Way of St. James
One section of the Way of St. James leads from Wattenwil in the Gürbetal through the rural Schwarzenburgerland up to Schwarzenburg. The entire tour offers fascinating views of the Stockhorn mountain chain. The hike leads through small villages with quaint church buildings. The ruins of a former priory in Rüeggisberg are another impressive sight along the way.
Marked by the brown signs of the Way of St. James, the route climbs from Wattenwil to Burgistein and on up to Riggisberg. The scenery is characterized by the open country with its large meadows. The path continues its climb to Rüeggisberg.
Then the descent begins, past the priory ruins and on down to the Schwarzwassergraben. A short but steep climb takes hikers up to a plateau on the other side of the valley. Continuing westward, the path finally reaches the region's main town of Schwarzenburg.
Departure: "Bären" bus stop, Wattenwil
Destination: Schwarzenburg train station
Connections to point of departure: S3 from Bern or Thun to Wattenwil train station, then continuing by bus.
Connections from destination: Trains to Bern
Difficulty level: technique>easy; condition>moderately difficult
Uphill gradient: approx. 470 m
Hiking time: 5 hrs. 15 min.
Season: March - November
Food: Wattenwil, Burgistein, Riggisberg, Rüeggisberg, Wislisau, Schönentannen, Schwarzenburg
Lodging: Schwarzenburg
Attraction: Rüeggisberg priory ruins
