Circuit Bremgarten
Circuit Bremgarten at a glance
- Location
- Bern, Bern
- Type
- historic circuit (defunct)
- Length
- 7.28 km (4.524 mi)
- Turns
- 13
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt (public forest roads)
- Opened
- 1931
Track map and layout
Bremgarten was cut through the Bremgartenwald forest on Bern's north-western edge, using the area's public roads to form a 7.28 km lap with no genuine straight, just a relentless sequence of quick, tree-lined corners linked together. Overhanging trees kept the surface damp and slippery even after rain had stopped elsewhere, and changing light through the canopy made it notoriously difficult to read at speed, a combination that gave the circuit a reputation as one of the most demanding and dangerous of its era. Today only the north-western section survives intact, including the Eymatt and Tenni right-handers and around 750 metres of straight road in essentially original condition, still usable as ordinary public streets through the forest.
Named corners and sections
- Eymatt. A fast right-hand curve in the circuit's surviving north-western section, still part of the public road today.
- Tenni. A right-hand curve adjoining Eymatt, part of the stretch of original circuit road that remains intact.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix circuit (1934-1954) | 7.28 km | 13 turns, used for all Swiss Grand Prix races at the venue |
Events and race weekends
Bremgarten hosted the Swiss Grand Prix from 1934 to 1939 and again from 1947 to 1954, forming part of the European Championship in the pre-war years and a round of the Formula One World Championship after the war. It was also a fixture for motorcycle Grand Prix racing through the 1930s and into the 1950s. Racing ended abruptly after the 1955 Le Mans disaster prompted the Swiss government to ban all closed-circuit motor racing nationwide, a prohibition that effectively ended Bremgarten's competitive life along with circuit racing across the whole country.
Getting there and parking
The former circuit lies within the Bremgartenwald forest on the north-western outskirts of Bern, reachable as a short drive, cycle or walk from the city centre. Bern's main railway station connects directly to the wider Swiss and European rail network, making the city itself easy to reach without a car even though there is no racing to attend.
- Bern Airport (BRN) · about 15 min drive
- Zurich Airport (ZRH) · about 75 min drive
Visit the Bremgartenwald as a forest walk or cycle rather than expecting any circuit signage; the surviving roads are ordinary public streets with no facilities.
Hotels and camping near Circuit Bremgarten
Bern itself, a short distance from the forest, offers the full range of city hotels and is well connected by rail, making it the obvious base for anyone visiting the site out of historical interest. There is no camping, RV provision or event-driven accommodation demand associated with the site today, since it hosts no racing.
Where to look
Bern city centre, a short drive or public transport ride from the Bremgartenwald.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
No trackdays or organised driving events take place at the former Bremgarten circuit; Switzerland's nationwide ban on closed-circuit motor racing, introduced after the 1955 Le Mans disaster, has never been lifted for the site, and the surviving roads are ordinary public streets through the forest.
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outright (Grand Prix) | 2:34.500 | Bernd Rosemeyer | Auto Union C | 1936 |
Spectator guide
There is no spectator event to attend at Bremgarten today; the site survives only as a stretch of public forest road, and visits are a matter of walking or cycling the surviving section rather than watching racing.
Best places to watch
The surviving north-western stretch through Eymatt and Tenni, plus the roughly 750-metre original straight, is the most recognisable remaining piece of the old circuit.
Weather
- May-September: the most pleasant months for walking or cycling the forest, mild and generally dry
- November-March: cold and often icy underfoot in the Bremgartenwald
History of Circuit Bremgarten
A forest track for a young Grand Prix nation
Circuit Bremgarten was laid out in 1931 through the Bremgartenwald, the forested parkland on Bern's north-western edge, initially for motorcycle racing before cars followed. Unlike the purpose-built autodromes emerging elsewhere in Europe, Bremgarten simply used the forest's existing road network, producing a 7.28 km lap built almost entirely from fast, linked corners with no stretch long enough to be called a true straight. The overhanging tree canopy kept the road surface damp long after rain had cleared and created constantly shifting light and shadow, a combination that made the circuit exceptionally demanding to master and, in the wet especially, genuinely dangerous.
Home of the Swiss Grand Prix
From 1934 the circuit hosted the Swiss Grand Prix, which quickly became a fixture of the European motor racing calendar and, from 1935, a round of the European Championship, the forerunner to the modern World Championship. Racing paused during the Second World War but resumed in 1947, and from 1950 the Swiss Grand Prix counted as a round of the newly formed Formula One World Championship, run at Bremgarten every year through 1954. Bernd Rosemeyer's 2:34.5 lap in an Auto Union at the 1936 event stood as the circuit's benchmark and reflects the extraordinary speeds drivers carried through its corner sequences.
Racing ends, the forest remains
The 1955 Le Mans disaster, in which more than 80 spectators were killed at the French endurance race, prompted the Swiss government to ban closed-circuit motor racing nationwide, a prohibition that remains in force today and that ended Bremgarten's life as a Grand Prix venue after the 1954 event. Most of the old circuit has since been absorbed back into the forest, developed over, or converted into cycle paths, but its north-western section, including the Eymatt and Tenni curves and around 750 metres of original road, survives intact as ordinary public streets through the Bremgartenwald, a quiet reminder of Switzerland's brief but significant place on the pre-war and early post-war Grand Prix calendar.
Frequently asked questions
Can you still visit or drive the Bremgarten circuit?+
You can walk or cycle the surviving north-western section of the old circuit, including the Eymatt and Tenni curves, as it is now part of the public road network through the Bremgartenwald forest, but no racing or closed-circuit driving is permitted there.
Why did racing stop at Bremgarten?+
After the 1955 Le Mans disaster, the Swiss government banned closed-circuit motor racing nationwide, a law that has never been repealed and that ended Bremgarten's run as host of the Swiss Grand Prix after 1954.
How long was the Bremgarten circuit?+
The Grand Prix layout used from 1934 to 1954 was 7.28 km (4.524 miles) long with 13 turns and no genuine straight.
What years did the Swiss Grand Prix run at Bremgarten?+
The Swiss Grand Prix was held at Bremgarten from 1934 to 1939 and again from 1947 to 1954, including as a round of the Formula One World Championship from 1950.
What survives of the circuit today?+
The north-western section, including the Eymatt and Tenni right-hand curves and roughly 750 metres of the original straight, remains in place as public roads through Bern's Bremgartenwald forest; most of the rest of the lap has been built over or turned into cycle paths.
Other tracks nearby
- Zürich Street Circuit · 96 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Circuit Dijon-Prenois · 195 km · road course
- Autodromo Nazionale Monza · 207 km · road course
- Autodromo di Franciacorta (Porsche Experience Center Franciacorta) · 256 km · road course
- MSC Wieslauftal Rudersberg · 267 km · motocross
- Hockenheimring · 278 km · road course
Facts checked against 3 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.