Sandsteinpfad Krauchthal
Four disused quarries form the stations of the Krauchthal sandstone trail.
Krauchthal is located in the Bernese Sandstone region. This building material was used here and elsewhere as early as the early Middle Ages, as evidenced by several quarries. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, several quarries were closed as other building materials replaced sandstone.
Themed trail
The sandstone trail leads through four disused quarries around the village of Krauchthal, where the impact of sedimentary rock mining on the landscape is still clearly visible today. The themed trail is an easy hike with no major inclines that can be completed in an hour. The route is 2.5 km long. The richly illustrated information boards along the themed trail provide visitors with information about the formation, quarrying, and use of sandstone in the Emmental, as well as interesting facts about the flora and fauna in the region and local history. As is customary in the Emmental, the Krauchthal region is also steeped in legends and myths – these are also highlighted on the Krauchthal Sandstone Trail.
Guided tours
The Krauchthal Museum offers guided tours along the sandstone trail. Sandstone is very soft and therefore easy to carve. On request and by appointment, tool sets can be borrowed so that visitors can try their hand at working with sandstone and become stonemasons themselves.
Schools and groups
The themed trail is suitable for schools and groups.
Tour details
Starting point: Dieterswaldstrasse
Length of the trail: approx. 2.5 km
Hiking time: at least 1 hour
Signage: brown signposts with lettering or weather vanes
Requirements: some narrow paths, not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs
Themed trail
The sandstone trail leads through four disused quarries around the village of Krauchthal, where the impact of sedimentary rock mining on the landscape is still clearly visible today. The themed trail is an easy hike with no major inclines that can be completed in an hour. The route is 2.5 km long. The richly illustrated information boards along the themed trail provide visitors with information about the formation, quarrying, and use of sandstone in the Emmental, as well as interesting facts about the flora and fauna in the region and local history. As is customary in the Emmental, the Krauchthal region is also steeped in legends and myths – these are also highlighted on the Krauchthal Sandstone Trail.
Guided tours
The Krauchthal Museum offers guided tours along the sandstone trail. Sandstone is very soft and therefore easy to carve. On request and by appointment, tool sets can be borrowed so that visitors can try their hand at working with sandstone and become stonemasons themselves.
Schools and groups
The themed trail is suitable for schools and groups.
Tour details
Starting point: Dieterswaldstrasse
Length of the trail: approx. 2.5 km
Hiking time: at least 1 hour
Signage: brown signposts with lettering or weather vanes
Requirements: some narrow paths, not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs
