Chasseral
1,607 m
Switzerland
Also known as Часерал, შასერალი, +1Also known as
Часерал · შასერალი · Шассераль
- Elevation
- 1,607 m
- Prominence
- 666 m
- Difficulty
- 1/10
- Easy walk
- Best Season
- Jun–Sep
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2The easy way: by car or seasonal Bus alpin from Saint-Imier or Nods to the Hôtel de Chasseral (1,548 m), then about 15 minutes along the broad ridge to the summit by the Swisscom transmitter tower (1,607 m).
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 1.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +56 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,607 m
- Time Up
- 25m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 22m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
The Chasseral pass road from Saint-Imier or Nods leads to the Hôtel de Chasseral at 1,548 m, about 1.5 km south-west of the summit; it is closed in winter. On summer weekends and public holidays Bus alpin lines run from Saint-Imier station and from Nods to the 'Chasseral, Hôtel' stop. The park strongly recommends the bus, as the summit road is busy and narrow in good weather. From the hotel a broad track follows the open crest north-east to the summit with its tall telecommunications tower, about 15 minutes. On clear days the view stretches over the Swiss Plateau and Lake Biel to the Alps, and north to the Vosges and the Black Forest. Return the same way, or walk down to Nods, the Combe Grède or one of the métairies (mountain farm restaurants) on the many marked paths.
Start
Chasseral Hôtel1,548 m
- Bus alpin 22.121 Saint-Imier–Chasseral (CJ) or 21.132 Nods–Chasseral (CarPostal), weekends and holidays from spring to late October; GA travelcards are not valid.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chasseral Hôtel → Chasseral | 1.3 | 56 | 0 | 25m |
Waypoints
- Station: Chasseral Hôtel1,548 m
- Summit: Chasseral1,607 m
Equipment
0/2 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
At 1,607 m the highest summit in the canton of Bern outside the Alps, a long grassy Jura crest above Lake Biel crowned by a telecom tower. A road and summer bus reach the hotel 15 minutes below; the classic hike climbs the ladders of the Combe Grède gorge.
The Chasseral is the north-easternmost Jura summit above 1,500 m, a broad limestone ridge between the Saint-Imier valley to the north and Lake Biel and the Plateau de Diesse to the south. It is the highest point of the canton of Bern outside the Alps and the heart of the Parc régional Chasseral. Its isolation (about 50 km to higher ground) gives one of the widest views in Switzerland, from the Alps across the Plateau to the Vosges and the Black Forest.
It is not a mountaineering objective: the pass road leads to the Hôtel de Chasseral just below the summit, and the summit carries a tall Swisscom transmitter tower. The interest lies in the walks: the Combe Grède from Villeret is a T2 hike with ladders through a nature reserve gorge, and long crest walks link the métairies, the mountain farm restaurants of the Jura.
Winters are cold and windy (annual mean temperature at the summit station about 4 °C). The pass road is closed in winter, and the Combe Grède and the summit area become ski-touring and snowshoe terrain, with wildlife tranquillity zones where only signed routes are allowed.
Climbing Notes
From the hotel the summit is a 15-minute stroll. The Combe Grède hike (about 3 hours, 890 m) needs sure footing on wet rock and ladders and is not possible with dogs; do it between June and October, when the safety installations are in place.
Typical day: train to Villeret, up the Combe Grède and via the Métairie de Morat to the summit, then the Bus alpin from the Chasseral hotel back to Saint-Imier on summer weekends, or a walk down via the Métairie des Plânes. Fog often fills the Plateau in autumn, when the summit is above a sea of clouds.
In winter, ski tourers and snowshoers use the Pré aux Auges, Les Limes and Nods routes; stay on signed routes in the tranquillity zones.
Season
Best Jun–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Snowshoe and ski-touring terrain; pass road closed
- Feb
- Winter; signed routes only in tranquillity zones
- Mar
- Winter conditions persist
- Apr
- Snow melting; Combe Grède path officially closed
- May
- Summer buses begin; Combe Grède officially closed until 30 May
- Jun
- Combe Grède open; pastures green
- Jul
- Main hiking season
- Aug
- Main hiking season; thunderstorms possible
- Sep
- Clear, stable autumn days
- Oct
- Buses until late October; sea of fog below the summit
- Nov
- Combe Grède closed from 1 November; first snow
- Dec
- Winter; pass road closed
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Hôtel de Chasseral (1,548 m), 1.5 km south-west of the summit, open year-round according to Camptocamp.
- Fees
- Bus alpin special fares on the Saint-Imier and Nods lines (GA travelcards not valid)
- Rules
- Combe Grède path: safety installations removed and path officially closed 1 November–30 May; passage at your own risk
- Winter wildlife tranquillity zones: only signed routes allowed
- The Chasseral pass road is closed in winter
- Getting There
Saint-Imier
Bern (BRN); Zurich (ZRH) or Basel (BSL) by train
- Train to Saint-Imier or Villeret on the Biel–La Chaux-de-Fonds line
- Bus alpin 22.121 Saint-Imier–Chasseral Hôtel (CJ), weekends and holidays 16 May–25 October 2026
- Bus alpin 21.132 Nods–Chasseral Hôtel (CarPostal), weekends and holidays 25 April–25 October 2026
- TPB line 70 Biel/Bienne–Les Prés-d'Orvin year-round, then on foot
- By car over the Chasseral pass road from Saint-Imier or Nods (busy, closed in winter)
Hazards
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,548 m
Hôtel de ChasseralHotel