Bernese Alps
The Bernese Alps (German: Berner Alpen, French: Alpes bernoises, Italian: Alpi bernesi) are a mountain range of the Alps, located in western Switzerland. Although the name suggests that they are located in the Berner Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are in the adjacent cantons of Valais, Fribourg and Vaud, the latter being usually named Fribourg Alps and Vaud Alps respectively. The highest mountain in the range, the Finsteraarhorn, is also the highest point in the canton of Bern.
| Bernese Alps | |
|---|---|
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Finsteraarhorn |
| Elevation | 4,274 m (14,022 ft) |
| Coordinates | 46°32′19″N 8°07′38″E |
| Naming | |
| Native name | |
| Geography | |
Map of Bernese Alps and their location in Switzerland (red)
| |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Cantons | Bern, Vaud, Fribourg and Valais |
| Range coordinates | 46°25′N 7°45′E |
| Parent range | Western Alps |
| Borders on | Chablais Alps, Pennine Alps, Lepontine Alps, Uri Alps and Emmental Alps |
| Topo map | Swiss Federal Office of Topography swisstopo |
The Rhône valley separates them from the Chablais Alps in the west and from the Pennine Alps in the south; the upper Rhône valley separates them from the Lepontine Alps to the southeast; the Grimsel Pass and the Aare valley separates them from the Uri Alps in the east, and from the Emmental Alps in the north; their northwestern edge is not well defined, describing a line roughly from Lake Geneva to Lake Thun. The Bernese Alps are drained by the river Aare and its tributary the Saane in the north, the Rhône in the south, and the Reuss in the east.
The Bernese Alps are amongst the three highest major subranges of the Alps, together with the Pennine Alps and the Mont Blanc massif.