Gantrisch, Bern · Switzerland
Gurnigelpass
Riggisberg to Zollhaus
Switzerland’s oldest hillclimb road, smooth Bernese tarmac to 1,608 m.
From Riggisberg the Gurnigel road climbs through Bernese farmland into the Gantrisch nature park, and from the Dürrbach bridge it becomes something else: the course of the Bergrennen Gurnigel, raced since 1910 and today Switzerland’s most popular hillclimb. The racing stretch to Gurnigelbad is 3.7 km of cambered, beautifully surfaced bends, and above it the road keeps giving all the way over the 1,608 m saddle beneath the Stockhorn chain before dropping to Zollhaus. Open all year for the ski lifts; expect cyclists at weekends, cows on the summer alps, and a full closure on the September race weekend.
Scenery
Best seasons
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Gurnigelpass on the map18.1 mi · point to point
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Character
Corners
busiest around mile 13Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%765.5 – 1,617.4 mFrom the road
Points of interest3 stops
- Dürrbach hillclimb start lineLandmark3.5 mi in
- Gurnigel BerghausFood and drink8.6 mi in
- Gurnigelpass summit panoramaViewpoint8.8 mi in
Hazards
- Very popular with cyclists at weekends
- Closed to through traffic on the September hillclimb weekend
- Bitumen repair strips reduce grip in some bends
- Cattle graze the roadside alps in summer
See the typical season and live conditions for the high passes ›
Sources
“Die erste Ausführungen führten vom Dürrbach bis ins Hotel Gurnigel mit einer Streckelänge von ca. 7 km.”
“Am Rennwochenende”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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