Bernese Alps | |
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German: Berner Alpen French: Alpes bernoises |
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Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau
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Highest point | |
Peak | Finsteraarhorn |
Elevation | 4,274 m (14,022 ft) |
Coordinates | CH-VD, CH-FR, CH-VS_scale:100000 46°32′19″N 8°07′38″E / 46.53861°N 8.12722°E |
Geography | |
Country | Switzerland |
Cantons | Bern, Vaud, Fribourg and Valais |
Range coordinates | CH-VD, CH-FR, CH-VS_scale:300000 46°25′N 7°45′E / 46.417°N 7.750°ECoordinates: CH-VD, CH-FR, CH-VS_scale:300000 46°25′N 7°45′E / 46.417°N 7.750°E |
Parent range | Western Alps |
Borders on | |
Topo map | Swiss Federal Office of Topography swisstopo |
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.
The Rhône valley separates them from the Chablais Alps in the west and from the Pennine Alps in the south; the upper Rhône valley separate 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 so 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.