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BERNESE OBERLAND Bernese Oberland Oberland Bernese 142 © Lonelyplanetpublications Push Themroundincirclessearchofsomethingthatlives Uptotheirmemories

BERNESE OBERLAND Bernese Oberland Oberland Bernese 142 © Lonelyplanetpublications Push Themroundincirclessearchofsomethingthatlives Uptotheirmemories

BERNESE OBERLAND Oberland Bernese 142 © LonelyPlanetPublications push themroundincirclessearchofsomethingthatlives uptotheirmemories. phers seematalosstoo. Listen tothepostcardcarouselscreak insouvenir shops,ascustomers outofthisincomparableregion.fans aroundMeiringentojetsetters inGstaad–getakick itseems–fromSherlockHolmes Allsorts, lenberg toseegentleSwisstraditionsre-enacted. types usuallyfindthemselves trailsthatcrisscrossthelandscape. inspired tohitthehiking castles,soyou’repast waterfront notrequired muchenergy. toexert Buteven confirmedcity brunnen valley, However, ev the anyoneelse’swordforit,justvisit. land. Sodon’ttake –couldever communicateblah) thesheeroutrageousbeautyofSwitzerland’s Alpineheart- bowling pins–ortalkofsheervalleys,verdant blah, pastures (blah, andcrystal-clearlakes the majestyofaplacethathastobeseenbelieved. that noopiate throughit.Yet compared towalking even thesegreat talentsfailedtocapture English It’s impossibletodotheBerneseOberlandjusticeonpaper. GermanpoetGoetheand

HIGHLIGHTS And ifwordscan’tconvey howgoodtheBerneseOberlandlooks,professional photogra- Thrill-seekers rushtojumpoffthemountainsaroundInterlaken, whilefamiliesheadtoBal- Cable carsthread steamers upmountainslopestoincomparableoutlooksandlake glide The ‘bigthree’ peaksoftheEiger,MönchandJungfraulieatregion’s and heart No amountofhyperboleaboutsparklingvistaswhere snow-cappedpeakslineuplike

POPULATION: 897,502

most talked-about trip is the train ride toEurope’s isthetrainride trip most talked-about higheststationatJungfraujoch. Platte andGrindelwald- Trift Glacier Get upcloseandpersonal withthemagnificent Paraglide from thepeaksabove theheightsof Hit Mürren Float uptothesceniccar-free of resorts Enjoy theheavenly 16) or ( p146) romantic Lord Byron both eulogised its waterfalls andglaciers.romantic LordByronbotheulogised itswaterfalls MarkTwainwrote 15) and (p165) eryone findstheirfavourite serene spot,whetherinthebreathtakingly Lauter- on theridgesabove Grindelwaldorinsomeremote area aroundKandersteg. ( p172) ( p155) hike (p152) ( p149 ) betweenSchynige 16) or (p166)

AREA: 5907 SQKM (p166)

Schilthorn Interlaken Gimmelwald

LANGUAGE: GERMAN Mürren Platte Schynige Jungfraujoch Grindelwald Glacier Trift www.lonelyplanet.com 0 20 km BERNESE OBERLAND 0 12 miles To To (21km) (12km) BERN Münsingen LUZERN N12 Brienzer N8 Rothorn Kiesen (2350m) Brünig Pass (3239m) N6 Gorge Oberhofen St Beatus Brienzersee Giessbachfälle Susten Höhlen () Axalp Gwatt Gunten Nessental Trift Cable Pass Car See Region Map (p150) FRIBOURG Aare Trift (2190m) Faulensee First Rosenlaui Suspension N8 Triftsee Thunersee Interlaken (2681m) (2167m) Gorge Bridge () URI Erienbach Grosse To Mülenen (1967m) Scheidegg (2km) (2362m) Zweilütschinen Grindelwald Gruyères Grimselsee Mürren (3970m) Furka Schwenden Schilthorn Pass Jungfraujoch St Gotthard (2970m) Mönch (4099m) Grimsel Gletsch Pass (3454m) Pass Gimmelwald Jungfrau Tunnel Stechelberg (4158m) Saanenmöser Oeschinensee Ulrichen (1176m) Blümlisalp

Adelboden (3663m) r Kandersteg e i

c Nufenen a l Pass Lenk G

h c s Tunnel t BERNESE OBERLAND e l To A Gemmi I T A L Y (30km) Pass Rhône Reusch Les Brig Glacier 3000 Montana Cable Car Crans VALAIS

Sierre Visp 143

To Zermatt

(32km) BERNESE OBERLAND BERNESE BERNESE OBERLAND land.ch; for7/15daysSfr220/265; sports destinations. sports destinations. become oneof theworld’s topadventure- this attractively mountain-ringed townhas rupted byparagliders comingintoland–as swooned over daysregularly isthese inter- the 19thcentury.ButviewVictorians that first attracted earlypackage touristsin theromanceof aplace it’s possibletosense gazing attheJungfraumassifindistance, in Standing Interlaken’s large centralpark, 570m pop 5094/elevation INTERLAKEN Pass Oberland Regional day here, it’s worthinvestigating the , aswellfromLucerne. and Bern, airports, includingBasel, by roadandtrainfrommostmajor Swiss Oberlandiseasilyaccessible The Bernese &Around There Getting Berner OberlandTourismus west totheSusten Pass (2224m)intheeast. stretching canton of inthe Bern, fromGstaad This region covers thesouthernpartof the &Information Orientation 144 offers onlineinformationonly. information. the JungfrauRegion.See p151 formore Pass alonewillonlytake yousofarinto Pass Jungfraubahn Oberland,hasitsown heart of theBernese routes, plus discountsonothers. ing free travel onthree/five daysoncertain If youintend spendingmostof yourholi- Alternatively, theJungfrauRegion,at success among lesswell-heeled visitorsandlaid thegroundworkfor today’smasstourism. soon tobepublicised bywriters MarkTwain,but Thomas like Cook’sregular jauntsbecameahuge up theterritory. in 1863,whenhehadplannedforjust 25.Soonafterwards, mountainrailwaysbeganopening response washuge. More than62peoplejoinedhim entering onhisinaugural trip afield. farther began looking before the railwaycompaniesthere refused tocooperate further. Sointheearly1860s Cook Cook, themanbehindtoday’sinternational travel group,onlyconducted afew toursofScotland country hashadmore atwelcomingforeign practice visitorsthannearlyanyother. Thomas If Switzerland’s touristinfrastructure awell-oiledmachine,it’sbecausethe seemstorunlike SWITZERLAND: THEBIRTHPLACE OFTOURISM INTERLAKEN••Orientation The Englishupperclass hadalready made theAlpsitsprivate playground,andtheregion was He announcedinhisregular newsletter thatheplannedtotourtheJungfrauRegion andthe . Note that aSwiss orEurail (www.regiopass-bernerober

(www.berneroberland.ch) h May-Oct) , offer- Berner

of thecentre. inside theJungfrauRegion. betterthe calmandeven panoramasdeeper ski-resort vibe aren’t quite asappealing isty stripof souvenir shopsanditsrestless, here thetown’stour- ondaytrips.However, Oberlandfrom ily visitmostof theBernese goodtransportlinksmeanyoucaneas- cause .interlakentourism.ch; Höheweg37; .interlakentourism.ch; outside. 8.30-11amSat)TelephonesMon-Fri, andstampmachines postoffice Main Internet Kikireon Hospital Information central park,Hohe-Mätte, asyoudo. in lessthan30minutes, passingthehuge Youcanwalkfromonetotheother stations. main street, thetwo Höheweg,runsbetween Brienz).The (Lake Thun andBrienzersee each isalandingstage forboatsonLake and money-changing facilitiesandbehind terlaken hasbike station Ost. rental Each Interlakentwo trainstations: WestandIn- Most of Interlaken its iscoupledbetween Orientation Tourist office Tourist perminSfr0.30; Oberland, AmMarktplatz; Rocco’s LatinoBar keyboards available. keyboards includingforlaptops. Asian with Internetconnection, per minSfr0.30; board outsideitsofficeandatbothtrainstations. Halfway betweenthestations. There’s alsoahotelbooking 9am-noonSatrest ofyear) noon &1.30-6pmMon-Fri, 8am-5pm Sat,10am-noon&5-7pmSunJulAug, 8am- Interlaken makes a convenient be- base, ( % 033 8262626;Weissenaustrasse27)West ( h % (Postplatz; ( 11.30am-10.30pm) Computershop 0800 558555,0338265300;www ( % % 033 8233232;Postgasse6; 033 8278783;ChaletHotel- h www.lonelyplanet.com 8am-noon &1.45-6pm h 8am-7pm Mon-Fri, 8am-7pm Mon-Fri, h 8am-12.30pm) 8am-12.30pm) www.lonelyplanet.com ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ0 200 m INTERLAKEN 0 0.1 miles To Harder 26 A B C D Kulm (1.1km) E To Brienz Aare F To Beatenberg (21km) Schiffstation Goldey 8 (6km) Beate Brienzstr 19 nber Goldey-Promenade gstr Goldey Obere Aare 1 Untere Reckweg Interlaken Ost Scheid ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈStrandbadstr Train Station To Bönigen (2km); Untere Bönigstr SYHA Hostel (2km); Gartenstr 32 gasse 34 Lucerne (71km) Auf dem-Graben 21 Postgasse 42 7 Viktor Höheweg 12 Spielmatte

Freihofstr Postgasse Kreuzgasse iastr 28 Freiestr Untere-Gasse Schlossstr

Klosterstr

rstr 27 Neugasse Allmendstr Hauptstr 30 Marktgasse To Mystery Blumenst Harde 4 25 Höheweg 18 1 ὈὈὈὈὈHöhe-Matte Park (1.1km) Bahnhofstr 3 23 Lindenallee Seestr 2 Jungfraust Sportweg 29 INFORMATION Metropole Hotel...... 25 C2 2 33 Höhe-Matte 39 Kikireon Internet...... 1 C2 Sackgut/River Lodge...... 26 E1 Helvetiastr 35 Main Post Office...... 2 C2 Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Centralstr Klosterstr Bahnhofstr Uniongasse Rocco's Latino Bar...... 3 C2 Hotel & Spa...... 27 C2 Rosenstr 36 Alpenstr Tourist Office...... 4 C2 Schiffstation 13 EATING Aarmühlestr 16 Baumgartenstr SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Belvéderè Brasserie...... 28 D2 38 Florastr Weissenaustr Alpin Center...... 5 D3 Coop Pronto...... 29 C2 37 Klostergässli Niesenstr ὈὈObere ὈὈ Alpinraft...... 6 D3 Goldener Anker...... 30 B2

Birkenweg To Interlaken West Parkstr Amthaus...... 7 B1 My Little Thai...... 31 D3 Jungfraustr Hospital Aare Train Station 11 Harder Kulm Funicular...... 8 E1 Pizzeria Horn...... 32 C1 (50m) ggstr

