Guest Post: High & Mighty in the Swiss Bernese Oberland
In this guest post, Margaret Doherty gets a taste of the high life in the Swiss Bernese Oberland.
“The spectacular mountains, valleys and lakes of Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland have been on the tourist trail since the Grand Tourists first discovered the region in the eighteenth century.
Lauterbrunnen Valley, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
Imagine a classic Swiss landscape. Waterfalls cascade from a high pine-topped valley. Cow bells tinkle as their well-fed owners leisurely munch the lush meadow grass. Snow-capped mountain peaks glisten in the sunshine. Small herds of goats dot the steep hills above wooden chalets with colourful flower-filled window boxes and orderly lines of tasty fruit and vegetables in their gardens. Guess what? You’ve just conjured up summer in Lauterbrunnen in the heart of Switzerland’s Alpine region.
I’m staying in a mobile home in a Eurocamp Camping Jungfrau site that nestles discretely in the village at the bottom of the valley between the Weisse Lutschne river and the Staubbach waterfall that has counted Byron and Goethe among its admirers. With its train station, bus and cable-car connections, Lauterbrunnen is an ideal spot from which to explore the region declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Staubbach Waterfall, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
There are many levels of walks and hikes in the area, from gentle child-friendly descents to something rather more strenuous, which is no surprise with the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau among its famous peaks. The network of trains, cable-cars, buses and private mountain railways that provides access to the various valleys and mountain villages can seem confusing at first but you’ll soon get the hang of it. Small rack-railways that have been pulling visitors up incredible gradients for over 100 years take you up the mountains while cable cars glide smoothly up steep hillsides and small four-person gondolas make steady progress through distant valleys. Easy excursions from Lauterbrunnen include the mostly flat walk through the stunning Lauterbrunnen valley from the village to the Trummelbach Waterfalls past wild-flower meadows and smallholdings.
The picturesque car-free town of Murren, a cable-car and tram ride from Lauterbrunnen, is where Sir Arnold Lunn set the first slalom in 1922 and organised the first world championship in downhill and slalom racing in 1931. It’s also one of the places from where you can reach the Schilthorn and its revolving Piz Gloria restaurant, famous for its turn in “Her Majesty’ Secret Service” or take a cable car up to the child-friendly meadows of Allmendhubel.
The snow-capped peaks that surround Murren, Bernese Oberland
Wengen is another car-free village easily accessible from Lauterbrunnen by train – you can even walk to it but it is quite steep so I opted for a leisurely walk down, enlivened by the speedy mountain bikers I met hurtling past at a much faster, and scarier, rate than me. There are many walking routes around Wengen depending on how long, how far or how challenging you want them to be. For one of the best, take the cable car up to the Mannlichen plateau which overlooks the valley towards Grindelwald and Grund in the distance surrounded by magnificent mountain peaks in all directions. It’s worth it for the nose-bleed inducing view alone, but the paths that spin off in many directions will probably prove too tempting and you’ll be drawn further along the mountain ridge and down into the valley.
The latest innovation to help visitors enjoy and understand the area is the iphone Klimaguide which can be rented for 20 Swiss francs a day plus deposit. Seven of the region’s walks are featured with selected stopping points where you can learn about effects of climate change on the area and also identify the plants and flowers you might see on your journey.
One of the big tourist attractions – and therefore one of the busiest – is the trip to the Jungfraujoch, ‘Top of Europe’, with the highest train station in Europe. To reach the top the train actually goes through the Eiger. It makes two five-minute stops inside the mountain, at Eigerwand and Eismeer, where you get a real sense of the immensity of the ice-covered mountain on the way to the top. On my visit, the views that on a clear day can extend to the Vosges in France and Germany’s Black Forest were obscured by cloud and sleet. But it proved yet another fine example of the achievements of Swiss engineering in making such a majestic landscape accessible.
Eiger views, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
To see the mountains from a different angle and to rest any weary legs, a boat trip on Lake Thun (round trip around 5 hours) or Lake Brienz (round trip around 3 hours) offers a leisurely jaunt, giving you the chance to stop off at a number of villages on the lakes if you wish. Oberhofen on Lake Thun with its twelfth century castle and six acre garden laid out in 1840 is worth a visit and is typical of many of the villages such as Spiez and Thun with their cobbled streets, medieval churches and castles on wonderful lakeside settings. Interlaken, the town between lakes Thun and Brienz, has two train stations: Interlaken West and Interlaken Ost (east). They are about 15-20 minutes walk apart at either end of town. Boat trips serve Lake Thun near Interlaken West and Lake Brienz from Interlaken Ost (see boat signs at the stations). Interlaken West is the station nearest to the centre of town. (Just check on return boat times or the possibility of a shorter train ride home if there’s a station at your chosen destination.)
Oberhofen Castle, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
Top tips
To find out what the region has to offer My Switzerland and My Jungfrau are good starting points. Broadly, the summer season runs from May to Sept/Oct so check that any destinations/activities will be fully operational if they are key to your visit.
When walking always wear suitable footwear and clothing, take plenty of water and snacks and keep to the marked paths. The local tourist office can provide plenty of information and advice.
Keep an eye on the weather forecast. You can find out what it’ll be like at the campsite notice boards or at the local tourist office. And remember, air temperature drops by around 0.6C with every 100m increase in altitude so bear that in mind when heading for the heights.
Save on buying bottled water. Most villages have numerous drinking-water fountains where you can replenish water bottles for free.
Lake Brienz, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
There are many other ways to explore the region in summer, from cycling, scooter-biking, taking an exhilarating trip on the First Flyer ( like the US Zip Flyers) or for the real adrenalin junkies, a tandem paraglide over the stunning scenery.
Camping Jungfrau has a shop on site for all your basics an Lauterbrunnen has a small Co-op supermarket. There’s a much larger Co-op opposite Interlaken Ost train station. Shops are largely closed on Sundays and often closed for lunch.
The Swiss Travel System offers a dedicated range of travel passes and tickets exclusively for visitors from abroad to help reduce costs and match your specific travel needs. For details go Swiss Travel System or call free (from the UK) on 00800 100 200 30.
Margaret Doherty has written two other guest posts about Switzerland for the Europe a la Carte Blog:
> Read the original post here
Subscribe to the RSS FeedComments
Copyright © 2008 Tips from the T-List · Log in
Sentias Software Corp.