Jura bernois

The Biel to Delémont railway serves Sonceboz, Tavannes, Reconvilier, Malleray-Bévilard, Court and Moutier. A second line links Biel to La Chaux-de-Fonds via Saint-Imier, and Biel to Neuchâtel trains stop at La Neuveville on the lakeshore. By car, use the A16 Transjurane motorway (Moutier exit) or the pass roads up from Biel and Neuchâtel. Postbuses fill in the gaps towards Nods, Mont-Crosin and the ridge villages.

Good to know: the Chasseral road from Nods carries a toll and closes in winter. On summer Sundays the summit fills quickly, so start early or walk up instead.

The La Neuveville waterfront and the Maurice Moeckli playground, with its pirate ship and rope bridge, are fully pushchair-friendly. The Moutier and Tramelan pools each have a separate paddling area and wide shaded lawns. In cooler weather the indoor Orval pool in Bévilard takes over, and it suits the youngest swimmers. In the gorges, bring a carrier instead: the walkways are narrow.

The Chasseral, at 1607 m, can be walked up from Nods or reached by car, and on a clear day the view runs from Mont Blanc to the Säntis. The Court gorges, between Tavannes and Moutier, follow a marked path along the Birse river, squeezed between the water and the railway. From La Neuveville, a boat reaches the île Saint-Pierre in under half an hour, and for children the crossing usually matters as much as the island itself.