GeneralSuleggstr Guisan Str Heimwehfluh Funicular...... 9 B4 Schuh...... 33 C2 Outdoor Interlaken...... 10 D3 Steinbock...... 34 B1 3 Bernastr 20 Walde Swissraft...... 11 C3 Tamil Asian Shop & Tourist Museum...... 12 B1 Takeaway...... 35 C2 6 Unterdorfstr elstr Top o’ Met...... (see 25) Wych 24 10 To Mystery SLEEPING Welcome ...... 36 C2 Rugenparkstr Fabrikstr Park (1km) Rothornstr 31 Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof..13 D2 West End...... 37 B3 ὈὈὈὈRugenaustr 17 41 Beundenweg5 14 Balmer's Herberge...... 14 D3 Friedweg Funny Farm...... 15 D4 DRINKING Metzgergasse 22 Tellweg Happy Inn Lodge...... 16 C2 Per Bacco...... 38 B3 Schiff Canal 40 Hotel Alphorn...... 17 B3 Positiv Einfach...... 39 C2 INTERLAKEN Waldeggstr Hotel City...... 18 C2 Baumgartenstr 15 Hôtel du Lac...... 19 E1 ENTERTAINMENT Hotel Eiger...... (see 17) Open-Air Theatre...... 40 C4 4 Hotel Lötschberg/ Tellspielbüro...... (see 4) Susi's B&B...... 20 B3 9 Hauptstr ὈὈὈὈὈὈ Hotel Royal St Georges...... 21 D1 TRANSPORT Rugen To Wilderswil (3km); Hotel Rugenpark...... 22 B4 Avis...... 41 C3 Forest Alpine Garden (10km); To Spiez (16km); Schynige Platte (10km); Hotel Splendid...... 23 C2 Daniel's...... (see 31) 145 Thun (30km); Teddyland (10km); Hotel-Gasthof Hirschen...... 24 D3 Hertz...... 42 C1 Bern (57km) Heimwehfluh Grindelwald (18km) ὈὈOBERLAND BERNESE ὈὈὈὈ BERNESE OBERLAND hills are worthmaking.A up inthe19thcentury. howthesurroundingareasdetails opened gan rideallthewaybackdownhill. ful view,amodel-traindisplayandtobog- adult/child Sfr5/3; most sports, includethefollowing: ice-climbing, skydiving, andmuchhydro-speeding more. jumping, bungee para gliding offanynumberof mountains, delwald (see p152 ). Inaddition,youcan jumping attheGletscherschlucht nearGrin- orChliSchliereGrimsel gorges, andcanyon- and SaaneRivers, canyoning intheSaxetet, There’s river rafting ontheLütschine, ties take placeinthegreater JungfrauRegion). gard isoffered fromhere theactivi- (although hub. Everything youcanthinkof inthisre- andInterlaken isitsbusiest New Zealand, adventure-sports destination,justbehind Switzerland istheworld’ssecond-biggest EXTREME SPORTS (adult/child return Sfr10/7) and newestis few itsbiggest attractions.However, sesses As aregional gateway, Interlaken pos- itself Sights &Activities 146 and manyhikingpaths. entry after 3.30pmSfr28; entry after adult/child/studentSfr48/28/38,late .mysterypark.ch; Sfr24; single/return Sfr14.60/ inGerman; www..ch friendly h .heimwehfluh.ch; adult/childSfr6/5,bobsledrunSfr5; laken’s charming oldquarter of phere, head acrosstheAare River toInter- Interlaken Ost onceortwiceanhour. not apply.There’s afree shuttlebusfrom you thinkingabout aliens.Scepticsneed crop circlesinsummer)are meanttoget ots of the Gods, Swiss authorof the1970sbestseller It’s thebrainchild of Erich vonDäniken, the Stonehenge visible‘Sphere’. andahighly temple, Egyptian pyramid,IndianVimana, skirts, withexpensive re-creations of aMayan worldly themeparkloomslarge ontheout- Tourist Museum Tourist Near the1471Amthaus,there’s ahumble Two funiculartripsintothesurrounding Alternatively, The major operators, each abletoarrange For analtogether more atmos- nostalgic 9.30am-5pm Apr-Oct) INTERLAKEN••Sights&Activities h Apr-Oct) Heimwehfluh Mystery Park Mystery h hasapanoramicrestaurant

( and its displays (including anditsdisplays(including % Harder Kulm 2-5pm Tue-Sun May-Oct) willtake youuptofamily- , where there’s awonder- 033 822 98 39; Obere Gasse 26; 033 8229839;Obere Gasse h

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Hauptstrasse 16) Gsteigwiller beiInterlaken) Jungfraustrasse 72) Jungfraustrasse and table tennisand table inthegarden. Theold going on. There’s asmall kitchen, a lounge laken’s hostels, thisplacestill hasplenty as thecleanestand mostgenteel of Inter- Hauptstrasse 7) to askaboutsafety records andprocedures. repeated,not been butit’salwaysagoodidea car –aboutfive years agofortunately have theStechelberg-Mürrenjumping off cable canyoning intheSaxetet Gorge andbungee of accidents– injury.Twotragically fatal out incident,butthere’s alwaysasmallrisk for skydiving. Sfr140 forparaglidingandSfr380speeding, ing, Sfr110 forcanyoning,Sfr120 forhydro- Sfr95 forrafting,Sfr125 forbungee jump- other activities. as some places close. as someplacesclose. , andcallahead during facilities andfree bustransportacross which offers discountsonlocalsporting Ask GuestCard, yourhotel fortheuseful Sleeping Bohag Swissraft Outdoor Interlaken Alpinraft Alpin Center & 4-9pm,to10pmsummer; Sfr5; frau viewperpersonextra www.villa.ch; Alpenstrasse16;dm/dSfr33/98;rwithJung- i Hauptstrasse 23;dmSfr24-27,dSfr60-70; Balmer’s Herberge Hostels BUDGET 800m south. opens ahuge tent about alongGsteigstrasse, also social happening.Insummer,Balmer’s venture sportsandthere’s alwayssomething adrenalin of comingdownfrom ad- those phere. This legend, atmos- knownforitsfun,frat-house .com) 826 7717;www.scenicair.ch, www.skydiveswitzerland -interlaken.ch; Hauptstrasse15) -interlaken.ch; The vastmajority of excursions are with- Prices are fromSfr90 for rock climbing, Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof Villa Backpackers ) Switzerland’soldestprivate hostel isa conducts scenic flights, skydiving and skydivingand conductsscenicflights,

( % ( ( % % 033 8229000;www.bohag.ch inGerman; ( % 033 823 41 00; www.alpinraft.ch; 033 8234100;www.alpinraft.ch; Animal House 033 823 02 10; www.swissraft.ch; Obere 033 8230210;www.swissraft.ch; 033 8235523;www.alpincenter.ch;

( ( % % 033 8221961;www.balmers.ch; and 033 8267719;www.outdoor i www.lonelyplanet.com h ) Widelyregarded buzzeswiththe Scenic Air

reception 7.30-11am the lowseason, ( % h 033 8267171; year-round;

( % 033 camp sitesperadult/carSfr9.50/4,tentSfr7.50/17.50, Sfr95/125, hotels/dfromSfr115/155; GuisanStrasse31;B&Bs/dwww.lotschberg.ch; General the Jungfrauare nicetouches, too. steamer trunksandbalconieswithviewsof www.lonelyplanet.com Sackgut/River Lodge Sackgut/River Camping B& Lötschberg/Susi’s Hotel SYHA hostel toilet Sfr35; Hauptstrasse; dmwithoutsheetsSfr25,withshower& particularly in the attached B&B.particularly intheattached They dotend tobequite small,though, most asifyou’re inaprivate home. staying are designedandcharming, thoughtfully al- individually decorated roomsatthisplace Hotels &Pensions Takewaterfront. busNo1. Year) Quiteawayfromtownwithscenicgardenonthe exceptChristmas/New hostel closedmid-Nov–late-Jan, h Bönigen;dm/dSfr30/86; 21,amSee, /boenigen; Aareweg Happy InnLodge such anarchism. care; they’re here forthepartyandrevel in bars andaswimmingpool,butguestsdon’t surroundedbymakeshift ramshackle house a squatandanislandshipwreck. There’s a with cheap prices, centrallocationandnoisybar.with cheapprices, Sfr8)OKhostel,recently sprucedupalittle, breakfast extra .com; Rosenstrasse17;dmSfr22,s/d/trSfr38/76/96, Funny Farm Also available are places: these Hotel Rugenpark AUTHOR’S CHOICE are always ready to help withlocaltips. at homeandyour knowledgeablehosts have Jungfrauviews. Most ofall,youfeel breakfast buffet andsomerooms isserved toroam,whilealargeMonty thedoglikes child’s swinginthelarge garden,where and travel trinkets. There’s ahammockand cushions,beadsenlivened withcolourful is spotlessandpublicareas have been B&B. Rooms remain humble,buttheplace transforming thisintoanincredibly sweet Ursula, have already donewondersin inp 165/200, withoutbathroomSfr65/105/140/175; Rugenparkstrasse19;s/d/tr/fSfr85/130/ genpark.ch; reception 7-10am&4-10pm to11.30pmsummer, s ( % ) FunnyFarm ishalfwaybetween )

Itsnewishowners,Chrisand ( % 033 8224353;www.youthhostel.ch ( % 079 652 61 27; www.funny-farm.ch; 079 6526127;www.funny-farm.ch;

(

033 8223225;www.happy-inn % ( % 033 822 44 34; Brienzstrasse; 033 8224434;Brienzstrasse; 033 8223661;www.ru

( % np 033 8222545; ) The Hotel Eiger are Sfr20 more perperson. package. Renovated roomsintheadjoining cars toguestsaspartof itsaccommodation small groupof hotels andhires outSmart ample parking.Italsobelongstoavery away inaquietstreet, allowingittooffer also been refurbished.also been to Sfr40, openWednesdaytoMonday)has SwissrestaurantThe in-house (mainsSfr15 floors, bathroompodsandwireless LAN. are now‘rusticmodern’,withparquet chalet of isenjoyinganewlease life. Rooms 2004, this16th-centuryheritage-listed Swiss ing undergone aSfr400,000 renovation in Marktplatz; standard s/d Sfr110/150, superior s/dSfr140/210) standards/dSfr110/150,superior Marktplatz; Sfr90/120, s/dwithshower&toiletSfr135/210) phorn.ch; Rugenaustrasse8;s/dSfr120/140) rooms. one of therenovated ormore contemporary don’t get akickoutof thatretro vibe, gofor elling andacylindricalfireplace. Butifyou woodpan- metric lampshades,sauna-style here, fromstylishpaddedarmchairs, geo- There’s lots of classicScandinavian décor Hirschen Hotel-Gasthof MIDRANGE bungalow for4peopleSfr98; sible tomiss. withanexterior However, this onInterlaken’srise horizon, thisisimpos- glory toremain charming. immensely ofthan enough itsformerbelleépoque mish-mashofa slight stylesitretains more family forgenerations, ithas andalthough inthesame thishoteltrain station, hasbeen overlooking the river nearInterlaken Ost laken.ch; Höheweg225;s/dSfr150/270) laken.ch; the River Lodge banner. along thewaterfront, which itoffers under town, andnowhasarowof bungalows gut’s theonlycampsite actuallyinthe approaching modern. styles, fromSwiss traditionaltosomething comeinarange ofrooms. These decorative fromthe you hearsurprisinglylittlenoise friendly hotel isonacentralcorner,but breakfast Sfr25) Höheweg37;s/dSfr195/295, inGerman; -interlaken.ch Sfr90/180) Hauptstrasse11;s/dfrom inGerman; en-interlaken.ch Hotel Splendid Hotel Hotel Alphorn Hotel Hôtel duLac Hôtel Metropole Hotel Metropole Hotel City Hotel Undernewmanagement andhav-

