It was a wet September morning in central Switzerlands Emmental Valley.
Feathery clouds drifted over wooden chalets, and cows with bells around their necks grazed in the fields.
Boss and I, alone on the road, were lost in conversation.
From left: The Rehärze snack and charging kiosk near Schüpfheim; Paul Hasler, one of the founders of the Heart Route, Switzerland’s cross-country bike network.Credit:From left: CHRISTOF SONDEREGGER/COURTESY OF HERZROUTE; Courtesy of Paul Hasler
But its nice to be able to ride and talk.
I picked three loops that, taken over three days, would showcase the soul of the region.
I grabbed one and joined Boss for a 30-mile ride east of town.
Cyclists ride e-bikes between Willisau and Burgdorf, in Switzerland’s Emmental Valley.CHRISTOF SONDEREGGER/COURTESY OF HERZROUTE
Along the way, grassy lowlands gave way to forests flush with wild chanterelles.
I demurred; wed only been riding for 20 minutes.
What a pretty farmhouse!
What a pretty farmer!
she joked, waving as we rolled away.
It was spectacular, and it was all ours.
In the morning, I packed my things and left the castle to catch the half-hour train to Langnau.
The Bernese didnt like how they only served God, Blaser said.
On my last day, I finally met one of the architects of the Emmentals e-bike rise.
They stocked restaurants, cafes, and hotels along the way with Flyer e-bike batteries.
I wanted people to have access to places where the Swiss still keep old traditions, Hasler told me.
It had to be romantic.
Two decades later, Hasler has also been instrumental in getting the Hugu Himu loops off the ground.
(One difference from when he started out?
Today, bike batteries last so much longer you could ride all day, making battery swapping obsolete.)
This is the magic of riding through the Emmental.
Here, everything feels so …
He paused to find the right word.
