Signau: Village History and Hiking Trails in the Emmental

Discover Signau through its historic village centre and hikes in the Emmental landscape. Between farmhouses, bridges and church buildings, you will encounter different eras; all around, forests, pastures, farms and hamlets shape the landscape. You can focus on local history, plan a loop to a viewpoint, or include both in your stay.

Historic Houses and the Village Centre Inventory

In 1976, Signau’s village centre was included in the Swiss Federal Inventory of Heritage Sites of National Importance. The Bauernhäuser Lichtgut building group comprises two imposing farmhouses and a granary dating from 1745. Individual buildings also tell the story of different architectural styles and former uses. The Gasthof zum Roten Thurm is a late Baroque plastered building over an older core and was built in 1769. It has been mentioned as an inn since the 16th century; in the past, it was known as “zum höchen Huus”.

The Moser House was built between 1756 and 1760 as an imposing timber-frame building beneath a half-hipped roof with a kinked slope. Its open upper floor originally served as a drying room for textiles: farmers brought their homespun cloth there to be dyed. The Beck House, a representative timber-frame building with a segmental-arched Ründi, dates back approximately to 1788. For a time, it served as a “Salzbütti”, or salt shop, during the era of the salt monopoly. In 1977, the house was moved back three metres from the road.

The church precinct also brings together several historic buildings. The church has Romanesque origins dating from the 13th or 14th century, was later given a slight Gothic elevation, and underwent extensive renovation in 1850. The precinct also includes the parsonage from 1742, the Pfarrstöckli from 1792, and a wooden bridge connecting the parsonage and the church. A Bourbaki memorial stone commemorates four soldiers who died in Signau Church after their internment.

Bridges add a history of their own to the village landscape. The first bridge at the site of the Schüpbach Bridge was built in 1550 and was the first bridge in the Emmental that could be crossed by vehicles. The Schüpbach Bridge was rebuilt in 1839 as a pierless arch structure. Until the bypass road was built in 1980, it formed part of the cantonal road from Bern to Langnau.

Hiking Between Viewpoints and Local History

Well-marked hiking trails lead from Signau to viewpoints in the Upper Emmental. The Emmental landscape around Signau includes patches of woodland, open pastures, scattered farms and hamlets, and is criss-crossed by numerous officially signposted hiking trails. A historic circular hike leads from Signau to the ruins of Alt-Signau Castle and back. Along the way are Signau Church, old church bells and a historic sunken lane.

Another option is the Waldhäusern circular hike: it starts and ends in Signau and passes through Ofeneggalp, Waldhäusern and the Niedermattgraben. The trail runs mostly through forests and meadows and reaches the Waldhäusern viewpoint. By contrast, the loop to Alt-Signau focuses on historic sites, while the Waldhäusern route combines the viewpoint with sections through woodland and meadows. Another hiking route leads from Signau to Eggiwil via Schüpbach, Howacht and Blapbach. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

The elevations also help orient you to the landscape: Signau’s fog-free area stretches from Eygrund, at 647 metres above sea level, to Blasenflue, at 1,115 metres above sea level. If you are looking for a different perspective on the Emmental, you can make the viewpoints and varied routes the focus of your day’s plans instead of concentrating on the historic sites in the village centre.

Other Activities and Getting There

At Cowpassion events, you can get close to cows and oxen and learn more about herd life and animal communication. Contact with the animals is voluntary; if no animal approaches you, your visit may be limited to observing them. Check dates and tickets before travelling. In summer, swimming in the Emme is one of the family activities mentioned by the municipality; check water conditions and local guidance before swimming.

The S2 takes just over half an hour to reach Bern from Signau; the journey to Langnau takes about eight minutes. As these travel times depend on the timetable, check it before setting off. This lets you combine your journey with a visit to the historic village centre, a hike, or both.

Discover more destinations: Oberfrittenbach, Schangnau, Rüderswil, Langnau in the Emmental, Signau, Gohl, Zollbrück, Eggiwil, Lauperswil, Röthenbach in the Emmental, Trubschachen.

Back to the main travel overview: Bern.