( As concrete thetallest high- %

INTERLAKEN ••Sleeping (

033 822 10 22; www.city-hotel.ch; Am 033 8221022;www.city-hotel.ch;Am % ( (

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033 8223051;www.hotel-al ( 033 8286666;www.metropole % h 033 8221545;www.hirsch May–mid-Oct) Inagreat spot Tucked Sack- This 147

BERNESE OBERLAND BERNESE BERNESE OBERLAND pizzas Sfr13-20,othermainsSfr20-35; mains Sfr18-36; with plumviewsof theJungfrautoboot. – help make thisInterlaken’s answertoRaffles Victorian-era features andmodernluxury travelled. Aperfect meldingof well-preserved wealthy when onlyroyaltyandtheseriously (as wellastheprices)harkbacktoera here reverent hushandimpeccableservice d with Jungfrau viewsfromSfr780; d withJungfrau Höheweg41;s/dfromSfr560/680, www.victoria-jungfrau.ch; with excellent international cuisine such as has upbeatcontemporarybrasserie décor, to theboring-look Hapimag hotel village, this Sfr15-36; Welcome India Eating &Spa GrandHotel Victoria-Jungfrau TOP END also saved fromlookingattheMetropole. lofty viewsof thetownandJungfrau,you’re hereugly, staying isaboon:whileyouenjoy 148 but whentheydo,they’re usuallydelicious. and cantake awhiletoarrive atyourtable, andotherdishesarepasta freshly homemade ing, congenial restaurant. Italian Many of the the incongruousSwiss interior of thisbuzz- whowait,asyou survey things cometothose with thewinelistandremember thatgood it, butit’sstillquite delightful. airabout veau gem. stuffy Ithasaslightly the roadisthislovingly restored ArtNou- dinner Dec-Oct, dinnerNov) dinner Dec-Oct, Sfr11-32, weekdaylunchmenusSfr14.50-16.50; .royal-stgeorges.ch; Höheweg 139;s/dSfr175/280) are thereal deal. emerging fromthecentralwood-fired oven pizzas warm andfamiliar,whilethetasty it change? Theatmosphere iswonderfully and fourromanticalcoves. But whyshould tobacco sheaths hangingfromtheceiling tablecloths covering dried woodentables, fordecades,withpink like thesame it’sbeen This quirkyold-fashioned restaurant looks northern Indianspecialities. restaurants. ThemenuincludesPunjabiand yellow, thisisthebestof localIndian several and agarishmixture of black,orange and woodenstatues withcarved curry house Hotel RoyalStGeorges Hotel Belvéderè Brasserie West End Horn Pizzeria INTERLAKEN••Eating h

( dinner Mon-Sat) h %

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lunch &dinner) 033 822 17 14; Rugenparkstrasse 2; mains 033 8221714;Rugenparkstrasse2;mains ( % 033 8225204;Rosenstrasse7;mains 033 8229292;Hardererstrasse 35;

( % Decorated like atrue

Amuse yourselves Amuse 033 828 91 00; Höheweg 95; 033 8289100;Höheweg 95; ( % Although attached attached Although inps 033 8227575;www h

( % dinner Thu-Mon) 033 828 28 28; 033 8282828; h Down lunch & ) The The

Sfr15-35; 56; Top o’Met schen (see p147 ). other goodoptionforSwiss foodistheHir- tavern isoneinwhich localsalsoeat.An- restaurants liningHöheweg,thishumble dozens of phoneyand/oroverpriced Swiss excellent views. top floorof theMetropole Hotel, which has station andanother, station December toMay andforallof November. onTuesdaysfrom It’sclosed Swiss stalwarts. alongsideahandfulof veal inmerlotsauce, and sauce monkfish medallionsinsaffron Schiller’s There are performances of twice-weekly Entertainment h Positiv Einfach Drinking h h ( Happy Inn. you’llalsofind older localsinthe although drinking holesfor20-somethingtravellers, Happy InnLodge are usuallythemostlively and well-dressed oldercrowd. morebar, attractingaslightly sophisticated with itsslick,low-litinterior. bar placefeels more localanddignified, bands andinternational artists. to ostrich steaks. Italsohasaroster of live ranging fromchicken fajitas andred snapper interesting dishes, ment continuestoserve the 2005floods,thiswell-respected establish- Sfr10.90; daily, from10amSat&Sun) 57;mainsSfr18-38; Marktgasse in German; & Takeaway a 1970sB-movie. pink interior canfeel like beingtrappedin Manilow–style pianoandoverwhelmingly ner here, asthetinkling,Barry however, Skipdin- coffee house. as aViennese-style % For coffee andcake, try oracocktail, There’s asupermarket opposite each train Goldener Anker The bars at Balmer’s, FunnyFarmThe bars atBalmer’s, and Per Bacco Steinbock Good cheap eatsinclude h 9-1am Mon-Sat) 10-10pm Mon-Sat) 10.30am-12.30am) 033 8220175;Hauptstrasse19;mainsSfr12.50-20.50; 8am-10.30pm, to9pminwinter) h h

Wilhelm Tell lunch &dinnerTue-Sat) ( 10.30am-10.30pm) ( %

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% (Centralstrasse) 033 8286666;Höheweg37) 033 8222330;Uniongasse1;allmenus Thisisafairlychi-chi wine 033 8221843;Kreuzgasse 5;mains 033 8229792;Rugenparkstrasse2; Schuh

, in between them. , inbetween ( nexttoBalmer’s. % Itsinterior rebuilt after 033 8221672;www.anker.ch

Coop Pronto ( % www.lonelyplanet.com between late between June ThiscosylittleDJ and 033 8229441;Höheweg Whilethere are Tamil Shop Asian My LittleThai also works

h (Höheweg 11; 4-11.30pm 4-11.30pm on the others. 25) station, and station, hotels. 01 75;www.daniels-rental.ch; Hauptstrasse19) www.lonelyplanet.com zipping aroundtown at up scooters, motorbikes andsmall cars for Alternatively,train station. youcan pick are andbuses foot, buttaxis found ateach You caneasilyget aroundInterlaken on AROUND GETTING big-name rental companies laken fortripsfurtherintoSwitzerland, from Kandersteg, southof Spiez. istotake thecar-carryingmountains train vehicles withoutabigdetourroundthe buttheonlywaysouthfor west toBern, terlaken WestorOst. orZweisimmen)departfromIn- (via Bern (via SpiezandLötschberg) andtoMontreux Interlaken Ost TrainstoBrig trainstation. Trains toLucerne(Sfr29) departhourlyfrom THERE&AWAYGETTING ( able. Tickets are available from butanEnglish synopsisisavail-German theatre intheRugen Forest. Theplayisin staged intheopen-air and mid-September, Sfr26-48) 19 39;Waldeggstrasse34a) % , are bothreasonably central. Should youwishtohire acarinInter- Main roadsheadeasttoLucerneand September 2006.At thetimeofwriting,stonestillhadn’treappeared. Stone. Withfloodsswiftlyfollowingthetheft,2005Interlaken gameswere postponeduntil for more than20years. Juraseparatistsasanexample.French-speaking They’ve beentusslingover pieceofrock a65kg do eruptit’soften over things. themostunlikely Take cantonofBernand theGerman-speaking The rivalriesbetweenSwitzerland’s linguisticcommunities are butwhenthey usuallylow-key, ROCKY HORROR phorn playing, ling gameswere duetobeheldthatyear. the EUflag. Justfouryears later there wasanothertheft,againfromInterlaken, where thetravel- European Union. for 17years,whilealsodemandingJura’sdevolutionfromSwitzerland andentryintothe ofBern’sterritory. They ithostage kept ‘Beliers’,wholayclaimtopart the French-speaking once every 10years. fromanInterlaken museumin1984by The stonewasfirstkidnapped Games, whichsince1805have nationalunityandare symbolicallyasserted nowheldabout 033 822 37 22; www.tellspiele.ch; Höheweg 37; tickets 033 8223722;www.tellspiele.ch;Höheweg37;tickets The 200-year-old Unspunnen Stone( The In 2001,thestonewassuddenlygiven backinmysterious circumstances,andengraved with in the tourist office, andfromsome inthetouristoffice, Alpine games Hertz

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033 8226172;Harderstrasse (; Daniel’s wrestling and stone-throwing, preferably wrestling andstone-throwing, of thehistoricUnspunnen Avis Tellspielbüro

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AROUND INTERLAKEN••SchynigePlatte Apr–mid-Oct) 43; adult/child/student Sfr17/9/15; for details). testing onSchynige thewebsites Platte (see with you,there is,amazingly,free boot- laken Ost. Ifyoudon’thave yourownboots Wilderswil, ashorttrainridefromInter- the hikingandviews.The the attractive walk orashort Sfr7 boatride,you’llfind A bus ride fromInterlaken, a1½-hour ST BEATUS HÖHLEN way/return Sr33/54; one (www.schynigeplatte.ch, www.jungfraubahn.ch; an Interlaken istothis1967mplateau. There’s One of themostmemorabledaytripsfrom SCHYNIGE PLATTE AROUND INTERLAKEN ground lakes thatmake them interesting. stalactites andunder-their stalagmites, inthe 6thcentury,butit’stered StBeatus dyland collection of of thousands toybears at of flora,includingEdelweiss. There’s alsoa don’t missthe region. Ifyou’re here inJulyorAugust, to is aneasytwo-hourcircuit,whilethetrail Despite allthis,themainattractionis You reach theplateau ona Grindelwald-First Grindelwald-First Alpine garden ) isafocalpointofSwitzerland’s Alpine

(admission free) . They’re tohave supposed shel- moonlight hikes St BeatusCaves

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cog-wheel train ( Panoramaweg % 10.30am-5pm 033 84116 from 149 Ted-

