Beautiful lakes, rolling vineyards, mediaeval villages and dynamic towns lie at the feet of the Swiss Jura. You can discover traces of past centuries, or even millennia, between Olten and Geneva on the Jura Southern Foot Route. This varied 260-kilometre (160 mi) route leads to impressive castles, Romanesque churches, Roman mosaics and baroque facades that tell their stories.

In five stages, you’ll discover the cultural and linguistic diversity between the Jura heights and Lake Biel, Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Geneva. You’ll cycle from the German-speaking part of Switzerland to the French-speaking part. The first three stages are relaxed and only have a few metres of elevation gain. The last two require a little more muscle power as you climb up into the Jura Vaudois nature park. You’ll mostly ride on asphalt and occasionally on fine gravel.

Starting from Olten in the canton of Solothurn, the Jurasüdfuss-Route initially takes you through the Gäus Plain to the baroque town of Solothurn. You’ll ride through the alluvial plain of the meandering Aare to your first endpoint – Grenchen. From here, the route heads into the beautiful Seeland region and to the bilingual metropolis of Biel. You’ll cycle along the southern shore of Lake Biel to charming Neuchâtel on Lake Neuchâtel (Lac de Neuchâtel), your second overnight stop.

The third day runs along the magnificent Lake Neuchâtel's northern shore, with its sun-drenched vineyards, cosy bathing spots, splendid castles and dreamy villages. From Yverdons-les-Bains on the fourth stage, you’ll climb the panoramic heights of the Jura Vaudois nature park. Passing through Orbe and Romainmôtier, you’ll reach your destination for the day in Bière. On the last section down to the famous Lake Geneva, you can enjoy sweeping views as far as Mont Blanc. Your destination, Geneva, deserves an extra day of exploration before you start your journey home.

Olten, Geneva and the stage towns have rail connections, which means you can flexibily plan and divide the route as you like. The Jurasüdfuss-Route is rich in history – from the lakeshore to the heights of the Jura.