Passing through the southern Oberaargau alongside proud farmhouses

From the Dürrenroth bus stop, walk past the church and down to the railway line. Heading north, cross this and the national road. The footpath immediately climbs over the sunny mound to the hamlet of Tschättebach. As you continue to climb, your vista widens and takes in the impressive village of Dürrenroth, situated on a terrace on the other side of the valley. Among the five bells in the church's steeple is one of the oldest in Switzerland, the Laurentius bell, which dates from 1392. Behind the village, the slope, scattered with isolated farms, rises to the dark Oberwald ridge and the legend-imbued "Bärhegenchnübeli" peak. Niesen and the Stockhorn mountain range appear above this. You will soon reach the farmsteads on the Chabisberg. This hill used to be written "Kapisberg", since this is where the farmhouse belonging to a person named "Chapi" or "Kaspar" once stood. These high-altitude meadows originally only served as pastures. Field names like "Ross-, Kuh-, Mühle-, Gruben- and Chabisbergweid" (horse, cow, mill, pit and 'Chabis' mountain pasture) attest to this. The next five kilometres of this route offer an incomparable high-altitude walk! In the immediate vicinity, the gently undulating hills of the southern Oberaargau with its impressive farmhouses. To the north, the blue band of the Jura mountains, to the south the Napf mountain chain and, outshone by the dazzling magnificence of the Alps, the Alpine foothills. Shortly after having passed the proud farmhouses and the cheese dairy in Gansenberg, a slightly different sight will make its presence felt (15 minutes to Walterswil). Extremely picturesque Walterswil, with its beautiful little church, will already have been visible in the valley for some time. Continue along an almost flat trail at this altitude, often across open fields, sometimes along short stretches of forest, to Gschwänd (30 mins to Dietwilschyne-Kleindietwil), where the descent to Ursenbach begins. The present-day Ursenbach church, built in 1640, has particularly valuable stained glass windows. These date from the period 1515 to 1523, the height of stained glass production. One pane depicts Saint Ursus who gave the village its name. No less famous was the "Löwen", an ancient tavern where, in former times, mail horses were exchanged on their journeys between the official seats of Wangen or Aarwangen and Trachselwald, since Ursenbach was located at the approximate half-way point of this important mail route. If it were at all possible, the return route via Walterswil/Egg (to Walterswil 15 min), Höchi and Gründen would have to be described as being even more attractive; the hilly countryside of the Emmental, the foothills to the Alps and the Alps now lie directly ahead! After a delightful walk, you will reach the starting point in Dürrenroth again via Tschättebach.