Belchenflue Pass
Encyclopedia
Belchenflue Pass is a high mountain pass
in the Jura Mountains
between the cantons
of Basel-Country
and Solothurn.
The pass is also called Bölchen by locals. The name came originally from Celtic from the sun god Belenus
. The nearby peak of the same name (el. 1099 m.) was an important marker for the tribal calendar establishing the seasons. Along with the peak of the same name in Alsace
(Ballon d'Alsace
), it allowed the establishment of the winter and summer solstice
.http://www.regbas.ch/d_belchendreieck.cfm
As is the case with much of the Jura range, the cliffs are formed of hard oolithic limestone, which has been exposed as the softer stone above it has eroded.
The pass forms the divide between the watershed of the Aare River in the south and the Ergolz
in the north. Both flow into the Rhine. To the east are the Challhöchi
and Unterer Hauenstein
passes.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the Jura Mountains
Jura mountains
The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
between the cantons
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Basel-Country
Basel-Country
Basel-Landschaft , is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. The capital is Liestal...
and Solothurn.
The pass is also called Bölchen by locals. The name came originally from Celtic from the sun god Belenus
Belenus
In Celtic mythology, Bel, Belenos was a deity worshipped in Gaul, Cisalpine Gaul, and Celtic areas of Austria, Britain and Spain. He is particularly associated with Cornwall, West Cornwall being anciently called Belerion, the place of Bel...
. The nearby peak of the same name (el. 1099 m.) was an important marker for the tribal calendar establishing the seasons. Along with the peak of the same name in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
(Ballon d'Alsace
Ballon d'Alsace
Ballon d'Alsace is a mountain at the border of Alsace, Lorraine, and Franche-Comté. From its top, views include the Vosges, the Rhine valley, and the Black Forest.A road leads over a pass near the peak at ....
), it allowed the establishment of the winter and summer solstice
Solstice
A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year when the Sun's apparent position in the sky, as viewed from Earth, reaches its northernmost or southernmost extremes...
.http://www.regbas.ch/d_belchendreieck.cfm
As is the case with much of the Jura range, the cliffs are formed of hard oolithic limestone, which has been exposed as the softer stone above it has eroded.
The pass forms the divide between the watershed of the Aare River in the south and the Ergolz
Ergolz
left|thumb|Source of the Ergolz in [[Oltingen]]The Ergolz is the main river in the canton of Basel-Landschaft. It rises on Mount Geisflue in the Faltenjura mountains in the upper region of Basel-Landschaft, on the border with Aargau and Solothurn, and joins the Rhine at Augst...
in the north. Both flow into the Rhine. To the east are the Challhöchi
Challhöchi Pass
Challhöchi Pass is a mountain pass in the Jura Mountains on the border of the cantons of Basel-Country and Solothurn in Switzerland. The pass road links Eptingen and Ifenthal or Hägendorf....
and Unterer Hauenstein
Unterer Hauenstein Pass
Unterer Hauenstein Pass is a mountain pass in the Jura Mountains between the canton of Basel-Country and Solothurn in Switzerland.It connects Buckten in Basel-Country and Trimbach in Solothurn. The pass road has a maximum grade of 6 percent....
passes.
See also
- List of highest paved roads in Europe
- List of mountain passes
- List of the highest Swiss passes