About 188 kilometers from Basel through the Jura and the Swiss lake district to Payerne – over the Marian shrine of Mariastein, the Jura town of Delémont and the shores of Lakes Biel and Murten.
The Drei-Seen-Weg runs from Basel through the Jura and the Swiss Seeland lake district to Payerne. After a tour of the art- and culture-rich Rhine city, it climbs gently to the Marian shrine of Mariastein, then crosses the Jura heights to Delémont and through gorges and quiet villages to the former abbey of Bellelay. Over a pass already used by the Romans, the route reaches Biel/Bienne, where the lovely Three Lakes country opens up. Along Lake Biel through extensive vineyards it leads over La Neuveville and the fertile Grosses Moos – Switzerland's vegetable garden – over Ins, Murten and ancient Avenches to Payerne.
The name "Three Lakes" refers to the lake landscape of Biel, Neuchâtel and Murten.
Ideal if you want landscape variety – Jura heights, gorges, lakeside vineyards and broad flatland – combined with monasteries, pilgrimage sites and a piece of old St. James history.
Less suitable if you want a short, flat walk: at about 188 kilometers with over 5,000 meters of climb, the route takes time and some fitness for the Jura stages.
From Basel the route follows the Birs into the Jura, or climbs directly to the rock-grotto shrine of Mariastein. Over scenic Jura heights it reaches the Jura town of Delémont, then crosses heights and gorges to the former abbey of Bellelay, set alone among the Jura pastures.
After crossing the pass – past the chapel of Péry, documented in the 9th century as dedicated to the pilgrim saint James – it leads through forests and gorges to Biel/Bienne. Along Lake Biel through the vineyards, a footpath attested as a pilgrim route since the 14th century runs over the church of Ligerz to La Neuveville. Through the Grosses Moos and partly along Lake Murten, the route reaches ancient Avenches over Ins and Murten, and finally Payerne.
At about 188 kilometers with over 5,000 meters of climb, the route splits into some 8–10 daily stages. The hillier part lies in the Jura between Basel and Biel; the lake district and the section to Payerne are markedly flatter. The route is waymarked with yellow diamonds and signposts; between Basel and Biel it follows the Via Jura in places (additional marking "green square with white number 80").
A special feature of the route is the chapel of Péry just after the pass crossing in the Jura: it was documented in the 9th century as dedicated to the pilgrim saint James, making it one of the oldest witnesses to the veneration of St. James in the southern German and Swiss region.
The Drei-Seen-Weg meets Switzerland's western main axis, the Via Jacobi (Konstanz–Genf), at Payerne, where pilgrims coming from the northeast converge. From Payerne the onward route leads over Lausanne to Genf (Geneva), where the Via Gebennensis continues toward Le Puy-en-Velay and ultimately Santiago.
The best time is spring to autumn. Accommodation is in guesthouses, inns and pilgrim lodgings – a pilgrim credential is useful for stamps and lodgings. For the Jura stages, sturdy footwear and some fitness are advisable. In the Seeland you pass through bilingual territory (German and French).
Switzerland is expensive. Budget roughly €60–100 per day for accommodation and food; simple lodgings and self-catering lower the cost.
The start is Basel, an international rail hub and easily reached.
The Swiss Ways of St. James are maintained by the association Jakobsweg Schweiz – Compostelle Suisse (formerly "jakobsweg.ch", renamed after its 2026 merger with "Les Amis"). The association waymarks and maintains the routes, trains pilgrim guides and publishes route booklets and the pilgrim credential.
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