Aare Cycle Route day-by-day – a Swiss cycling holiday

It was a rather hasty decision to go to Switzerland for a few days of cycling along the Aare Cycle Route. We were working on a new Bern travel guidebook and were in dire need of a break. It was summer and the Bernese Alps would be lovely. Plus, it had been a while since we went on the Spree Cycle Route near Berlin, and we were keen to get our bicycles rolling again.

We decided to start our cycling trip in Meiringen in the Bernese Alps from where we would cycle around 300 km to the Aare’s mouth at Koblenz (Switzerland). While a direct line between our start and finish would be around 100 kilometres, the river Aare and the Aare Cycle Route meander in a long winding arc. Read in this blog post our day-by-day trip report about six leisurely days on the Aare Cycle Route.

Day 1: Berlin­ – Meiringen – Interlaken

37 km, 340 m uphill, 350 m downhill

We step off the train at Frankfurt Main Station at 2:30 a.m., greeted by the warm night air. German long-distance trains have only a few slots for bicycles, and they are always booked in the summer months. So, with a lot of searching the booking site of the German Rail we finally come up with an inconvenient connection giving us half an hour to change trains in Frankfurt in the middle of the night. Eventually this becomes one hour due to delays.  

Instead of the usual quiet, the station is buzzing with energy. A major European Championship soccer game has just ended, and Slovenian fans, despite their team’s penalty loss, are celebrating in the main hall. Our onward train to Basel is packed with spirited football enthusiasts, making it a lively, but sleepless, journey.

After two more train changes in Basel and Interlaken, we finally settle into our last train. It’s rush hour by now, and Natascha realises that she left her helmet on the previous train. This isn’t the first time—last time was on the Ruhr Industry Cycle Tour.

By the time we arrive in Meiringen around 9:30 am, we are pretty wiped out. Our first stop is the Frutal Bakery for a great Swiss breakfast with Bircher muesli and Café Crème. Then it’s off to the bike shop for a new helmet.

Sherlock Holmes in Meiringen

We set off through Meiringen, passing the famous Sherlock Holmes statue. The mountain village of Meiringen has been a tourist spot since the 19^th century, attracting visitors to the Aare Gorge (Aareschlucht) – too steep to cycle! – and the stunning Reichenbach Waterfall. British Author Conan Doyle, captivated by the Reichenbachfall during his visit, used it as the dramatic backdrop for the death of his fictional character Sherlock Holmes in “The Final Problem”. Spoiler alert: Holmes survived.

Isn’t it always fun to visit movie locations? We have also visited the Mount Schildhorn, a famous James Bond location.

Having already seen both the Aare Gorge and the Reichenbach Waterfall on a previous trip, we hit the road and head along the wide alluvial land of the Aare valley.

Along the shores of Lake Brienz

After about 12 kilometres, the river flows into Lake Brienz, and the Aare Cycling Route climbs up a steep mountain road. With our bicycles loaded with a lot of luggage and a tent, we end up pushing up the incline. Then it’s a bit downhill to the historic Giessbach Hotel, an old Grand Hotel overlooking the Giessbach Waterfall. Time for a well-deserved carrot cake.  

After tackling another stretch of uphill and downhill terrain – challenging for Natascha with her new cruciate ligament – we finally reach Iseltwald on the banks of Lake Brienz. Iseltwald is buzzing with Asian tourists, taking turns taking pictures on a famous jetty extending into the clear blue lake.

On the next hill we pass a mysterious shipyard perched nearly 100 meters above the lake and wonder about the location. But then, we descend back to the lake and enjoy the ride on the rural roads through Böningen, finally arriving at the Interlaken campsite to rest and recharge.  

Day 2: Interlaken to the capital of Bern

72 km, 425 m uphill, 475 m downhill

The morning is bright and sunny and suddenly the clouds give way to the impressive mountains of the Jungfrau mountain group. After a breakfast with stunning views of the snow-clad Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, we cycle off to the Southern shore of Lake Thun. The high mountains are so close above us that we can’t see them while cycling. And because the mountains are rising steeply close to the lake, the Aare Cycle Route runs next to the main traffic route along the shore.

In Faulensee we veer off the main road, which is by now turning into a motorway. The trail takes us up a series of hills! From the top, we’re rewarded with great views of Spiez, with its castle, Lake Thun, and the Jungfrau mountain range in the background!

To the charming town of Thun

We then leave the lake and cycle through fields and woods towards Thun. The small, but surprisingly urban town of Thun is perfect for a coffee break (and cake!) at the coffee roastery Heer. And we do a small detour through the charming Old Town although the Aare Cycle Route circumnavigates the cobbled roads.

The final stretch from Thun to Bern is fairly boring, taking us through the agricultural Aare valley and past the small Bern airport. We tackle one last ascent before Wabern, where we encounter a wave of cyclists commuting home from work, many on e-bikes.

Arriving at the Aare banks in Bern, we relax with a drink at the Aare Bar, a cool hangout for locals to unwind after work. Life is good!

Day 3: From Bern to Lake Biel

48 km, 425 m uphill, 525 m downhill

After a rest day with a lot of sightseeing in Bern, we are looking forward to a leisurely cycling day to Biel.

This segment of the Aare Cycle Route leaves the higher mountains and follows the river, a water reservoir, a canal, and Lake Biel. So, we expect an easy day.  

The day starts with cycling through a local forest, popular with joggers. Soon we reach the serene Wohlensee, a dammed water reservoir of the Aare. Contrary to our expectations, however, the route does not hug the lake shore. Instead, we bounce up and down the hills north of the lake. At one point, the narrow trail bridges a gorge. It is so steep that even pushing our laden bicycles uphill feels dangerous.

