Taubenloch Gorge

The Schuss cuts through the last ridge of the Jura at the edge of Biel, and the Taubenloch is the resulting gorge - narrow, damp and green, with the river below and rock walls close on both sides. A path of galleries, tunnels and bridges runs about a kilometre and a half through it, laid out in the 1880s by a local society that still maintains it and asks for donations rather than an entry fee. What makes it unusual is the location: this is a genuine gorge walk that starts at a tram stop on the edge of a city, so it takes about ten minutes to go from streets to a rock corridor. The name comes from a legend about a girl called Verena and a knight's stronghold above.

What you actually see

• A gorge at the city edge - ten minutes from the streets of Biel.
• Galleries and tunnels of the 1880s - the route cut by a local society.
• Free access on donations - maintained by the same society today.
• A kilometre and a half of walkway - beside the Schuss the whole way.

When to go

April to November. Two hours.

Honest expectations

The path closes after storms and through parts of winter for rockfall. It is wet and slippery, with steps. The industrial edge of Biel is visible at the entrance. It is short - this is a walk, not a day out.

Nearby

Biel/Bienne and its bilingual old town are below; Lake Biel is south.