BERNESE OBERLAND BERNESE BERNESE OBERLAND mained unconquered until1938.Reaching north wallclaimedmanylives andre- fearsometicularly the3970mEiger, whose ing placein legend, par- astonishing. lookslessthan many angles,butitnever thelandscapefrom you’re abletoobserve of kilometres of walkingtrailsintheregion, naturalbeauty.Withhundredsoutstanding a hotel room inMürren –you’re facedwith Männlichen, inacablecartoSchilthorn, or turn –whetheronahike fromGrindelwald directiondramatic scenery.Inevery you Jung- and densityofit boaststhecountry’shighest Mönch Eiger, frau (Ogre, MonkandVirgin) mountains, famous the by it istheholiestof theholy.Dominated pine heartland,theJungfrauRegionwithin OberlandisSwitzerland’sAl- If theBernese missed. caneasilybeThe accompanyingmuseum 150 (Thunersee) Lake Thun Schilthorn (2970m) JUNGFRAU REGION The ‘bigthree’ peakshave anendur- JUNGFRAU &Information REGION••Orientation Interlaken Allmendhubel Wilderswil (2677m) Gimmelwald Grütschalp Zweilütschinen Winteregg Lauterbrunnen Stäubbachfälle Mürren (Brienzersee) Lake Brienz Station Stechelberg Wengen Stechelberg Trümmelbachfälle Schynige (1967m) Platte (2472m) Männlichen (2230m) Allmend Jungfrau (4158m) Männlichen Jungfraujoch (3454m) Station (2520m) Scheidegg Kleine Eigergletscher Bussalp Grindelwald you canretrace yoursteps. direction,in theopposite, anticlockwise or laken. thetripcanalsobetaken However, andInter-on toWengen, Lauterbrunnen Jungfraujoch, backtoKleineSch and eidegg atthebottomofScheidegg theEiger, to from Interlaken toGrindelwald,Kleine It’susualtotravelstation. inaloop,say, grail of Jungfraujoch, train ’shighest Valleythe Lauterbrunnen floor. Grütschalp orviaStechelberg fartheralong villages are reached eitherviamountainside latter two Gimmelwald onthewest.These Wengen ontheeastern ridge, Mürren and car-freeseveral resorts onthehillsabove – fromwhereLauterbrunnen, youcanreach ley runningmore directly southleadsto east isdominated byGrindelwald.Theval- tothe terlaken. Thebroadvalleycurving Two valleysbranch southwardsfromIn- &Information Orientation inEurope. station (3454m), thehighest hours towhizupbytrainJungfraujoch great iseasiertoday;ittakes just heights Grund Bachalpsee (4099m) Between the two valleys stands the thetwovalleysstands Between Mönch Eigerwand Faulhorn (2681m) Grindelwald Alpiglen Eismeer

(3970m)

Eiger Glacier) (Lower Unterer Gletscher Unterer Bort (2167m) First Pfingstegg Stieregg Closed to private traffic Grindel Milchbach

Schwarzhorn Oberer 4km 2miles 0 0 www.lonelyplanet.com

(2928m) Gletscher (Glacier) Gletscher (3701m) Scheidegg (4078m) Grosse Pass To Meiringen Rosenlaui Gorge holy (5km) 72 33;www.jungfraubahn.ch) for thecardifoneisn’tforthcoming. theentirethroughout region. Ask yourhotel goodfordiscountskarte (Guest Card), helpful. and www.swisspanorama.com are alsovery bahn.ch, touristoffice websites although isfoundatwww.jungfrau A goodselection idea tocheck awebcambefore youleave. changes frequently, butit’salwaysagood andtheoutlook volatile inthemountains, worth makingoncleardays.Conditionsare out point,isreached viaMürren. November. ing atthe endof April andatthe end of to-date list. out thewebsite foracomplete and up- runnen toInterlaken Ost Sfr6.60. Check Sfr6;gen andLauterb- toLauterbrunnen toWengenKleine Scheidegg Sfr23; Wen- Scheidegg toJungfraujoch Sfr104 (return); Sfr30;delwald toKleineScheidegg Kleine terlaken Ost toGrindelwald Sfr9.80; Grin- toJungfraujoch.Scheidegg) price fromEigergletscher (justpastKleine youstillhave though topayhalf- Card), with SwissPass, orHalf-Fare SwissCard theregionthroughout forSfr165 (Sfr120 providing five daysof unlimited travel www.lonelyplanet.com valid withintheentire region. frau journeys.TheSwissHalf-Fare is Card they are good fora25%discountonJung- are notvalidbeyondInterlaken, although Passes 25% discount.EurailandInter Rail ren inthe other;beyondthat,holders get a wald inonedirection andWengen andMür- Jungfraujoch. from where upandbackto theroute goes of atthebase Kleine Scheidegg theEiger, upagainat tracks looparoundandmeet valleys diverge atZweilütschinen. Therail tions of thetrainsplitupwhere thetwo back halfforGrindelwald.Thetwosec- half of orthe thetrainforLauterbrunnen Interlaken OstSitinthefront station. Hourly trainsdepartfortheregion from &Around There Getting Staying inresortsStaying entitlesyoutoaGäste- journeysareMountain-top onlyreally Schilthorn, theregion’s othermainlook- Many of forservic- thecablecars close Sample fares include the following:In- Jungfraubahnen Jungfraubahnen Swiss Passes are validasfarGrindel- (Jungfrau Railways; Railways; (Jungfrau offers itsownpass, % 033 828 wald.com; Dorfstrasse; wald.com; Dorfstrasse; 9am-noon Satlowseason) mer &winterhighseason,8am-noon1.30-5pmMon-Fri, 8am-noon &1.30-5pmSat,9am-noonSunsum- h details. Wengen or Schynige Platte, sosee p154 for areas canjustaseasilybeapproached from cable carupfrom thevillage. Some of these Pfingstegg –reached therelevant bytaking the village –aroundMännlichen, First and The besthikinginGrindelwald is above HIKING fering wonderfulviews. (adult/child Sfr6/3), you’llfindaterrace of- log stairs, after youpayyourentrancefee from thebusstop,then(pant!)up890 Wetterhorn. minutes Fifteen Restaurant Gletscher, Sfr6.80 one way)totheHotel- local bus(marked Terrasen Weg–Oberer hike eastfromthevillage, or catch a nowned foritsbluehues.It’sa1½-hour The Sights &Activities inwinter.Card arenearby. Localbuses free withtheGuest andapostofficeis near thetrainstation, river. of themainstreet istheSchwarze Lütschine andsouth east–westcourse.elevated Below themainstreetnorth off andtakes ascenic, ther endof thevillage, Terrassenweg loops The centre iseastof Atei- thetrainstation. &Information Orientation year-round hikingmecca. elwald isabustlingwinter skiresort and proximity totwolarge of ice,Grind- seas ley. Nicknamedthe‘glaciervillage’, forits mountain, Eiger threads alongthefloorof apicturesque val- imposing Grindelwald’s lengthymainthoroughfare the Below 1090m pop 4166/elevation GRINDELWALD Gletscher you canalsospythetongueof the expeditions. Attheendof the1000mgorge, This isapopularspotfor canyon-jumping Gletscherdorf (see p153 ) campingground. minute walksouthof thevillage centre, past Gletscherschlucht The departfrom andlocalbuses buses Postal 10am-5pm May-Oct, to6pmJul&Aug) 10am-5pm May-Oct, Oberer Gletscher Oberer JUNGFRAU REGION••Grindelwald tourist office tourist (Lower Glacier). h

( isintheSportzentrum. (Glacier Gorge;admissionSfr6; % (UpperGlacier)isre- 8am-noon & 1.30-6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon &1.30-6pmMon-Fri, 033 8541212;www.grindel isa35- Unterer Unterer

151 BERNESE OBERLAND BERNESE BERNESE OBERLAND and glacierbungee jumping. climbing,canyon-jumping mountain ises Grindelwald with manyoptionsinbetween. and jumpsfromSchreckhornhütte (Sfr490), 1200m atFirst (fromSfr160) andhikes to The Festivals &Events In thetouristoffice, OTHER ACTIVITIES school. (33km of trails). for is alsoagoodbase easy runsbacktoGrindelwald.Grindelwald orMännlichenScheidegg there are long, are intermediate FromKleine ordifficult. downtothevillageright at1050m.Most ski The region of First (see p154 ) offers many WINTER SPORTS 152 international teams create enormousice -grindelwald.ch) inGerman) 854 1290;www.grindelwaldsports.ch (17km) To Interlaken 1 3 2 GRINDELWALD Grindelwald Sportsincludestheskiing runsstretching at2486m fromOberjoch JUNGFRAU REGION••Grindelwald Chilchboden 19 World SnowFestival

om...... D1 Bodmi...... Downtown Lodge...... Belvedere...... Grindelwald Sports...... (see 2) Tourist Office...... Main PostOffice...... SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION

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Grindelwald Sports Grindelwald To KleineScheidegg(8km); Kantonsstr Jungfraujoch (16km) , where competitive Wengen (14km); ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲ cross-country cross-country skiing

12 5 4 3 2 1 Spillstattstr C2 B1 C2 B2 Paragliding B

...... C2 C &M...... EATING Memory...... SYHA Hostel...... Residence...... Naturfreundehaus...... Mountain Hostel...... Gletschergarten...... Gletscherdorf...... Fiescherblick...... Terras 3 organ-

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Lütschine seasons) in from3.30pmMon-Sat,5pmSun,hostelclosedbtwn d with/withoutbathroomSfr76/102; Terrassenweg;/grindelwald; 4-/6-persondmfromSfr31/35, path uptotheright. indicatingthesteep foot- and-white house side. Don’tmiss thesmallsignonbrown- that followstherailtracksonnorthern off fromtheroad minute uphillwalksets and 5pm,withagapatlunchtime. The30- 9am runatleasthourly between Services Terrasenwegto Bussalp, andWaldspitz. first twohostelsThese are reached bybuses HOSTELS of ahotel, hasafulllist. thetouristoffice If you’re lookingforaholidaychalet instead Sleeping in August. racesby valley andsurroundingmountains, Challenge whilethe Scheidegg, nearby Grosse Schwingen sculptures, isinmid-January. InJulythere’s 17 SYHA hostel 2

Locherbodenweg

Perched onaridge, high withspec- Dorfstr ᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲ , over the a90kmcourse through 14 13 12 11 10 (Swiss,Sumo-stylewrestling) at 9 8 7 6 C2 B1 D1 B1 A2 D1 D2 D1 14

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TRANSPORT DRINKING änihnCbeCr...... A2 Männlichen CableCar...... Pfingstegg Cable Car...... First CableCar...... Bus Departures...... Spinne HotelDisco...... (see 16) Espresso Bar...... Onkel Tom'sHütte...... Ter 16 033 8531009;www.youthhostel.ch 5 rassenweg 0 0 To Gletscherschlucht(800m); Unterer Gletscher(800m) 13 4 18 www.lonelyplanet.com 15

h 7 Graben To ObererGletscher(2km);

