Gäggersteg is a short wooden walkway through the Gägger forest that was almost entirely uprooted by the winter storm Lothar. In 1999 the storm-swept across central Europe that caused a lot of damages.
The storm Lothar left a visible damages wherever it swept through and the Gägger forest in Gantrisch Nature park in the Canton of Bern was not an exception.
The picture is borrowed from Here
The storm damage at the Gägger forest can be seen from the Gäggersteg or awell known as the Lothar Sturmhalzsteg.
From Bern the Gäggersteg is only about 30 km away but it took us nearly an hour to reach the starting point of the trail and the parking by the Schwarzenbühl hotel. To put on the GPS is Schwarzenbühl 84, Riffenmatt.
From the parking, walk about 20 m up to the restaurant and cross the road and just follow the trail.
The trail is steep but it is a short climb for about 15min with about 150 m elevation gain.
When you reach up, turn right where you will pass two benches and then finally you will arrive to the beginning of the Lothar Sturmholzsteg.
The Gäggersteg wooden walk way was built in 2000, a year after the Lothar hit the forest. The forest has been ever since untouched and is in the original state after the storm.
This nature reserve is protected to let the nature grow without any human intervention, for the insects and the mushrooms to have a living space in the fallen trees.
The forest is recovering slowly but surely by its own pace and in its own way.
About another 10 min walk there is a Panaroma restaurant.
As we both forgot our wallet at home and couldn’t have a hot chocolate as we promised Mirabelle, she had a meltdown.
From here we walked the same way back to the car but I know there are tons of hikes to do around this area for an example an easy hike to the Gantrisch lake, but we decided to go home. This time it was a short excursion but sometimes we don’t need more!
Does anyone of you remember the Lothar storm?
6 Comments
Next time don’t forget your wallet ať home 😉
Naturpark Gantrisch is on my hiking list too. I didn’t have any idea about the Gäggersteg/Lothar walk - it’s really interesting that the place have been left like that!
Lite sorgligt att se skadorna, men åh vilken vacker vandring ändå! 🙂
Oh wow what an interesting and unique please to explore an discover with kids. Also the storm damage seen so many years later thats incredible!! I really want to go here now
Laura x
Your pictures are beautiful and this place is very nice. I think I would have a meltdown too if I didn’t get hot chocolate!
This is such a lovely idea, I am so in the mood for a nice Autumn hike, thanks for sharing!
Thanks Shinta! Hope you will manage to do one of these walks!