Lake Biel and Regional Villages Attractions

The Bieler See (Lake Biel) or Lac de Bienne (alt. 429 m/1,408ft: area 39 sq. km/15 sq. mi), forms the boundary between two geological regions, the limestone formations of the Jura and the molasse (soft greenish sandstone) of the area around the lakes. On the north side of the lake the slopes of the Jura fall steeply down, with the German-speaking villages of Tüscherz, Twann and Ligerz, once belonging to Burgundy. The shore on the south side, less visited by tourists, is flatter, and in prehistoric times was occupied by numerous lake-dwellings built on piles. At the south end of the lake lies the popular resort of St Peterinsel (St Peter's Island), the southeast side of which is the haunt of large numbers of waterfowl.

In 1878, as a result of the control of the River Aare, the level of the lake was lowered by some 2 m/7ft. The Aare, which had previously flowed past the lake 7km/4mi to the east, was then diverted into the lake by the construction of a canal at Hagneck and brought back to its original bed by another canal from Nidau to Büren. As a result soil and debris carried down by the river were deposited in the lake.

A circuit of the lake provides an opportunity of seeing the beautiful scenery of its shores and a series of attractive little towns and villages, in the area in the canton of Berne. Three-quarters of the area is planted with the white Chasselas grape, a fifth with the red Pinot Noir. Vines are also grown at Ligerz, Tüscherz, Vingelz, Tscugg, La Neuveville and Alfermée and on St Peterinsel.