Grosse Scheidegg(6km) Im Dorfstr reception &check- D 6 8 Eiger Bike Eiger Bike Ribygassli 20 19 18 17 16 15 0.3 miles 500 m 20 Obere 11 D2 D1 C2 C2 D2 Gletscherstr garten.ch; s/dfromSfr120/220; garten.ch; .ch; s/dfromSfr105/170) hostel.ch; dm/dwithshared bathroomfromSfr34/88) Wetterhorn. It’s closed inNovember.Wetterhorn. It’sclosed There’s aterrace restaurant overlooking the village, thisisfriendly,cosyandmodern. in aquietlocationontheeastern sideof the sports junkies. for blue, moderncomplexisagoodbase the Männlichenthisbig, cable-carstation, the bustoNaturfreundehaus stop. den withawonderfulvalleyoutlook.Take Swiss fashion,thisalsohasagreat backgar- SYHA. surrounds are notasatmosphericatthe the is modern,cleanandfriendly.However, delwald’s mostconveniently located hostel dorms). Take thebustoGaggi-Säge. dorms) andamodernannexe (withfour-bed across acosywoodenchalet (withsix-bed views,thisexcellenthosteltacular isspread www.lonelyplanet.com Gletschergarten HOTELS &PENSIONS Gletscherdorf CAMPING low season) freundehaeuser.ch; Terrassenweg; dmSfr34-39; Sfr185/265; has abalcony. hairdryers andin-roomsafes. Every room mented by allmodcons,includingalift, garten’s appealingrusticityiscomple- charming withoutbeingcloying,Gletscher- town-lodge.ch; dmwithoutbreakfast Sfr35-40; Oct, forcaravansyear-round) Oct, adult Sfr9.20,pluscampsiteSfr6-17; for very shortstays. views of theEiger. Asupplementispayable well equippedof campingsites, with several cable car,thisisthemostconvenient and wald.ch in German; s/dfromSfr90/150; wald.ch inGerman; Gletschergarten. modeastheneighbouringin thesame sized rooms with good views, and has a good sized rooms withgoodviews, andhasagood run hotel offers well-furnished, generously under theFirst cable car,thiselegantfamily- further alongfrom theyouthhostel and Bodmi Downtown Lodge Mountain Hostel Naturfreundehaus Fiescherblick Residence

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% 033 8531721;www.hotel-gletscher ) 033 8545353;www.fiescherblick Also in a quiet location, Alsoinaquietlocation, Anotherexcellenthotel

( ( % % 033 8533900;www.mountain NearthePfingstegg 033 8530825;www.down 033 8531333;www.natur np h np for tents May–late for tentsMay–late ) Quaintand i ) h Seated Seated ) Grin- Near closed Oct–mid-Dec) menus Sfr28-75; 38; include alounge inLouisPhilippe style. bed niches andallmodcons.Publicrooms mix oldandnew,withwood-beamed ceilings, rooms are specialtoo. Thesuites, inparticular, some of thebestviewsinvillage andits mission free; 954 8888) international cuisine. gourmet restaurant, witharange of Swiss and its mainattractionisGaultMillau-rated DJ andoccasionallive music. and entrecôte of venison. like perch onmashedpumpkinwithrisotto the dailychanging menuincludingthings cuisine,with modern international/seasonal or abeer. somefantastic Theplacealsodoes you canenjoyanicecream, coffee andcake dous viewfromthiscafé’srear terrace, where burgers. röstiandfondue. tasty Italsodoes for steaks, and jacket sandwiches, potatoes the Eiger Hotel isanunpretentious choice midnight Wed-Sun) zas fromSfr13-30; s wald.ch; s/dfromSfr255/350,steSfr490; this scenic route to Meiringen (see p174 ). (twohours) buses travelearly October postal butfrom earlyJulyto toprivate traffic, closed over Pass Scheidegg the Grosse (1960m).It’s A smallerroadcontinues fromthevillage be reached bythemainroadfrom Interlaken. See p151 fortrainfares. Grindelwaldcanalso &Away There Getting The misleadinglynamed Drinking Tom’sHütte Onkel Eating stop outside,too. Terrassenwegfrom thetrainstation. buses aheadandthey’llcollectyou restaurant. Call any appetite. goodpizzas,inthree sizestosuit It serves mini-chaletin thissweet isgetting atable. watering hole. Thehotel alsohasa h Fiescherblick C &M Belvedere Memory h ) 11.30am-10.30pm) Thisnine-storey, four-star hotel enjoys JUNGFRAU REGION••Grindelwald 8.30am-11.30pm Wed-Mon)

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033 854 31 31; mains Sfr15-25; Dorfstrasse; 033 8543131;mainsSfr15-25;Dorfstrasse; h Usually, thebiggest problem ( 6pm-late; 033 8545757;www.belvedere-grindel %

( Themostcasualeatery in % 4-10.30pm Tue, noon-2pm&4pm- 033 8545353;mainsSfr25-45, % 033 8535239;ImGraben4;piz- 033 8530710;mainsSfr7.50- h Espresso Bar Espresso closed after Easter,mid- closed after There’s astupen- inp disco

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153

(ad- 033 033 BERNESE OBERLAND BERNESE BERNESE OBERLAND 1½ hours. reach in Rotstöckli andKleineScheidegg ridge to and skirtsaround theLauberhorn whichheidegg, headssouthtoHonegg, scenic Berggasthaus Männlichen Berggasthaus Thunersee. astretchsides. Tothenorthyoucansee of brunnen Valley withitssteep totheright to theleft,andglacier-formed Lauter- ofbroad expanse theGrindelwald Valley difference thetwovalleys– between ing behind.Fromhere, younoticethe horn (2472m),withthe‘bigthree’ loom- ridge are Tschuggen (2520m)andLauber- enjoy theview.Atsouthernendof the 10 minutes uptothecrownof thehillto return). ridge, fromWengen (Sfr23/Sfr38 oneway/ cable carcomesuptheothersideof the return 3pm to5pminsummer).Another chen (Sfr30/Sfr50 oneway/return, Sfr30 connects Grindelwald-GrundtoMännli- ( out points.Theworld’slongest Männlichen (2230m) isoneof theregion’s toplook- valleys, Lauterbrunnen and On theridge dividingtheGrindelwald Männlichen AROUND GRINDELWALD 154 [email protected]) lichenbahn.ch) lichenbahn.ch) % A classichike fromMännlichen isthe If you wish to stay overnight,If youwishtostay there’s the From thetop walkMännlichen station, duced on certain runsaboveduced oncertain Grindelwald. sues, aspeedlimitof30km/hwasintro- awarenessto heighten ofsafety skiiers’ is- ofnewmeasurescrowded. In2006,aspart areas bytraincanbeslowandtween ski for aminimumtwodays,butswitchingbe- regionJungfrau ski costSfr120/60/96/108 for thoseover passesforthewhole 62).Ski children, Sfr45for16to19yearolds,Sfr50 Mürren-Schilthorn costsSfr56(Sfr28for passforeitherGrindelwald-Wengenor ski prepared lifts. Aone-day runsand45ski the Schilthorn.Inall,there are 205kmof plus there’s ademandingrundownfrom destinations,gen are allpopularskiing Grindelwald, Männlichen,Mürren andWen- SKIING THEJUNGFRAU REGION JUNGFRAU REGION••AroundGrindelwald 033 8548080;www.maennlichenbahn.ch) Panoramaweg in winter. oran downtoKleine Sc-

( igloo camp % 033 8531068;berggast

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first.ch; oneway/return Sfr30/50) holes and scratches caused bymovingholes andscratches caused ice. fascinating terrace of rockscarred withpot- this, youpassthe Milchbachtaurant (onehour)isopen.Along Oberer Gletscher (1½ hours) viatheRes- inGerman) .hotel-wetterhorn.ch mit station, there’smit station, the (2½ hours). BytheFirst cable-carsum- terer Gletscher (1½hours) orGrindelwald (1½hours), Scheidegg hours), Un- Grosse return bybustoGrindelwald(Sfr19.80). can hike (1800m,1½hours) toBussalp and three hours), andreturn bytrain.Oryou continue ontoSchynige Platte (another panorama. Fromhere, to youcanchoose at Faulhorn, there’s a restaurant anda360° folding panoramasof theJungfrau massif; thereridge toBachalpsee, are excellentun- Bachalp). As(Lake alongthe youproceed Faulhorn in winter. Fromhere, youcanhike upto 100km of paths, halfof which open stay trail to Unterer Gletscher. whetherthe Checktosee take short hikingtrailstoStieregg, the near Yet to anothercablecargoes Pfingstegg ( to A cablecargoes First small post office. and money-changing facilities aswell a Eigergletscher toAlpiglen (2¼hours). ternatively, you canhike the Eiger Trailfrom ski runsfromearlyDecembertoApril.) Al- the village. areas (These becomeintermediate behind Wengernalp, anduptheLauberhorn one hourapiece,toEigergletscher, downto hiking. There are short,undemandingtrails, for (2061m)isalsoagoodbase Scheidegg changing trains forJungfraujoch, butKleine people onlylinger forafew minutes while ofviable positionatthebase theEiger. Most yetitoccupiesanen- around thetrainstation, KLEINE SCHEIDEGG This placeisamere huddleof buildings Sfr11.20/Sfr17; single/return853 2626;www.pfingstegg.ch inGerman; at Pfingstegg. % There’s also a popularsummer Other hikes gotoSchwarzhorn (three The train station haslocalinformation The trainstation 033 8531284) (2681m;2½hours) viaBachalpsee Hotel Wetterhorn Hotel

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found in from Sfr170/270) on theEiger. accidents mountaineering scopes toobserve macabre history of peopleusingitstele- It hasaworld-beating locationandarather hotel –rambling,creaky andatmospheric. 828 78 28; dm/s/d Sfr46/78/156, half board extra Sfr17) 828 7828;dm/s/dSfr46/78/156,halfboardextra www.lonelyplanet.com windows andvertiginous views. where Eismeer, and there are viewingplatforms, panoramic Eigerwand at Mönch, timesinsidethe you stopseveral Eiger and 1912, took16years todrill.)Alongtheway, der thatthetunnel,which wasopenedin Sphinx metereological (Littlewon- station. 10km of rockbefore arrivingatthesci-fi nearly through passes Kleine Scheidegg, level. than atsea tude there’s one-thirdlessoxygen intheair overdo atthisalti- because things,though, spectacular.disputably Remembernotto from theso-called‘topof Europe’ are in- inEurope;theviews trainstation highest two millionpeopleayearvisitthis,the all about.Andthere isareason whyabout to experiencefirst-hand toknowwhatit’s once-in-a-lifetimethose tripsthatyouhave (about Sfr175 fromInterlaken). It’soneof nor bythefactthattripisexpensive wantstogo else Jungfraujoch (3454m), Don’t bedeterred bythefactthateveryone JUNGFRAUJOCH wards Grindelwald. h ( cently renovated andthemorealso inthetrainstation, re- % Basic dormitoryaccommodationcanbe Basic The laststage of thetrainjourney,from DesAlpes Bellevue Hotel favourite locations,includingGstaad( p175 ), Engelberg/Titlis ( p229 than doubled.Hugetourgroupsarrive monthsofMayandJunetovisittheir inthepre-monsoon ) andGeneva( p59 ). Indian blockbusters have followedandthenumberofIndiantouriststoSwitzerland hasmore here. Sincethehugehit other foreign country,andthousandsofloyalfansare followingintheirmovie idols’footsteps lywood film crews toventure into,Switzerland asitsstuntdouble,stand-in. beganacting becametooriskyforBol- song-and-dance sequences. SowhenthetraditionallocationofKashmir asthebackdroptoitsunashamedlyescapistindustry justadores oralake amountain,waterfall Confused bythecurrybuffet atJungfraujoch?The answerissimplereally. India’shuge movie THE HILLSAREALIVEWITHSOUNDOFHINDI closed Nov&May) 033 855 13 74; dm Sfr40, half board extra Sfr21; 033 8551374;dmSfr40,halfboardextra As aresult, more Bollywoodmovies are nowshotintheAlpineconfederation thaninany Restaurant Bahnhof Röstizzeria Bahnhof Restaurant is a formerly grand Victorian isaformerlygrandVictorian , eight minutes’ walkto- , eight Restaurant Grindelwaldblick Restaurant

