region with the
Wetterhorn in background overlooked by the
Jungfrau in winter The Bernese Oberland designates primarily an area around the upper valley of the
Aare with its many larger and smaller side-valleys. It makes up the northern side the
Bernese Alps and includes most of its highest peaks:
Finsteraarhorn (),
Jungfrau (),
Mönch (),
Schreckhorn (),
Gross Fiescherhorn () and
Lauteraarhorn (). Other lower ranges partially in the Bernese Oberland are the
Uri Alps (east) and the
Emmental Alps (north). Its largest part and the Alpine part of the Aare before the river enters
Lake Brienz is called the
Haslital culminating on the
Grimsel Pass at its southeastern corner connecting with the
Goms in the
Upper Valais, and
Andermatt in
canton of Uri (UR) via the
Furka Pass. And its major side-valley, called the
Gadmertal, on its most eastern point culminates at the
Susten Pass just south of the
Titlis (
OW) connecting with the valley of the Alpine
Reuss (UR), the northern part of the
St. Gotthard Route. The
Joch Pass to the northeast at the beginning of the
Gental, a foot pass west of the Titlis connecting to the
canton of Nidwalden (NW) and further down to the resort
Engelberg in the
canton of Obwalden (OW). North and above of
Meiringen is the ski and hiking resort
Hasliberg just on the other side of the ski resort
Melchsee-Frutt (OW). The low
Brünig Pass to the north connects Meiringen and the Haslital with the upper canton of Obwalden and further down to
Central Switzerland and
Lucerne (LU). Above of
Brienz on the northeastern shore of Lake Brienz soars the
Brienzer Rothorn, the highest summit of the prominent mountain range dominating the north shore of the Lake Brienz as far as its western end above Interlaken with the
Harder. The easternmost section of the ridge constitutes the border with the
canton of Lucerne (LU), but the western part is fully in Bernese territory. The region of
Habkern, north of the Harder, is one of the few valleys on the right side of the Aare. South of Interlaken the short valley of the
Lütschine opens to the most well-known valleys of the Bernese Oberland, namely the
Lauterbrunnental to the south, and the valley of the
Schwarze Lütschine to the east with
Grindelwald situated just below the
Eiger,
Schreckhorn, and
Wetterhorn. Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen are separated by the
Kleine Scheidegg pass, which is accessible from both sides via a rack railway, and which is the starting point of the
Jungfrau Railway to the
Jungfraujoch, a saddle between the Jungfrau and Mönch (literally, German
Joch translates to
yoke). On the southeastern side of the mountain range formed by Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau lies the head of the largest glacier of the Alps, the
Aletsch Glacier, which however entirely lies on the soil of the
canton of Valais (VS). Via the upper, southern end of the Lauterbrunnental the experienced hiker can reach the
Kandertal by traversing the
Tschingel and
Kander Neve from northeast to southwest. West of the Lauterbrunnental the
Schilthorn rises, separating the valley of the
Weisse Lütschine from the
Kiental. The Lauterbrunnen Valley is connected to the Kiental via the
Sefinafurgga, a high Alpine hiking pass, and further to the Kander Valley via the
Hohtürli, another high Alpine hiking pass, on the north flank of the
Blümlisalp range.
Kandersteg, at the north entrance of the old
Lötschberg Tunnel (1913, 14 km), which connects the Bernese Oberland with the German-speaking part of the Valais, opens up to the north to
Frutigen where it is joined by the
Entschligetal from the southwest, with the ski resort of
Adelboden at its southern end. Adelboden and its sister resort
Lenk join their respective areas to an extended and unified ski and hiking area across another mountain range. Lenk is situated at the southern end of the Obersimmental, the upper part of the
Simmental, which again joins the
Kander of the Kandertal just south of
Spiez at the southern shore of
Lake Thun after the Kander flows through the
Frutigtal. Above Spiez rises the
Niesen, offering a wide view over the Bernese part of the
Swiss Plateau to the northwest.
Zweisimmen, still part of the Obersimmental, lies south of Boltigen, the junction of the upper and lower parts of the Simmental. From
Erlenbach in the Niedersimmental, the lower valley of the
Simme, one can access the
Stockhorn by cable cars to the west, the one summit of the Bernese Oberland with the probably most unobstructive view over the Bernese Lowlands and
Thun. Not far from Erlenbach, one can access the
Diemtigtal to the south with the
Gsür to its very south end, also rising directly above Adelboden. Zweisimmen also connects to
Saanen and
Gstaad via the small pass of
Saanenmöser, with the Louwene Valley and the upper valley of the
Saane south of Gstaad. After flowing northwards, in Saanen the Saane turns to the west, firstly, in order to become
La Sarine in the now French-speaking
canton of Vaud (VD), and secondly, opens a railway connection to
Montreux at the eastern shore of
Lake Geneva. The
Jaun Pass, a road pass, connects the Simmental near Reidenbach with
La Gruyère, the valley when
La Sarine turns north again, and the town of
Bulle in the
canton of Fribourg (FR), west of the
Lac de la Gruyère. North of Spiez, right across Lake Thun, on its northern shore, lies the
Niederhorn, the south end of the northernmost mountain range of significant elevation of the Bernese Oberland, with the
Gemmenalphorn and the
Hohgant at the other end, separated by a small valley from the Harder on its southeast. At the west end of Lake Thun, at the outlet of the river Aare, lies the town of
Thun, which already belongs to the Swiss Plateau, not far from
Bern to the northwest. ==Administrative division==