The UNESCO Biospehere Reserve in the Entlebuch highlands system in the canton of Luzern goes from 600 to over 2,000 meters above sea level and has a whole lot of flora and fauna in its ecosystem. I’m no Jane Goodall, but I’ve seen chicken, ravens, cows, sheep, goats, cows, foxes, dogs, and cats when I was there. In terms of plats, there are spiky trees, round trees, grass, yellow flowers, white flowers, purple flowers, moss, and mushrooms. The pictures will probably paint a better story than I can tell.
The 20,000 locals in the 400 square kilometre reserve are focused on promoting local products such as eggs, milk, and lots of cheese. The biosphere is only a 30 minute drive from the valley of Emmental, so it is not uncommon so see Halbharkäse cheeses from the area. There are also a few butcheries scattered across the towns for fresh local mean, but it is rather expensive.
You could either go through road number 10 to visit the small towns and villages in the valley to learn more about how locals preserve their surroundings or embark on an adventure up the mountains. The roads up the mountains are single-lane dual-direction roads so it does require some foresight and skill to navigate, especially if oncoming traffic are tourists with wide camper vans, who really shouldn’t be driving on those roads.
The Entlebuch biosphere is probably one of the easier biospheres to access being just off a major highway with a major continual road running right through it. When you finish a tour of the scraggly Rocky Mountains and lush valleys, head down to the Interlaken area via the Glaubenbielenpass and the Brünigpass. The Swiss National Park in Graubünden, on the other hand, is a rather different story.