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Mönchsjochhütte prepared path,in50minutes youreach the activities. Ifyoucrosstheglacieralong team of huskydogsorenjoyarange of other a bitof skiing orboarding,drive tame a hind theMönch onamarked path,enjoy andtheBlackForest tains inGermany. landmarkslikeas distant theJuramoun- seasons) views of the shops andindoorviewingterraces. emails,souvenir placestosend taurants, an icepalacegalleryof icesculptures, res- the trainsdisgorge theirpassengers, there’s fraujoch. indoorscoming allthiswaytostay atJung- there allyearandthere’s really nopoint and sunscreen. There’s snowandglare up forget totake warmclothing,sunglasses journey; check onwww.jungfrau.ch orcall you start from deeper in theregion. from deeper you start Stay noon restriction apply. doesn’t both the6.35amand 7.35amtrains,andthe vember to30Aprilthereduction isvalidfor and leave thesummitby noon.From1No- take thefirst train(6.35amfromInterlaken) (Swiss/Eurail Pass discountsavailable) ifyou cheaper ‘goodmorning’ticket of Sfr148.60 mer and4pminwinter. there’s However, a The lasttrainbackisat6.10pm insum- Sfr172.80 (Swiss/EurailPass Sfr126.40/111). 2½ hours each wayandthereturn fare is fringingtheglacier.the mountains dorms, refreshments andagreat viewacross % It’s possibletowalkacrosstheglacierbe- However, outsidethereHowever, are spectacular whereWithin theSphinxweatherstation, Good weatherreally forthis isessential Getting these early trains is less effort if early trainsisless effort these Getting From Interlaken Ost, thejourneytimeis wasfilmedhere in1995,dozens of other 100 62fromwithinSwitzerland.Don’t JUNGFRAU REGION••Jungfraujoch at 3650m. This mountain hutoffers at3650m.Thismountain

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155 BERNESE OBERLAND BERNESE BERNESE OBERLAND 828 71 11; www.jungfraubahn.ch; perday/weekSfr12/54) 828 7111;www.jungfraubahn.ch; Nov, 8am-6pmJun-Sep) .truemmelbach.ch; adult/childSfr10/4; noon & 2-5pm Mon-Fri rest ofyear) noon &2-5pmMon-Fri -muerren.ch; easy to see howthefamous easy tosee it’s Especially intheearly-morning light, Sights &Activities above, there’s amultistorey per hourandadancebar(openuntillate). (asyoufacethetouristoffice). station most hotelsare andsights totheleftof the bank, whilethepostoffice, the trainstation, thesurroundingregion.through great fornature-lovers base wishingtohike pretentious lodgings,thetownissimplya faluting crowd.Friendlyandfullof un- tends toattractalesshigh- Lauterbrunnen ethereal contemporary beauty.However, totheir poems Lord Byrontocompose Falls Staubbach ( inspiredStaubbachfälle) and bothGoethe wispy Lauterbrunnen’s 806m pop 2683/elevation LAUTERBRUNNEN Jungfraujoch, Wengen andLauterbrunnen. ing, before moving ontoKleineScheidegg, elwald andstoppingforafew days’hik- holiday travel, venturing asfarGrind- thatticketuse toformthebackbone of your fraujoch isvalidforonemonth,soyoucan one way/return fromKleineScheidegg. (2320m), which onlysaves youSfr6.80/11.40 farthest youcanwalkisuptoEigergletscher Pass).(Sfr52 withtheJungfrauRailways The is Sfr65, instead of thefullreturn of Sfr102 ter. Fromhere, the‘goodmorning’return in summerandat8.02amor9.02amwin- pick uptheexcursion-fare trainat8.02am overnight atKleineScheidegg andyoucan 156 of sprayfloatingdownthecliffside. writerscaptivated several withtheirthreads potholes shaped bytheswirling waters. The corkscrews of aseries ravines through and upto20,000Lof mountain, water persecond more of Insidethe abang-crashspectacle. cable-car station, chargingcable-car station, Sfr8 foraday. is alsoanopen-aircarparkbytheStechelberg butyoumustbookahead.There the station, If you’re travelling tothecar-free resorts Hotel HornerhasInternet accessforSfr12 The Even the ordinaryreturn ticket toJung- The JUNGFRAU REGION••Lauterbrunnen tourist office tourist Trümmelbachfälle h 8am-noon & 2-6pm daily May-Sep, 8am- 8am-noon &2-6pmdailyMay-Sep, , ontheotherhand, are

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a Sfr10 supplementinsummer. rooms have comewith balconies,butthese an informal,friendlyatmosphere. Thebest quality butstillfairlyold-fashioned, with adult/tent fromSfr10.30/6,dmSfr26; & 2-10pm; .ch; dm/tw/d/fSfr25/56/64/112; Camping Jungfrau Camping Sleeping &Eating country skiing this anidealexcursion inpoorweather. raincoat, asyouget quite damp–making the valleyfloortowardsStechelberg. Take a takes youtothefalls,whichstation are along ous 10stages. Abus(Sfr3) fromthetrain point viastairs oraliftandwalktothevari- and snowdeposits.Youreach thestarting falls drainfrom24sqkmof Alpineglaciers ledge, thiscar-free resort hasalongview about boasts its ‘celestialviews’. Perched ona mountain rightfully Wengen makers, Especially popularwithBritish holiday- 1350m pop 1050/elevation WENGEN rösti, pasta, salad and Swiss speciality. salad rösti, pasta, asuperior sortof Itserves wisdom isright. brunnen’s besteatingoptionand received Received wisdomhasitthatthisisLauter- and haveof humour. agoodsense owners andmanyregular guestsare friendly much more humbleontheinterior. Still,the let ispretty asapicture fromoutside,but coloured flowers andflags,thiswoodencha- Its verandas bedecked with ablazeof multi- an attachedlaundromatandacat. clean, modernplacehaskitchen facilities, the backgardenfacingrailwayline,this main street, neartheStaubbach Falls. right minutes’ walksouthafter theendof the looking toget awayfromitall.It’safew notappealtothose might the wholesetup haswoodenhutsonsite,It even although fers supreme comfortandsuperbfacilities. This RollsRoyceof acampinggroundof- from Sfr60/80) .com; s/d/tr/fSfr90/100/150/170,s/dwithoutbathroom Hotel Oberland Hotel The valleyfloorisalsogoodfor Hotel Staubbach Hotel Chalet imRohr Valley Hostel i Nextdoor,thishotel isbetter ) FlyingtheKorean flagfrom during thewinter.

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( ( % % 033 8552008;www.valleyhostel 033 8552182;rperpersonSfr28) 033 8551241;mainsSfr16.50-35) 033 8562010;campsitesper 033 8555454;www.staubbach (Continued on page 165) www.lonelyplanet.com h reception 10am-1pm h year-round) cross-

Mar-Apr) -muerren.ch; -lodge.ch; dmSfr25-40,rSfr35-60) -wengen.ch; s/dfromSfr100/160,inwinterSfr145/250) There’s alsoa Allmend, Wengernalp orKleineScheidegg. the cablecartoMännlichen, orbytrainto in late January. Theskirunsare reached by the international phere views. andfantastic basic facilities,butitboastsalively atmos- fact, it’sahuge, ramblingoldlodge, with the pathbelowWengen’s In trainstation. easily recognisable asyouapproach itdown pretty much asthenamesuggests, makingit steps along,at post office tinuing 100mfartheron.Nextdooristhe aleftatHotel Silberhornandcon- taking Sfr14-42; 156) page from (Continued that remain snow-cappedallyear. valleytopeaksdown theLauterbrunnen www.lonelyplanet.com Hotel Bären Hotel Eating Old LodgeBackpackers Sleeping Lauterbrunnen takes aboutanhour.Lauterbrunnen openinwinter too.stay Thehike downto from Männlichen). Some20kmof paths summer (see p154 onhiking fordetails areassame are excellentforhikinginthe staying. ifyou’re isworthvisiting,even taurant not ternational twistonSwiss food,anditsres- This family-runhotel putsamodern,in- normally quotes includehalf-board. if compact,rooms.Note thattherates it hotel hasapeaceful atmosphere anddecent, littlechaletand downthehill,thissweet reached byloopingbackundertherailtrack .ch; s/dfromSfr70/120,inwinterSfr90/160) of renovated andunrenovated rooms. ting roomandgoodviews.There’s arange ArtNouveau sit- its wonderfullypreserved for in leafygrounds,theBelvedere isnotable h The high pointinWengen’sThe high calendaris Hotel Bären Hotel The Da Sina Hotel Belvedere Hotel 11.30am-2pm &6-11pmTue-Sat, 6-11pmSun&Mon) isminutes fromthetrainstation, tourist office tourist h

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033 8553172; pizzasSfr12-27,other mains ( ( 9am-6pm daily,closedSat&SunNov % % ski school ski Rock’s Bar

033 8551419;www.baeren-wengen 033 8551419;mainsSfr18-42; ( % Lauberhorn downhill ski race downhillski Lauberhorn

( % 033 8566868;www.belvedere ( % 033 8551414;www.wengen

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Sun shoulderseasons,8.30am-5pmMon-Satlow season) 6pm Sunhighseason,8.30am-7pmMon-Sat, 8.30am-5pm the scenery. slack-jaweding andskiing,plus staring at in thesportscentre. -muerren.ch; h way/return Sfr12/7.40) pub/disco foraprés-skientertainment. whilethere’scum-steakhouse, anattached enjoy theterrace of thispopularpizzeria- the moststunningspotsinregion. heaven. Car-free you’ll thinkyou’ve diedandgonetoHeidi Mürren issimplyoneof reach out andtouch them.Andthat’swhen thatyoucould across thevalleyfeel soclose ridgehorizontal towardsMürren, thepeaks floatsalongthe from Grütschalp seemingly asthetrainArriving onaclearevening, 1650m pop 320/elevation MÜRREN stairs discobar(winter only). office withdrinks,barfoodandadown- This isayounghang-outnearthetourist & 6-11.30pmrest ofyear) by the…husband). and home-madecakes (baked almostdaily wife team, Gruebioffers cheap Swisseats main street andrunbyahusband-and- In summer, the The mainpursuits inthevillage are hik- Chili’s theWengenSaloon The Gruebi Café ally. It’sclosedbetweenseasons. excellent French foodalljustcomenatur- andthe feeling thatthecharmingservice the Caprice doesn’ttrytoohard; you get dinavian-style fireplace. Mostimportantly, tones, andtheloungehasastylishScan- understated, withblack,muesliandwhite is modernandchic. The colourschemeis blown, theinterior ofthisboutiquehotel gion are opulent,historicandslightlyover- establishments inthere- other top-end to thinkofabetter place. Whereas most luxury intheJungfraumountains,it’shard Hotel Caprice AUTHOR’S CHOICE in winterSfr460) standarddwithviewSfr160-300, price-wengen.ch; 8.30am-6pm Mon-Sat,1-8pmSun) tourist office tourist h JUNGFRAU REGION••Mürren 8.30am-7pm Mon-Sat,to9pmThu,8.30am-

