Bernese Oberland

Coordinates: 46°40′13″N 7°50′5″E / 46.67028°N 7.83472°E / 46.67028; 7.83472
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Thun Castle in front of the Blüemlisalp

The Bernese Oberland (

Alemannic German: Bärner 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 Lötschberg, 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

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

Prehistorically the Bernese Oberland was crossed by hunters or traders, but the first known settlements were from the

Lötschen, Gemmi, Rawil, Sanetsch and the Col du Pillon
.

During the

Bishop of Sion.[1]

A Bernese bailiff on a visit to Grindelwald in 1760

The expansionist policy of the city of

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

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.

A 1830 view of Thun

The 1801

ancien régime, 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-Lötschberg-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

Haslital region with the Wetterhorn
in background
Valley of Lauterbrunnen overlooked by the Jungfrau
Valley of Kandersteg
Valley of Gstaad in winter

The Bernese Oberland designates primarily an area around the upper valley of the

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

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 Brünig 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

Schwarze Lütschine 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 Mönch (literally, German Joch translates to yoke
).

On the southeastern side of the mountain range formed by Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau lies the head of the largest glacier of the Alps, the

Blümlisalp
range.

Frutigtal. Above Spiez rises the Niesen, offering a wide view over the Bernese part of the Swiss Plateau
to the northwest.

Diemtigtal to the south with the Gsür
to its very south end, also rising directly above Adelboden.

Zweisimmen also connects to

canton of Vaud (VD), and secondly, opens a railway connection to Montreux at the eastern shore of Lake Geneva
.

The

Lac de la Gruyère
.

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

Location of the Oberland administrative region in the Canton of Bern
The flag of the Bernese Oberland

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]

  • Thun (district)
  • Interlaken (district)
  • Oberhasli (district)
  • Frutigen (district)
  • Obersimmental (district)
  • Niedersimmental (district)
  • Saanen (district)

Tourism

The Bernese Oberland is well known for touristic reasons, including the following destinations:

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Bernese Oberland in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  2. ^ Böser Bund in Bernese Oberland in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  3. ^ Canton of Oberland in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  4. ^ Swisstopo maps
  5. ^ "Karte der Verwaltungskreise und Verwaltungsregionen" (PDF) (PDF) (in German). Thun, Bern: Justiz-, Gemeinde- und Kirchendirektion, Canton of Bern. 1 January 2015. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  6. ^ "Regierungsstatthalterämter" (in German). Thun, Bern: Justiz-, Gemeinde- und Kirchendirektion, Canton of Bern. Retrieved 2015-10-14.

External links

46°40′13″N 7°50′5″E / 46.67028°N 7.83472°E / 46.67028; 7.83472

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