Chasseral

Chasseral reaches 1,606 metres and is the highest point of the Bernese Jura, a long grassy crest with a transmitter mast on it that is visible for a very long way. On a clear day the view runs across the three lakes - Biel, Neuchatel and Murten - to a horizon of Alps that on the best days extends from the Santis to Mont Blanc, which is the reason people drive up. The ridge is wooded pasture: solitary spruces shaped by wind and grazing stand in open grass, a landscape that is the signature of the Jura and is maintained by the cattle. The whole area is a regional nature park, and Chasseral is the highest summit in the canton of Bern outside the Alps and one of the most topographically isolated mountains in Switzerland. In winter the road closes and the crest becomes a cross-country and snowshoe area.

The landscape

• The Jura's wooded pasture - wind-shaped spruces standing in open grass.
• Three lakes at once - Biel, Neuchatel and Murten below.
• An Alpine horizon - Santis to Mont Blanc on the clearest days.
• A transmitter on the crest - the landmark visible from far off.

When to go

May to October. Half a day.

What to expect

Haze hides the Alps on most summer days - the long view needs cold clear air, often best in autumn. The summit road closes for winter. The crest is windy and exposed. The mast dominates the summit itself.

Nearby

St-Imier and the watch valleys are below; Lake Biel is south-east.

Key facts