( % If you’re looking forpure Ifyou’re looking takes you above Mürren to ( %

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165 (one

is is BERNESE OBERLAND BERNESE BERNESE OBERLAND and a runs nearby,mostlysuited tointermediates, winter Sfr140/120,dmSfr40-70; house.com; dwith/withoutbathroomfromSfr130/Sfr110,in .ch; s/dSfr115/190,inwinterSfr140/260; Jungfrau, too. Eiger,just themighty but the Mönch and ming pool:thepicture-windows framenot the absolutely amazingviewfromitsswim- ismostnoteworthy establishment for star guests praise the service, foodandviews. theservice, guests praise Pastknick-knacks brighten upthestairwell. car. Funkywreaths decorate doorand every lauded chalet hotel neartheSchilthorn cable of loving hasgoneintothismuch- detail regarded forits fonduesandflambées, al- rusticrestaurant,Hotel Blumental’s highly season) Sfr15-28; Eiger Guesthouse Sleeping &Eating easier valley.There’sthe Lauterbrunnen alsoan west, which offers viewsacross outstanding Trail Northface outonmanyhikes,set includingthefamous a panoramicrestaurant. Fromhere, youcan 166 and restaurant. thelargethrough windowsof itslounge of andoffers thecliff vertiginous views ontheedge perchhotel spectacularly does a concrete box fromoutside,thismodern rooms, youget agenerous breakfast. buffet sides clean,freshened-up andcomfortable humble abodeoffers pretty goodvalue. Be- and on-the-ball Swiss-Scottishcouple,this taken to the hillstoescaperatrace. by aformerfive-star chef who’sliterally Malaysian andother Asian dishescooked s/d fromSfr200/280; known forthe the devilish soft-toythe devilish souvenirs. skiers each year. It’salsothereason forall course nowattractsnearly2000amateur January. Inaugurated in1928,thedifficult downfromSchilthorn inmid- in German) muerren.ch; s/dSfr95/190) Sfr16.50-35; In winter, there are 50kmof prepared ski Tham’s Snacks&Drinks Tham’s Hotel Edelweiss Hotel Eiger Hotel Alpenruh Hotel Restaurant LaGrotte Restaurant JUNGFRAU REGION••Gimmelwald Tham’s serves Thai,Singaporean, Tham’sserves Children’s Adventure Trail Adventure Children’s ski school ski h h noon-9pm dailyJul&Aug,ondemandinlow

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% Thiselegantfour- ( % ) Run by a friendly Runbyafriendly (Inferno-Rennen 033 8551826;mains 033 8560110;mains (onehour). Thisisthe in . Mürren is ) Lots Lots almonds andsugar). madefrom chocolate,ingly shapedsweet (aninterest- Shitmelwalder Horse Balls’ from Sfr14 toSfr26, isfamousforits‘Gim- The restaurant, where mostmealsrange want more inback-to-nature Gimmelwald. describe thisassimpleandrustic,butfew guesthouse.ch; rperpersonSfr40-45) delivery of theline, ‘Thename’sBond, James moreseem preoccupied withpractising their BlackForest.the German Yet, somevisitors Titlis around toMontBlanc,andacross from fraujoch. Onagoodday, youcansee betterthat’s possiblyeven thanfromJung- Esther’s GuestHouse Sleeping &Eating (Mürren Sfr7.40, Stechelberg Sfr7.80). (1¼ hours). cars Cable are alsoanoption 40 minutes) andoneupfromStechelberg one downfrommore scenicMürren (30to are better inMürren). more really, popular(although, theviews land’s mostfamousbarns–isbecoming in thehayof whatisnowoneof Switzer- villagemountainside –where youcansleep region. andthis Thesecret isout,though, ofto escapetheworst touristexcesses the for hikers andotheradventurers wanting Tiny abolthole Gimmelwald haslongbeen 1370m pop 140/elevation GIMMELWALD lower mainthoroughfare. summer. BothitandThamare alongthe touristyin it’sbecomingslightly though the 2970m There’s 360°panorama from afantastic SCHILTHORN siongimmelwald.ch; s/dSfr87/135) breakfast andshower). comfort –of inhay(Sfr22 sleeping including you canenjoythenovelty –andsurprising for itsbarnwhere, fromJunetoOctober, duce atbreakfast. it’sbetter However, known itsownjamandorganic pro- B&B, serving hostel.com; dmSfr20; while enjoying mountain views. while enjoyingmountain munal outdoorhottub,where youcanbathe but incredibly friendlyplacenowhasacom- backpacking legend, thisbasic,low-ceilinged The surroundinghikingtrailsinclude Mountain Hostel Pension Gimmelwald Schilthorn h

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belowthe ( % 033 3345211;www.bls.ch)

or longer. Eurail were shot here here shot were revolving res- . Aday On On New Year, Feb & Mar) 1-4pmSunNov-Jan, daily Apr-Oct, 1-4pm dailyChristmas, www.schlossthun.ch; adult/child Sfr7/2; prehistory tothe19th century. train station. h contains a contains of thepowerfulZähringen family.Nowit Thun and bars inturnliningthisfootpath. shops’roofsthese andanotherrowof stores pedestrian footpathbuiltalongthe topof bled pavement where cars drive –witha Here, of aseries quirkyshopslinethecob- isthesplit-level missed ery footballsandotherFCThunsweets. cake-shop windowslinedwithconfection- by river weirs, of adhocstreet andof stalls, ing inthestreet scenesof coffee drinkers Thun,tak- It’s justajoytowanderthrough Sights &Activities office Tourist Manor postoffice Main Information central area caneasilybecovered onfoot. street Bällizrunningalongit.The trianised banks byfootpaths androads,hasthepedes- A sliver of landmidstream, linked toboth centrefrom themedieval around thecastle. bike rental andmoney-exchange counters) (whichriver has thetrainstation separates namesake lake, alongthe Aare River. The The townsitsonthenortherntipof its Orientation have wonaplaceinthenation’sheart. Goliaths inrecent years, minnowsFCThun pectedly felled Europeanfootballing several Thun withitsfootballteam. Having unex- but todayallSwiss most readily associate above isstillthetown’smostvisiblefeature, arcades. the unusualmedieval front pavement cafésandfunkyshops fill donistic crowdssunthemselves atwater- rest ofyear) 9am-noonSat Sat Jul&Aug,9am-noon1-6pmMon-Fri, Bahnhofplatz; access isavailableonthe1stfloorofthissupermarket. 9am-9pmThu,8am-4pmSat)Internet 6.30pm Mon-Fri, The 12th-centuryhilltopcastle, One street thatshoulddefinitely notbe The turreted castlesittingonthehill 7.30am-7pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noonSat)Oppositethe 7.30am-7pm Mon-Fri, , oncebelonged V toDuke Berchtold ( %

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To Schloss Aare Hofstettenstr h np TRANSPORT ENTERTAINMENT EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Boat TicketOffice...... Boat Station(Schiffskanal)...... Mokka...... Essen undTrinken...... Altes Waisenhaus...... Hotel zuMetzgern...... Hotel Emmental...... Thun Rollt...... Schloss Thun...... Historical Museum...... (see4) Tourist Office...... Manor...... Main PostOffice...... oe rino...... B2 Hotel Freienhof......

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h ( % ) ( Thisleadinghotel isin 033 2275050;www.freienhof.ch % 5.30-11.30pm) 033 2224870;Untere Haupt- 200m 0.1miles 0 0 www.lonelyplanet.com 033 2233133;Bälliz61; To Interlaken (19km) Thisspacious D Opperated Opperated 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 B3 B3 A1 B1 B2 B1 B1 B3 B1 B3 B3 B3 details. details. ment; check onthewebsite forthelatest clubs are located couldbeupforredevelop- the industrialarea where mostof thetown’s (15 minutes). the left, and ultimately leadsto the castle themainstreet, isdownto nal. Seestrasse, andhasanInternet termi- shoulder seasons Itisopenshortertrain station. hours inthe .mokka.ch in German; Allmendstrasse14) inGerman; .mokka.ch www.lonelyplanet.com The &Information Orientation yard, forwhich itswellknown. blooms. Itslushvegetation includes avine- is resplendent insummerwithcoloured midst, theoft-overlooked townof risingoutofwith amedieval its bay, Hunched aroundahorseshoe-shaped 628m pop 11,924/elevation SPIEZ each waybytrain,Sfr28 byboat. From Interlaken West,ThunisSfr14.20 route from toMilanandbeyond. Thun isonthemainnorth–southtrain &Away There Getting Thun’s mostfamousclubis free folklore performancesinRathausplatz. Thursday inJulyandAugustthereEach are Entertainment mer, 8am-noon & 2-6pm Mon-Fri winter) mer, 8am-noon&2-6pmMon-Fri .ch; first of13,000decommissionedfacilitiestofallbackonthatotherSwissstandby–. boxed text OnGuard, p32 ), that’sallchanged,andthe it hadnearlyonemillionsoldiersona48-hourcall-out.Withrecent armycuts,however (seethe meant that height oftheColdWarthistinycountry’sattachmenttocompulsorynationalservice It usedtobesaidthatSwitzerland didn’thave an army, Switzerland wasanarmy,andatthe BUNKER MENTALITY (Sfr18/31 single/return). inThun.)to theSwissArmyMuseumCollection (Withagroupofsix,youcanalsoarrangevisit about Englishexplanations,calloremailahead. half hour. Tourslast1½totwohours,andyou’llneedwarmclothinggoodshoes. Toask cramped sleepingquarters. and connected and byunderground tunnelsinwhichyou’llfindoffices,laboratories, kitchens tober). Cleverly are disguisedasfarmhouses,theentrancestobunkers guardedbycannons, to thepubliconfirstSaturdayofevery month(adult/childSfr9/5,2pmto5pmAprilOc- troops defending Thun, SpiezandtheLötschberg railway.Now,duringsummer,they’re open h tourist office tourist The formerly Faulensee canbereached bybusfromSpieztrainstationandInterlaken Westby boat Visitors are organised intoadhocgroups,andguidedthroughthefacilityonhour 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon&2-6pmSatsum- 8am-6pm Mon-Fri,

