pass
just south of the
Titlis
(
OW
) connecting with the valley of the Alpine
Reuss
(UR), the northern part of the
St. Gotthard Route
. The
Joch Pass
to the northeast at the beginning of the
Gental
, a foot pass west of the Titlis connecting to the
canton of Nidwalden (NW)
and further down to the resort
Engelberg
in the
canton of Obwalden (OW)
. North and above of
Meiringen
is the ski and hiking resort
Hasliberg
just on the other side of the ski resort
Melchsee-Frutt
(OW). The low
Brunig Pass
to the north connects Meiringen and the Haslital with the upper canton of Obwalden and further down to
Central Switzerland
and
Lucerne
(LU).
Above of
Brienz
on the northeastern shore of Lake Brienz soars the
Brienzer Rothorn
, the highest summit of the 30-kilometre-long (19 mi) prominent mountain range dominating the north shore of the Lake Brienz as far as its western end above Interlaken with the
Harder
. The easternmost section of the ridge constitutes the border with the
canton of Lucerne (LU)
, but the western part is fully in Bernese territory. The region of
Habkern
, north of the Harder, is one of the few valleys on the right side of the Aare.
South of Interlaken the short valley of the
Lutschine
opens to the most well-known valleys of the Bernese Oberland, namely the
Lauterbrunnental
to the south, and the valley of the
Schwarze Lutschine
to the east with
Grindelwald
situated just below the
Eiger
,
Schreckhorn
, and
Wetterhorn
. Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen are separated by the
Kleine Scheidegg
pass, which is accessible from both sides via a rack railway, and which is the starting point of the
Jungfrau Railway
to the
Jungfraujoch
, a saddle between the Jungfrau and Monch (literally, German
Joch
translates to
yoke
).
On the southeastern side of the mountain range formed by Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau lies the head of the largest glacier of the Alps, the
Aletsch Glacier
, which however entirely lies on the soil of the
canton of Valais (VS)
. Via the upper, southern end of the Lauterbrunnental the experienced hiker can reach the
Kandertal
by traversing the
Tschingel
and
Kander Neve
from northeast to southwest. West of the Lauterbrunnental the
Schilthorn
rises, separating the valley of the
Weisse Lutschine
from the
Kiental
. The Lauterbrunnen Valley is connected to the Kiental via the
Sefinafurgga
, a high Alpine hiking pass, and further to the Kander Valley via the
Hohturli
, another high Alpine hiking pass, on the north flank of the
Blumlisalp
range.
Kandersteg
, at the north entrance of the old
Lotschberg Tunnel
(1913, 14 km), which connects the Bernese Oberland with the German-speaking part of the Valais, opens up to the north to
Frutigen
where it is joined by the
Entschligetal
from the southwest, with the ski resort of
Adelboden
at its southern end. Adelboden and its sister resort
Lenk
join their respective areas to an extended and unified ski and hiking area across another mountain range. Lenk is situated at the southern end of the Obersimmental, the upper part of the
Simmental
, which again joins the
Kander
of the Kandertal just south of
Spiez
at the southern shore of
Lake Thun
after the Kander flows through the
Frutigtal
. Above Spiez rises the
Niesen
, offering a wide view over the Bernese part of the
Swiss Plateau
to the northwest.
Zweisimmen
, still part of the Obersimmental, lies 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of Boltigen, the junction of the upper and lower parts of the Simmental. From
Erlenbach
in the Niedersimmental, the lower valley of the
Simme
, one can access the
Stockhorn
by cable cars to the west, the one summit of the Bernese Oberland with the probably most unobstructive view over the Bernese Lowlands and
Thun
. Not far from Erlenbach, one can access the
Diemtigtal
to the south with the
Gsur
to its very south end, also rising directly above Adelboden.
Zweisimmen also connects to
Saanen
and
Gstaad
via the small pass of
Saanenmoser
, with the Louwene Valley and the upper valley of the
Saane
south of Gstaad. After flowing northwards, in Saanen the Saane turns to the west, firstly, in order to become
La Sarine
in the now French-speaking
canton of Vaud (VD)
, and secondly, opens a railway connection to
Montreux
at the eastern shore of
Lake Geneva
.
The
Jaun Pass
, a road pass, connects the Simmental near Reidenbach with
La Gruyere
, the valley when
La Sarine
turns north again, and the town of
Bulle
in the
canton of Fribourg (FR)
, west of the
Lac de la Gruyere
.
North of Spiez, right across Lake Thun, on its northern shore, lies the
Niederhorn
, the south end of the northernmost mountain range of significant elevation of the Bernese Oberland, with the
Gemmenalphorn
and the
Hohgant
at the other end, separated by a small valley from the Harder on its southeast.
At the west end of Lake Thun, at the outlet of the river Aare, lies the town of
Thun
, which already belongs to the Swiss Plateau, not far from
Bern
to the northwest.
Administrative division
[
edit
]
Since 2010, the Bernese Oberland covers one of five administrative regions of the canton of Bern (called
German
:
Verwaltungsregion Oberland
)
[5]
and consists of four administrative districts with 80 municipalities:
[6]
Before 2010, the Oberland had consisted of the following
districts
:
[
citation needed
]
Tourism
[
edit
]
The Bernese Oberland is well known for touristic reasons, including the following destinations:
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
46°40′13″N
7°50′5″E
/
46.67028°N 7.83472°E
/
46.67028; 7.83472
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