Bernese Oberland

More documents

Recommendations

Info

En route from Mürren, the cable car goes through the Birg station (2677m), where you can stop to take in marvellous views. THE LAKES Anyone who travels to Interlaken for the fi rst time from Bern will never forget the moment they clap eyes on Thunersee (Lake Thun). As the train loops past pastures and tidy villages on the low southern shore, some people literally gasp at the sight of the Alps rearing above the startlingly turquoise waters. Bordering Interlaken to the east, Brienzersee (Lake Brienz) has just as many cameras snapping with its unbelievably aquamarine waters and rugged mountain backdrop. Steamers ply both lakes from late May to mid-September. There are no winter services on Brienzersee, whereas special cruises continue on Thunersee. For more information contact BLS (%033 334 52 11; www.bls.ch). A day pass valid for both lakes costs Sfr64 from Tuesday to Sunday, Sfr29 on Monday; children pay half-price. Eurail Passes, the Regional Pass and the Swiss Pass are valid on all boats, and InterRail and the Swiss Half-Fare Card get 50% off . Thun POP 43,400 / ELEV 559M Ringed by mountains, hugging the banks of the aquamarine Aare River and topped by a turreted castle, medieval Thun is every inch your storybook Swiss town. History aside, the town is infused with a young spirit, with lively crowds sunning themselves at riverside cafes and one-of-akind boutiques fi lling the unusual arcades. 1 Sights & Activities The tourist offi ce’s one-and-a-half-hour guided tours (Sfr15 per person), every Wednesday and Saturday from May to October, take in the Altstadt and castle. For a magical 360-degree view of Thun, the lake and the glaciated Jungfrau mountains, walk 20 minutes south of the centre to Jakobshübeli viewpoint. oSchloss Thun CASTLE (www.schlossthun.ch; adult/child Sfr8/2; h10am- 5pm) Sitting on a hilltop and looking proudly FREE WHEELING Should you wish to pedal along the river and lake, free city bikes are available for hire from Thun Rollt (Aarefeldstrasse; passport & deposit of Sfr20; h7.30am-9.30pm May-Oct) close to the station. back on 900 years of history, Schloss Thun is the castle of your wildest fairy-tale dreams, crowned by a riot of turrets and aff ording tremendous views of the lake and Alps. It once belonged to Duke Berchtold V of the powerful Zähringen family. Today it houses a museum, showcasing prehistoric and Roman relics, tapestries, majolica and plenty of shining armour. Altstadt NEIGHBOURHOOD It’s a pleasure simply to wander Thun’s attrac tive riverfront Old Town, where plazas and lanes are punctuated by 15th- and 16th-century townhouses. A stroll takes in the 300-year-old Untere Schleusenbrücke, a covered wooden bridge that is a mass of pink and purple fl owers in summer. Nearby is the split-level, fl ag-bedecked Obere Hauptgasse, whose arcades hide boutiques and galleries selling everything from handmade jewellery to chocolate and Moroccan babouches (slippers). At the street’s northern tip is cobblestone Rathausplatz, centred on a fountain and framed by arcaded buildings. FSchadau Park GARDENS Dating to the mid-19th century, candyfl osspink Schloss Schadau now shelters gourmet restaurant Arts, but it’s free to explore its botanical gardens on the banks of Lake Thun. The grounds bristle with tulips and crocuses in spring, rhododendrons in summer, and golden beech trees in autumn. In the park you’ll fi nd the 1000-year-old Kirche Scherzlingen (h10am-6pm Apr-Oct), with its beautifully restored Carolingian tower, and the early 19th-century Thun Panorama (adult/child Sfr6/5; h11am-5pm Tue-Sun May-Oct), which boasts being the world’s oldest panoramic painting. Flussbad Schwäbis SWIMMING (Grabenstrasse 40; adult/child Sfr4.50/2.50; h9am-7pm May-Aug, to 6pm Sep) Cool off in the turquoise Aare River at this open-air pool, with a splash area, slides and sandpit for kids. 135 THE BERNESE LAKES OBERLAND SIGHTS & SIGHTS THUN ACTIVITIES & ACTIVITIES
136 BERNESE OBERLAND THUN z Festivals & Events Thun’s headliners include the Bollywood Festival (www.bollywood-festival.ch, in German) in June, and lakeside musicals at the Thuner Seespiele (www.thunerseespiele.ch, in German) and medieval fi sherman’s jousting at the Fischerstechen (www.fi scherstechen.ch, in German) in August. On Thursday evenings in July there are free folklore performances on Rathausplatz. 4 Sleeping SZunfthaus zu Metzgern HISTORIC HOTEL $ (%033 222 21 41; www.zumetzgern.ch; Untere Hauptgasse 2; s/d/tr without bathroom Sfr55/ 110/165) Sitting on Thun’s prettiest square is this 700-year-old guild house. Bold artworks glam up the well-kept, parquet-fl oored rooms. Downstairs the chef uses local organic ingredients to prepare dishes like lamb with caramelised apricots and poached
Page 1 and 2: Switzerland Bernese Oberland (Chapt
Page 3 and 4: 114 BERNESE OBERLAND BERNESE OBERLA
Page 5 and 6: 116 BERNESE OBERLAND INTERLAKEN K44
Page 7 and 8: 118 BERNESE OBERLAND INTERLAKEN inv
Page 9 and 10: 120 BERNESE OBERLAND SCHYNIGE PLATT
Page 11 and 12: 122 BERNESE OBERLAND ST BEATUS-HÖH
Page 13 and 14: 124 BERNESE OBERLAND GRINDELWALD
Page 15 and 16: 126 BERNESE OBERLAND JUNGFRAU REGIO
Page 17 and 18: 128 BERNESE OBERLAND AROUND GRINDEL
Page 19 and 20: 130 BERNESE OBERLAND LAUTERBRUNNEN
Page 21 and 22: 132 BERNESE OBERLAND WENGEN Männli
Page 23: 134 BERNESE OBERLAND GIMMELWALD Hot
Page 27 and 28: 138 BERNESE OBERLAND AROUND LAKE TH
Page 29 and 30: 140 BERNESE OBERLAND MEIRINGEN chil
Page 31 and 32: 142 BERNESE OBERLAND KANDERSTEG and
Page 33 and 34: 144 BERNESE OBERLAND GSTAAD Cyclist

Bernese Oberland

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?