Bern, Switzerland · Europe
Biel/Bienne is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Orvin, 45km from Creux du Van.
Biel/Bienne is in Bern, Switzerland, with about 55,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Orvin, about 4 km away.
Biel/Bienne (official bilingual wording; German: Biel [biːl] ; French: Bienne [bjɛn]; Alemannic German: Biu [biːu]) is a bilingual city and municipality in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. With over 55,000 residents, it is the country's tenth-largest city by population. The Biel/Bienne urban area has a population ofRead more
around 100,000 inhabitants. Biel/Bienne is the capital of the Biel/Bienne administrative district. The city has been an industrial and watchmaking heart of Switzerland since the 19th century. With world-famous watch brands such as Rolex, Omega and Swatch based in Biel/Bienne, the city is one of the main centres of the Swiss watch industry and is also referred to as the "world capital of watchmaking".
Biel/Bienne lies on the language boundary between the French-speaking and German-speaking parts of Switzerland, and is bilingual throughout. Biel is the German name for the city whereas Bienne is its French counterpart. The city is often referred to in both languages simultaneously. Since 1 January 2005, the official name has been "Biel/Bienne". Until then, the town was officially named Biel or Bienne.
The city lies at the foot of the first mountain range of the Jura Mountains area, guarding the only practical connection to Jura, on the northeastern shores of Lake Biel (Bielersee, Lac de Bienne), sharing the eastern tip of the lake with its sister town, Nidau. The cities of Neuchâtel, Solothurn, and Bern (the capital of Switzerland) lie southwest, northeast and southeast of Biel/Bienne. They all can be reached within about 30 minutes by train or car. The cities of Zurich, Basel and Lausanne can each be reached in about one hour by car or train.
Compare prices across Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and more. Select your dates to see availability.
Pick your must-haves once: provider links open pre-filtered. Each filter lists which sites it applies to.
Compare before you book!
Prices can vary significantly between platforms. We recommend checking at least 2-3 sites to find the best deal for your stay in Biel/Bienne.
Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Biel/Bienne.
Within an hour or so of Biel/Bienne: Circuit Bremgarten (24 km), Bern Old Town (26 km), Kaufdorf VW Beetle Graveyard (34 km), Creux du Van (45 km).
The nearest famous roads are Circuit Bremgarten, Gurnigel Pass and Jaun Pass.
Biel/Bienne is in Bern, Switzerland, about 4 km from Orvin.
Road trip
Add it as a stop and the planner works out the driving, the nights and what's worth seeing on the way.
Start planningSwipe through places to go
Places within a drive of Biel/Bienne. Keep the ones you like and add them to your trip.
Essential numbers in Switzerland
Motorway vignette (toll sticker) required: buy at the border or online. Roadside assistance (TCS): 140.
Full driving guide for Switzerland8 notable places within an hour's drive.
historic highway
The 7.3km forest circuit outside Bern where racing ended after Switzerland banned circuit motorsport in 1955. Its dappled, constantly curving roads through the Bremgartenwald are open to traffic and eerily unchanged.
24 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Switzerland's UNESCO-listed capital, a medieval gem with 6 kilometres of arcaded walkways, the Zytglogge clock tower, and bear park.
26 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Atmospheric forest clearing filled with rusting classic Volkswagen Beetles, a pilgrimage site for VW enthusiasts.
34 km · about 40 min drive
natural wonder
A vast natural rock amphitheatre with vertical 160m cliffs, a wild ridge-walk in the Jura.
45 km · about 50 min drive
mountain pass
A quiet ridge road in the Bernese Prealps with a long panorama over the Stockhorn chain.
48 km · about 55 min drive
landmark
Switzerland's oldest and most visited zoo, affectionately known as 'Zolli', with a strong conservation focus.
52 km · about 60 min drive
museum
Peugeot's corporate museum tracing the brand's journey from pepper mills and bicycles to modern automobiles.
52 km · about 60 min drive
museum
Striking rotunda in Muttenz where a spiral ramp climbs past decades of classic cars and motorcycles: part museum, part working forum for Basel's vintage-car scene.
53 km · about 60 min drive
8 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 100km.
April to October
Other places to explore near Biel/Bienne.
Your trip starts here
Pick the days, drop in the stops, and share it with whoever's coming.