Hiking in Emmental: to the crocuses at Rämisgummen

The village of Eggiwil in Emmental is known in the spring for being the starting point for hiking through the beautiful hilly landscape to Rämisgummenhoger and the Alp Rämisgummen, where you will find meadows flooded with wild crocuses around mid-April. Since I saw an article and beautiful photos of meadows strewn with wild crocuses on a blog a few years ago, I couldn’t wait to go on this route ourselves. Last year it was impossible for well-known reasons (the village itself discouraged from the visit), so I couldn’t wait to make it this year. Maybe I couldn’t wait too long, and we set up too soon. The crocuses were not in full bloom yet. Anyway, I can now bring you this post with three hiking routes to see the crocuses.

Updated: 7.4.2024

Eggiwil

Eggiwil is a small village in Emmental, about 13 km south of Langnau and about 40 km southeast of Bern. You can get to Eggiwil by bus BLS line 271 from Signau (to the stop Eggiwil, Dorf). You can also get to Signau by S2 train, either from Bern or Langnau im Emmental.

We set off by car: first, we went to Signau, where we turned toward Schallenberg/Eggiwil/Signau/Schüpbach. We left the car behind the covered wooden bridge (parking lot in front of Gasthof Bären). Another option is to drive 250 meters further to the local church.

When do crocuses bloom?

The flowering of crocuses depends very much on the weather and altitude. Still, in general, the wild crocuses on the Rämisgummen do not start to bloom until the beginning of mid-April. Once in full bloom, they can last more or less a week. I would probably recommend following #rämisgummen on Instagram, where people like to show off their photos of crocuses as soon as they bloom. Also, please take a look at the website of the municipality of Eggiwil, although I can not say for sure to what extent the photos are up to date (date is not given, but photos from the day I write this article correspond to the situation on the day of our hike).

Trail Eggiwil – Hinter Rämisgummen – Vorder Rämisgummen – Eggiwil

On the website of Eggiwil you will find the route to Rämisgummen. You can see the same in the premium (paid) section of the Tourenplaner SCHWEIZ website. And even though our kids are quite proficient hikers, we thought that over 17 kilometers would be quite a lot for the first spring hike, so I was looking for an alternative to shorten the route. And finally, with the help of the Czech portal Mapy.cz, I found a route that measures less than 15 kilometers 🙂

The route, therefore, starts in the village of Eggiwil – from the signpost in the center of the village, head in the direction of Ober Steinboden, Rämisgummen. This signpost says that you will be on the Rämmisgummen in 2 hours and 15 minutes.

The yellow sign led us across Heidbüel (a mini-golf course is here) and continued across the bridge towards the forest. Before you reach the forest, this section leads along the road, so be careful here, especially with kids. Otherwise, you are now following the Trans Swiss Trail No.2.

Through the forest

About 1.5 kilometers from the beginning of the route, you enter the forest, where a steep climb begins. During the hike to Rämisgummenhoger, you must overcome an elevation gain of almost 600 meters.

Ober Steinboden

The terrain flattens a bit when you reach the farm on Ober Steinboden. Behind the farm, you can also see the first crocuses in the pastures.

As I wrote, we set off quite early, so there was still snow at a height of about 1,200 m above sea level. But even through it, crocuses managed to break through.

Rämisgummen

At the signpost to Rämisgummen, we could enjoy the views of the surrounding area, even though gray clouds swirled over the rocky peaks.

Rämisgummenhoger

We still had a short climb to Rämisgummehoger, which rises at an altitude of 1,301 m above sea level. There is also a small fireplace at the top, where you can roast something good (even sharpened rods have been prepared here). From here, the route leads only downhill.

Vorder Rämisgummen

When you reach the Vorder Rämisgummen signpost, you can head to Bergrestaurant Erika. It is said to be about 15 minutes walk. Unfortunately, the restaurant is closed now.

But we continued to the left down the hill toward Blapbach. We still had 8 kilometers back to Eggiwil.

Part of the route is also located on the 777 Erlebnis tour cycle path, which connects to the local Kambly biscuit factory in Trubschachen. Along the way, we took a short break on the farm of the Thomi family, whose cows graze in the Blapbach area and deliver milk to the local cheese factory, where butter is made for Kambly biscuits.

Once you reach Hintergirsgrat, expect a steep descent. I guarantee your knees will cry, but that’s how it goes when hiking in Emmental.

Route Eggiwil – Rämisgummen – Trubschachen

Another option, especially if you don’t mind arriving/departing by public transport, is the route from Eggiwil via Hinter Rämisgummen and then descending to Trubschachen.

Here, before you board the train, you can end your hike with a sweet treat at Kambly Erlebnis.

Route Bergrestaurant Erika – Hinter Rämisgummen

The shortest option, especially if you have more minor children, is to drive straight to Bergrestaurant Erika and, from there, walk less than two kilometers to the crocus meadows on Hinter Rämisgummen. And then back again. But be aware that the number of parking spaces here is limited.

Summary

• The route measures less than 15 kilometers and is more suitable for more advanced little hikers. We also spent almost 6 hours with all the stops for wiping sweat from the forehead, snacks, and, of course, taking photos of crocuses on the route, so really take it as a day trip.