The Aare rises on the Grimsel, from where it plunges still untamed down to the valley. It then bursts though the impressive Aareschlucht gorge and flows into the Brienzersee and shortly afterwards the Thunersee. In Thun it leaves the Alps and becomes an easy-to-travel winding river. The Berner Aare Kanu route begins a few kilometres downriver in Uttigen. The water is cold and you never tire of admiring its emerald-green colour.

Although the Aare here flows through a densely populated area, it has kept its surprisingly untamed character. Part of its water repeatedly disappears into numerous side streams, creating Switzerland’s largest water-meadow landscape. Canoeists glide though a bewitching wilderness, carried along by a fast current.

The contrast becomes all the greater when the Bundeshaus (Swiss Federal Parliament building) suddenly appears between shores covered with lush vegetation. You effectively reach Bern through the back door. The old town is a UNESO World Heritage and well worth a visit.