The Sense’s unspoilt natural setting is why it has been declared the most natural river in the Northern Alps by the WWF. It has also been listed as a nature reserve by the canton of Fribourg since 1966. Its natural banks, formed from gravel and sand, are valuable habitats for flora and fauna and therefore need to be protected.
The “cold” Sense rises directly in Lake Gantrisch, in the canton of Berne, at an altitude of 1,580 metres. The “warm” Sense flows out of the Schwarzsee, a well-known tourist destination in the canton of Fribourg, at an altitude of 1,046 metres. The two rivers join in Zollhaus and flow into the Sarine in Laupen (BE) after falling a total of 1,300 metres. The Sense forms a large part of the border between the cantons of Berne and Fribourg.
The stretch from the Guggersbach Bridge to the mouth of the “Schwarzwasser” is one of the most beautiful on the river. It crosses an area similar to a canyon over a distance of around 15 kilometres, with the sandstone walls reaching a height of 200 metres in places.
The Gantrisch Nature Park and the Schwarzsee Tourist Office organise volunteer activities to combat invasive plant species, which need to be removed. You can also explore the Sense or the Schwarzsee region with a biologist, who will explain its biodiversity in detail. Apart from the invasive plants, everyone is welcome at the Gantrisch Nature Park.
Information
Schwarzsee-Senseland Tourismus, Schwarzseestrasse 212, 1716, Schwarzsee
Schwarzseestrasse 212
1716 Schwarzsee