June 2023
The perfect weather forecast pushed us to an impromptu biking weekend getaway to the bucolic village of Gsteig and the secluded lake of Arnensee.
Stats: 24km, +650m elevation ( from 1,200m to a peak of 1,700m)
We spent the afternoon walking around Gsteig. This is a tiny picturesque village in the Bernese Canton and near to the more famous VIP village of Gstaad. It is mostly known as a quick launch pad onto the Sanetsch Pass and Sanetsch Lake via a small privately owned cable car (more on this link).
Apart from some old charming farmhouses, the main landmark is an impressive small church built in from 1453. Its bell tower and its white stone walls are cast onto the mountain backdrop and blue sky. The old mystical atmosphere is also created by old German Swiss writings on the inside walls of the church.
Around the area there are a lot of long but flattish biking routes. However, for the following day, we preferred the more aerobic parcour up the mountain to the Arnensee (1,600m).
The road from Feutersoey to the lake is a continuous 6km uphill, asphalted, shaded by trees.
The arrival by the lake is magnificent, with the crystal blue water basin opening up surrounded by forest covered mountain walls. To limit the access to the lake, entrance to motor-vehicles is allowed after paying a small fee. Indeed the lake is a popular fishing destination.
To spice up the return trip with my MTB bike, I had mapped an off road trail that initially led us further uphill.
But from there, the descent turned out to be quite impervious, steep and slippery (a tough hiking trail really), which forced us to walk instead of ride the bikes for a couple of kilometers down to the main road. Hence, a bike & hike adventure 😜.
Links to Introduction and nearby Sections:
bikeswitzerlandblog 