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SWATCH Headquarters – Schüssinsel Park loop from Biel/Bienne

SWATCH Headquarters – Schüssinsel Park loop from Biel/Bienne

Easy

5.0

(3)

riders

SWATCH Headquarters – Schüssinsel Park loop from Biel/Bienne

01:26

28.5km

70m

Gravel riding

Easy gravel ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: June 27, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

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1.47 km

Schüss Waterfall in Biel/Bienne

Highlight • Waterfall

The source of the Schüss is above the hamlet of Le Cerf at the top of the Vallon de Saint-Imier, one of the longitudinal valleys of the folded Jura at 966 m above sea level. The Schüss follows the valley in a northeasterly and later easterly direction to Reuchenette.

Schüss near Reuchenette, around 1867
Here the Schüss breaks through to the south in a classic Jura gorge. Shortly before it emerges into the Mittelland, it forms the Taubenlochschlucht. The hiking trail through the gorge has had to be closed several times due to the risk of rockfalls.

The Schüss then flows through Biel/Bienne, where its hydropower was used intensively in the age of industrialization. In Biel the Schüss divides into two natural and one artificial branch. The southern branch – the Madretschschüss – flows directly into the Zihl, the northern branch – the Bielschüss – first passes under the old town, then joins the artificially created Schüss canal and finally flows into Lake Biel at an altitude of 429 m above sea level.

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2.02 km

SWATCH Headquarters

Highlight • Monument

After almost five years of construction, Swatch inaugurated its new headquarters in Biel in October 2019 - one of the world's largest wooden structures designed by the Japanese star architect Shigeru Ban. This building, which heralds a new chapter in the brand's history, challenges current conventions, just like the watches that are made here.

The winner of the Pritzker Prize 2014 Shigeru Ban, born in Tokyo in 1957, is known for its filigree structures and unconventional methods as well as for its significant contribution to innovation and humanity in architecture. The Swatch Group worked with the architect for the first time at the Nicolas G. Hayek Center in Tokyo, which opened in 2007. In 2011, his design for the new Swatch headquarters, the new Omega factory and the Cité du Temps won the Swatch Group architectural competition. Shigeru Ban was particularly convincing with its original and at the same time pragmatic concept and the ability to reflect the spirit of the brand in each of these buildings. He also took the existing buildings and the surrounding area into account and included them in the project.

The building
The shimmering, curved silhouette of the new Swatch building extends over a total length of 240 meters and a width of 35 meters. At its highest point, the facade measures 27 meters. The unusual design breaks with the conventions of classic office building architecture and blends harmoniously into the urban environment. The shape of the building awakens the imagination - like a work of art, the interpretation is in the eye of the beholder.
The arched facade with an area of over 11,000 m2 gently rises towards the entrance and transition to the Cité du Temps. Outside and inside, different leitmotifs run through the architecture of the building with curved shapes, colors and transparency as well as the unusual use of classic materials and building elements.

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2.24 km

Buvette Schüssinsel

Highlight • Cafe

The Buvette is open again for the 2025 season!

The Buvette on the Schüss Island is a very special place – for a quick lunch in the sun, a beer after work, or a cozy Sunday with refreshments by the water.

The Buvette is located on the island created by the renaturalized Schüss River in the urban park, in the immediate vicinity of the unique Swatch building.

More information: battenberg.ch/de/buvette-und-chappelle-nouvel-auf-der-schuessinsel

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2.39 km

Schüss-Park

Highlight • Natural

The official bike trails lead through the beautiful Schüss Park, which offers plenty of opportunities to play and linger.

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2.48 km

Schüssinsel Park

Highlight • Rest Area

Recreation and leisure area in the middle of Biel.

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10.8 km

Leugene Recreation Area

Highlight (Segment) • River

A wonderful stretch of road along a small stream dammed by beavers. With a little luck you can even watch beavers at dusk. They are quite active and cut trees too. In addition to beavers, there are also various water birds.

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