Merlingen pilgrimage path Hiking along
the Jacob`s trail

The pilgrimage path leads you from the sunny village of Merlingen via the St. Beatus caves all the way to Interlaken West. An easy and enjoyable route above the magnificent Lake Thun. Make sure to explore the magical caves and take a lunch break on the shores of the crystal-clear Lake Thun. You won´t regret it!

Merlingen | Mediterranean vibes on the bank of Lake Thun

The pilgrimage path starts in the sunny village of Merlingen in canton Bern.

Due to its wonderful location at the southern slope of the Niederhorn, Merlingen enjoys a Mediterranean climate all year round. Located right at the bank of Lake Thun, Merlingen is the ideal place to relax and experience peace and quiet.

Palm trees, blue skies, a mild lake breeze and the panorama of the Bernese Alps welcomed us. The holiday mode was suddenly switched on!

From the bus stop we followed the yellow signs in the direction of Beatushöhlen (Pilgerweg / Jakobsweg). The path led us up through the village and into the forest.

At the top, benches invited us to take a break and enjoy the beautiful panorama of Lake Thun and the surrounding mountains. Especially one mountain dominates the scenic views: Niesen a.k.a. The Pyramid (2´362 metres asl).

We sat down and made plans for the upcoming summer hiking season.

Somebody in the hiking community called the hike up Niesen mountain once “a beast of a hike”. This is probably due to the 1´700 metres gain of elevation in a never-ending sweaty ascent.

That sounds just like the right challenge for one of those really high-energy, very high-performance days!

New goals were set and new plans created, right there and then.

On a side note: The Niesen summit can be reached via a funicular. It can also be reached via the longest stairway in the world, with 11,674 steps.

Now listen up! This stairway is open to the public once a year. FOR. A. STAIR. RUN. EVENT.

Yes, you read correctly. A stair RUN event. I say no more.

After having dreamt about great mountain achievements, we continued on our pilgrimage route.

Next stop | The Balmholz quarry

The quarry was without a doubt an unexpected and ´never-seen-before-in-my-life´ sight.

The quarry sits right underneath the lake. You almost get the feeling like the lake could spill over anytime. A weird, but fascinating sight.

The biggest highlight of the trail comes up next:

The magnificent St. Beatus Caves & waterfalls

The name of the St. Beatus Caves goes back to the Irish messenger of faith: Saint Beatus. According to the belief, he inhabited the cave in the 6^th century.

The legend cannot be proven, but it is known for certain that Stone Age people already lived in the cave.

Situated high above Lake Thun, the limestone cave system – a natural wonder millions of years old – is certainly going to amaze you.

Visitors can explore the interior of the mountain for about one kilometre on a well-developed and illuminated path. Attractions include the stalactite grottos with interior canyons, waterfalls and the cave museum.

Due to Corona restrictions, we skipped the visit and just marvelled at the caves from the outside. The waterfalls are simply amazing. I mean, look at it!

By the moment we had left the St. Beatus caves behind, however, I instantly regretted that decision. Hence, be cautious and keep the restrictions in mind, but don´t skip this experience! We will definitely come back!!

After the caves, we followed the pilgrimage path towards Interlaken. The path, partially blasted out of the rock, is easily passable.

We were granted another highlight before we arrived at our final destination Interlaken West: A one-of-a-kind-lunch-spot.

At the bank of the turquoise waters of Lake Thun, we enjoyed our sandwiches and the sunshine. Do you remember that holiday mode which was mentioned at the beginning of this blog?

Conclusion: The Jacob´s trail from Merlingen is a very easy and enjoyable hike. It offers stunning views of Lake Thun along the way. Don´t miss visiting the magical St. Beatus caves!