Gürbetal (Gürbe
Valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...
) in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
lies between the towns of
Bern
german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese
, neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen
, website ...
and
Thun
, neighboring_municipalities= Amsoldingen, Heiligenschwendi, Heimberg, Hilterfingen, Homberg, Schwendibach, Spiez, Steffisburg, Thierachern, Uetendorf, Zwieselberg
, twintown =
, website = www.thun.ch
Thun (french: Thoune) ...
, west of the
Aare
The Aare () or Aar () is a tributary of the High Rhine and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland.
Its total length from its source to its junction with the Rhine comprises about , during which distance it descend ...
. It contains the municipality of
Seftigen
Seftigen is a municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
History
Seftigen is first mentioned in 1277 as ''Seftingen''.
The oldest trace of a settlement in the area is a Roman estate house discovered ...
and those that surround it. The valley is named after the river Gürbe, which flows through it. The largest town in the Gürbe Valley is
Belp. The Gürbe valley and the Aare valley are separated by the Belpberg hill.
The Gürbe Valley is anywhere from 1 to 2 kilometers wide. The valley floor is flat and is used intensively for agriculture. Flooding in the valley has been controlled by canals to permit drainage of the surrounding area. This permits orchards and vegetable gardens to grow.
Cabbage
Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&nb ...
is the principal crop grown on the rich black valley floor. Sauerkraut from the cabbage is made at processing centers in
Burgistein
Burgistein is a municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
History
Burgistein is first mentioned in 1266 as ''Burgstein'' and in 1271 as ''Burgenstein''.
The oldest traces of a settlement in the ...
and
Mühlethurnen
Mühlethurnen is a former municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2020 the former municipalities of Kirchenthurnen, Lohnstorf and Mühlethurnen merged to form the municipalit ...
. For this reason, the Gürbe valley is often called "Cabbage Land" (in Swiss-German: ''Chabisland'').
Valleys of Switzerland
Landforms of the canton of Bern
{{Berne-geo-stub