Cycling in heavy rain

Meanwhile, it has started raining again. We pause briefly next to by the Mühleberg nuclear power plant, but the downpour shows no signs of stopping. We decide to push on. Soaked, we reach a village inn on the next plateau, where we sit down for a coffee and meringues piled high with cream. Just the right treat after tackling several hundred meters of uphill climbs.

Frome there, it is just a short ride to Aarberg, a small historic town where the Swiss diverted the Aare to Lake Biel in the 19^th century. We then follow the canal through a totally flat landscape! Finally, no more uphill cycling! But this changes again on the shores of Lake Biel where the Aare Cycle trail follows the hillside. From here it would be only a few kilometres southwards to go to Neuchatel, a city we enjoyed very much – but we follow the flow of the water towards Biel. We are grateful for a dry spell.

We had planned to set up our tent at the campsite near Biel and then enjoy the Old Town’s bars and culture scene. But then heavy rain starts again and we spend the evening in the cozy common room on the camp site while another storm is raging outside.

Day 4: Lake Biel to Solothurn

33 km, 40 m uphill, 46 m downhill

The storm clouds have cleared, and today’s cycling stage is an easy one for real. We follow a picturesque canal route to Büren. This path takes us along the Nidau-Büren-Canal, a historic waterway that first connected the Aare River to Lake Biel back in 1868. It was part of a larger effort to manage the frequent flooding of the Aare River and drain the bogs in that area.

After a leisurely hour on the bike, we stop at a memorial dedicated to Switzerland’s largest internment camp from World War II. We had not been aware that Switzerland, as a neutral country, had such camps in the first place. And there is not much explanation either.

We roll into Büren an der Aare and take a break to have a coffee and some pastries in the charming historic town. From there it is only 1 ½ hours along the Aare River to our next campsite in Solothurn. Along the way in the small village of Altreu, we enjoy some stork-watching. For some reason, dozens of storks choose this village every year to breed.

Once we have arrived in Solothurn and set up our tent, we have ample time to explore the Old Town of Solothurn. Solothurn, capital of the Swiss Canton by the same name, has Roman origins and is one of the oldest towns in the area.  

The baroque architecture and cobbled streets, still encircled by medieval city walls, are a perfect setting for an afternoon stroll.  The only drawback is that we happen to be there on a Sunday and the town is not very lively.

Day 5: Solothurn to Aarau

65 km, 340 m uphill, 380 m downhill

Today’s ride to Aarau proves a bit more demanding again. In addition, we are running a bit late on our schedule because we had to spend the morning fixing a brake shoe. The route winds through the foothills below the Jura mountains, making for a hilly ride.

We make a stop to explore an abandoned wastewater treatment plant near Luterbach. The “lost place” is in the process of renaturalisation. The river water in the concrete pools is reflecting hundreds of colourful graffiti.  

We skip sightseeing in Aarwangen for time reasons. The Aare is often far away from the route, and we get bored with the landscape.

Accommodation options in this area are scarce and there is no campsite anywhere near Aarau: The area is just not very interesting for tourists. We stop in the uninspiring commuter town of Olten for fruit and rolls before continuing toward Aarau. Along the way, we pass several power plants, including another nuclear reactor. Nearby, locals enjoy a river swim.

When we arrive in Aarau we are in for a pleasant surprise. Perched on a hill, its medieval streets are compact and cute. The town is famous for its decorated gables. Strolling through the Old Town is a delight with all the painted roof undersides.

Day 6: Aarau to Felsenau – castles and carrot cake

44 km, 200 m uphill, 260 m downhill

After another stroll around the lovely town of Aarau, we set out for our last day on the Aare Cycle Trail. We closely follow the river, passing two almost identical castles, Wildenstein and Wildegg. And then there are even more castles….

In Brugg we stop for a break and seek out the locals’ recommendations for the area’s famed carrot cake. The Rüeblitorte (carrot cake), a Swiss-wide favourite, is especially famous in the Canton of Aargau, once known as Rüebliland (carrot country). And the Rüeblitorte at Bäckerei Frei is, without doubt, the best we have eaten, ever.

Beyond Brugg we encounter more of Switzerland’s energy infrastructure, including the Beznau nuclear plant and the nearby reactor at Liebstadt. We check the facts: Switzerland has four nuclear power plants (with 5 reactors), and we have seen them all on the Aare Cycle Trail!

It’s a very hot summer day and we are dripping with sweat. Rolling down the hills brings some refreshment. We enjoy cycling along the Klingnau reservoir. This protected area is a heaven for birdwatchers, with numerous mute swans taking refuge here during their molting period when they’re grounded and unable to fly.

We had hoped for a picturesque spot at the confluence of the Aare and Rhine rivers, ideally with a bar terrace and refreshing drinks. However, the reality is less exciting—no nearby amenities or clear paths to the confluence.

We shrug and press on, now along the Rhine Cycle Route towards Murg, with Basel on the horizon for the next day. And just like that, our Aare Cycle Route adventure has come to an end. After six days of cycling, we have completed the journey.

The Aare Cycle Route: Getting there and away

From Berlin we went to Interlaken by fast train and only the last half hour or so to Meiringen by local train. It was difficult to make reservations for the bicycles and we ended up with an inconvenient night train. We took slow trains (no bicycle reservation needed) on the way back from Basel to Berlin. However, this took almost two days.

Accommodation along the Aare Cycle Route

We stayed at campsites whenever we could. While the campsites were frequent in the beginning, later on in the trip they were spread apart, making the days very long or quite short. Therefore, we stayed in a hotel one night in the small town of Aarau.

NB: We were not sponsored for our trip on the Aare Cycle Route and paid all expenses ourselves.

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