ViaBerna
Reported OSM relation: SchweizMobil regional hiking route 38, ViaBerna, Bellelay to Sustenpass, 302 km OSM 2-D. Vertical figures sampled from Copernicus GLO-30.
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Distance 302 km Reported · Ascent Computed · High point Computed · 20d · SAC T2 · Challenging (Bernese alpine stages)
Cite this record
The Hiking World, ViaBerna, verified 2026-10-07, https://www.thehikingworld.com/trails/viaberna
How we verify · last checked 2026-10-07
Byline
- The Hiking World editorial · author
Figures marked provisional are seed data and still need verification. Source and last-checked date sit under each cited value.
Forecast at page generation, 2026-10-26T10:44:29.279Z
Representative point on ViaBerna: 46.837°, 7.559°, about 2609 m. A forecast, not a trail-surface reading.
At generation: -4°C, Overcast.
- 2026-10-26 Fog, -13–-3°C
- 2026-10-27 Fog, -11–3°C
- 2026-10-28 -9–-2°C, 0 mm
Source Open-Meteo. Mountain weather changes with elevation and aspect.
Life-safety notices on this page come from the issuer.
Altitude weather delta
High 2,609 m minus low 428 m is 2,181 m of relief on this record. A standard tropospheric lapse of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m implies about 14.2 °C cooler at the high point than the valley, all else equal.
That is a model (International Standard Atmosphere environmental lapse), not a forecast and not a trail-closure. Wind, snow, and storms stay in Hazards.
derived:lapse-rate · computed 2026-09-10 · provisionalISA 6.5 °C / 1,000 m · wikipedia.org · 2026-09-10
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GeoJSONLine download is the stored OSM geometry, simplified. It is not a surveyed GPS track. GPX · GeoJSON
Cumulative ascent not published — stored line geometry is too coarse for a reliable DEM figure.
Editorial v1 · Provisional catalog
Challenging (Bernese alpine stages)
- SAC T2–T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade)
- Mountain hiking. Continuous trail, some steep ground, sure-footedness helpful. through Demanding mountain hiking. Exposed sections possible; hands may be needed for balance.
- YDS Class 1
- Class 1. Walking on an established path; low fall risk.
Ingested from OpenStreetMap relation 12770114 (ODbL). The mapped line and 2D length are derived from that geometry. Ascent, descent, and high/low points are sampled from Copernicus GLO-30 (copernicus-dem:glo-30) and remain provisional. Water, permits, and hazards were not taken from OSM tags and must be verified.
OSM 2D length is 302 km (relation 12770114; network=rwn, operator=Wanderland Schweiz, ref=38). lengthKm is verified: 302 km is 0.49% under the official 303.5 km (https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/route-38; ch.astra.wanderland Route attributes (opendata.swiss langsamverkehr-wanderland-schweiz, dataset 2026-02-25, parsed 2026-09-09)). Official km is the ±3% cross-check, not this DataPoint.
DEM high 2,609 m. GLO-30 cumulative ascent 9,420 m is the same order as the official 13,654 m figure (ch.astra.wanderland Route attributes (opendata.swiss langsamverkehr-wanderland-schweiz, dataset 2026-02-25, parsed 2026-09-09)). High point left as Copernicus.
Water was not mapped to named WaterSource points (no honest atFraction). Villages and inns exist; they were not positioned from an official named list this pass.
Water
No water sources recorded.
Permits & fees
Permits, closures, and hazards on this page are a citation, not a substitute for the issuer’s current notice.
No permit required.
Getting there
Sourced legs to the Bellelay (OSM line start) base start station — where this trail record begins. This is not a route planner: durations are approximate and marked provisional until an official transport page confirms them.
Rail · Basel (BSL) → Bellelay
EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg is the usual air gateway (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EuroAirport_Basel_Mulhouse_Freiburg, checked 2026-09-09, CC BY-SA). SBB toward Bellelay (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellelay, checked 2026-09-09, CC BY-SA). SchweizMobil route 38 (https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/route-38, checked 2026-09-09).
en.wikipedia.org · verified 2026-09-09 · wikidata · official · provisional
No walking permit on the Swiss public Wanderland network (https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland, checked 2026-09-09). SAC and private hut booking is logistics.
Plan from your location
Type a city, then pick a match. These links open external search tools — they do not fetch fares or timetables.
Getting there car-free
- Bellelay (OSM line start): car-free flag yes.
- Sustenpass (OSM line end): car-free flag yes.
Trailheads
- Bellelay (OSM line start) car-free: yes
Official start at Bellelay (https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/route-38, checked 2026-09-09). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellelay, checked 2026-09-09, CC BY-SA.
- Sustenpass (OSM line end) car-free: yes
Official finish at Sustenpass (same SchweizMobil page, checked 2026-09-09). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susten_Pass, checked 2026-09-09, CC BY-SA.
Hazards
- Alpine/mountain weather on this line: official 13,654 m of walking ascent over 20 stages (ch.astra.wanderland Route attributes (opendata.swiss langsamverkehr-wanderland-schweiz, dataset 2026-02-25, parsed 2026-09-09)). DEM high 2,609 m is a Copernicus sample, not a glacier grade.
- No walking permit on the Swiss public Wanderland network; SAC and private hut booking is logistics, not a trail permit (https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland, checked 2026-09-09). There is no walking fee on that page.
Questions
Do I need a permit for ViaBerna?
No trail permit is listed as required on this record for ViaBerna.
How difficult is ViaBerna?
ViaBerna is graded Wanderland: technical mittel, physical schwer · SAC T2–T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade) · YDS 1. A sourced hazard on this record: Alpine/mountain weather on this line: official 13,654 m of walking ascent over 20 stages (ch.astra.wanderland Route attributes (opendata.swiss langsamverkehr-wanderland-schweiz, dataset 2026-02-25, parsed 2026-09-09)). DEM high 2,609 m is a Copernicus sample, not a glacier grade.
How long is ViaBerna?
The OSM 2-D length on this record is 302 km (verified). Published figures may differ. See /guides/how-long-is-the-trail
How do I get to ViaBerna?
The record’s base start is Bellelay (OSM line start). A primary gateway on the record is EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (BSL). Trailhead transit notes are not included in this public FAQ.
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