( top-secret bunkers % 033 6542020;www.thunersee isoutsidethe Mokka . However,

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(www 033 654 25 07; [email protected]) 033 6542507;[email protected]) h Schachenstrasse; s/dfromSfr130/270; vedere-spiez.ch; from Sfr80/140) & SunMay-Oct) Jul–mid-Sep) 10am-6pm 5pm Mon,10am-5pmTue-Sun Easter–mid-Oct, adult/child/concessionSfr7/2/5; .spiez.ch inGerman; places tostay. relatively humbleabodeoneof Spiez’snicer decoration andafriendlyairhelpmake this -spiez.ch; Seestrasse 36; s/dfromSfr75/125; -spiez.ch; Seestrasse Läset-Fescht and cultivation. restaurant (mainsfromSfr36.50). but centralspot, ithasagourmetFrench thelake fromaquiet cilities. Overlooking traditional furnishingswithmodern spafa- Hotel DesAlpes Hotel Sleeping &Eating The castle, Sights &Activities option is between the train station andthe thetrainstation option is between sports 13th-centurygraffiti). or fromthevertiginous tower(which also view, whetherfromthebanquetinghall isthe rooms.Butthehighlight medieval von Erlach familiesandfineexamplesof masters, theinfluential vonBubenburg and Rebbaumuseum Strandhotel Belvédère Strandhotel There there’s avintage wine festival, the Hotel Bellevue Hotel Near thecastleissmall Mar-Jan) Artilleriewerk Thisrefined four-star hotel mixes , displaysportraitsof itsformer , inSeptember. Schloss Spiez withexhibitsonwineculture Littlepersonal touches inthe

( % (admission free;

atFaulensee isamongthe ( % 033 654 33 54; Seestrasse 34;s/d 033 6543354;Seestrasse here were builttohouse THE LAKES••Spiez 033 6548464;www.bellevue

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2- BERNESE OBERLAND BERNESE BERNESE OBERLAND mid-May–mid-Oct) child Sfr8/1.50; adult/ Staaststrasse52,Hilterfingen; egg.ch inGerman; adult/child Sfr5/1; im Obersteg liesthestunning Estate, terheer this castleisthatjusteastof it,onWich- Nov) 5pm Tue-Sat, 10am-5pmSunmid-May–mid-Oct) adult/studentSfr8/6; Oberhofen; ter of anhour). you cantake abus(14minutes, quar- every approximately hourly),or Thun (services Chagall. to findhere, withworksbyPicassoand much better thananythingyou’dexpect is afineprivate collectionof modernart, gardens a Turkishsmokingroom.Inthelandscaped leonic drawingroomand,itsbiggest draw, There’s chapel, anornate amedieval Napo- life fromthe16thto19thcenturies. pach (1386) anditnowdocumentsBernese Habsburg of controlafter theBattle Sem- troopswrested itfrombunch. Bernese day out. easily reachable royal byboatforaright around are Thun). These (Lake Thunersee themselves, there are acoupleothers dotted As wellasthecastleswithinThunandSpiez &Museums Castles LAKE THUN Thun andSfr18 fromInterlaken West. way bytrain.Byboatit’sSfr13.60 from From Interlaken West,SpiezisSfr9.20 each &Away There Getting placesaroundtheboatstation. and pasta good views. little more, someof although themdoenjoy lake. Itsroomsare perfectly adequate, and 170 mid-May–mid-Oct) styles. mix of and ArtNouveau neo-Renaissance in thebathroom, itprovides afascinating gleaming nickel-plated bathtub andtaps and19th-century bathrooms andsalons, cades, carpetsandfurniture initsfabulous castles inSpiezandThun.Withheavy bro- Another advantage of choosing to visit Schloss Hünegg Schloss Oberhofen is25minutes by boat from cls Oberhofen Schloss You’ll findmany,ratherordinary,pizza there’s a children’s chalet withtoys. THE LAKES •• Lake Thun THELAKES••Lake

(admission free;

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033 243 30 38; Wichterheer Estate, 033 2433038;Wichterheer ( 2-5pm daily,plus10am-noonSun % 2-5pm Mon,10am-5pmTue-Sun

( 033 2431982;www.schlosshuen h % 10am-dusk, mid-Mar–mid- 033 243 12 35; Oberhofen; 033 2431235;Oberhofen; h 10am-noon &2- Sammlung . This Apr-Oct, 8am-noon & 2-6pm Mon-Fri Nov-Mar) 8am-noon&2-6pmMon-Fri Apr-Oct, Swiss Pass; single/return Sfr46/72,25%discountwith horn-bahn.ch; 10.40, ModulhotelperpersonSfr30-90; tcs.ch; Gwattstrasse103;adult&carSfr10.90,tentSfr8.40- train station. a long, hard task returninga long,hardtask tonormality. floods, becomingonebigmudslide,andhad itsufferedHowever, badlyduringthe2005 easy reach of thepopularGiessbach Falls. industryandwithin land’s wood-carving , it’salsothecentre of Switzer- visiting thewell-knownFreilichtmuseum from theworld.As aconvenient for base little village fittingforadayortwo’sescape opposite, the mountains Brienz isasleepy namesake lake, looking acrossthewater to ontheedgeRight of itsaqua-coloured 566m pop 2921/elevation BRIENZ chure, www.thunersee.ch. orsee centres andschools inits hasacompleteThun touristoffice listof ing, water-skiing andwake-boarding. The messing aroundinsmallboatsto windsurf- from on Thunersee, swimming, and sailing All mannerof water sportsare practised Sports Water The Sights &Activities ( of each otherinthecentre. The and postoffice are allwithinastone’sthrow RothornBahn boatstation, The trainstation, &Information Orientation around five hours. happy. Walking tothetop fromBrienztakes Ghost–tokeep thechildrenSteam Railway a traindecorated withpictures of Hoppthe foryou.Sometimesthere’sthat’s important lunchtime, socheck withtheoffice ifyou engine before 9.30amandagainaround instead of trainisused ard diesel asteam eral hikes orjustenjoytheviews.Astand- 2350m, fromwhere youcanembarkonsev- still operatinginSwitzerland, climbing is theonlysteam-powered train cogwheel with bunkbeds. large plastictubeslaidontheirsideandfitted modation initsunusual‘Modulhotel’ –five windsurfing, aswellfamily/groupaccom- % Camping Gwatt Camping 033 9528080;www.alpenregion.ch; Rothorn Bahn h hourly from7.30am-4.30pmdailyMay-Oct)

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% ( % 033 3364067;camping.gwatt@ 033 9522222;www.brienz-rot www.lonelyplanet.com h Thunersee h May-Oct) tourist office tourist 8am-6pm daily 8am-6pm daily is in the isinthe offers offers bro-

not allowed11.30am-2pm) individualentry daily Apr-Nov,8am-6pmMon-SatDec-Mar, strasse 111;admissionSfr5,guidedtourSfr15; see inits see inbusinesssince1835.There’sbeen more to tached workshops,including outlets alsoopentheirat- clocks. Several musicboxes statues, carved andcuckoo tiques alongHauptstrasse, locally selling enhof.ch; Lindenhofweg 15;sSfr120-160,dSfr160-230) Sfr60.80; Strandweg10;10-&14-beddmSfr25.40,d/brienz; restaurant also seems quiterestaurant popularlocally. alsoseems andByronto Richard Nixon.The Goethe esting listof pastgueststhat ranges from ing hasallmodernamenities,andaninter- thisold-fashionedtrain station, chalet build- Stähli ter www.lonelyplanet.com 8; mostmains Sfr20-42; 6.30pm Thu-Tue inwinter) strasse 102;menusSfr18-30; 160/175) Hauptstrasse143;s/d/trSfr110/ inGerman; kreuz-brienz.ch Aaregg Camping Sleeping &Eating h opposite direction to thetowncentre. minute walkeastof in the thetrainstation, It’sa10- excellentstandard. ties tothesame 2005 floods,butvowedtorebuild itsfacili- lakeside bythe campsite wasdevastated bedroom offers wonderful views. retreat’.the bedanda‘smuggler’s An‘eyrie’ beds toforest themes,balesof hayabove rything fromflowerymuralsandcanopy decorated rustic rooms,encompassingeve- There’sSchönegg. arange of individually over five upthehillthan buildingshigher Brienz’s mostinteresting hotel isspread camp sitesperadult/car&tentSfr11/18; is closed frommid-October toJanuary.is closed ithasgoodlakealthough views.The hostel with large dormsandquite basicfacilities, hostel isadequate, ratherthanappealing, with driedpears. speciality Brienzer Krapfen, pastriesfilled cludes theunfortunate-sounding buttasty meals, biscuitsandcakes. Thelatter in- There are manytouristyshops andbou- Hotel Lindenhof Hotel SYHA hostel Tea-Room Walz Hotel Hotel Weisses Kreuz WeissesKreuz Hotel Seerestaurant Löwen Seerestaurant 8am-7pm) Conveniently tothe located close h

( % Living Museum reception closed10am-5pm) . 033 951 06 06; Hauptstrasse 41; tours free; 033 9510606;Hauptstrasse41;toursfree;

( %

( % ( 033 9511152;www.youthhostel.ch % h 033 9511843;www.aaregg.ch; ( thanyou’llfindat Thisplacehashealthy %

( 033 9522030;www.hotel-lind % h

mid-Mar–late Dec) mid-Mar–late (

% 033 9522020;www.weisses ( % 033 951 12 41; Hauptstrasse 033 9511241; Hauptstrasse 8am-10.30pm daily,8am- 033 9511459;Haupt- 033 9521300;Haupt- Jobin h Thenearby Apr-Oct) , which has , which has h Take a a Take 8am-7pm 8am-7pm This Wal-

5pm daily,grounds9am-6pmmid-Apr–endOct) www.ballenberg.ch; adult/child Sfr16/8; 19th-century Interlaken Ost Sfr27). by boat(return fromBrienz Sfr13.60, from rounding hillside. Giessbach iseasilyreached take long.Various footpaths traverse thesur- way/return Sfr4.50/6) butthewalkdoesn’t (one funicular runsupfromtheboatstation Giessbach Falls thatmakeslooking Brienzersee the500m-tall onawoodedhillsideover-It’s theirsetting Giessbachfälle e h T Ballenberg Freilichtmuseum AROUND BRIENZ the roadroute toLucerne. October). ThescenicBrünigPass (1008m)is train (Sfr7.20) orboat(Sfr19.80, Apriltomid- From Interlaken Ost, Brienzisaccessibleby &Away There Getting lovers andvegetarians are alsocatered for. and monkfishingreen currysauce. Meat- batter,in beer catfishinwholegrainmustard, a widerange of fishdishes,includingperch onthelakeside terraceseat from andchoose out having toretrace yoursteps. one entranceandleave bytheother,with- often packed, butatleastyoucanget at off leaves It’s fromoutsideBrienztrainstation. option istotake thebus (Sfr3 each way)that nearest isBrienzwiler. trainstation Agood east of thesite, andcarparksateach. The work outanitinerary. of specialdemonstrationsontheboard,and plan attheentrance(Sfr2), check thetimes try.Instead,visit, sodon’teven pickupa andmedicinalherbsonsite.tables woodlands andarange of gardens,withvege- styles. There are more than250farmanimals, and showarange of regional architectural were here brought fromallover thecountry –are back tobase displayed.Thehouses herding cowsdecked withribbonsandbells from hat-makingandbobbin-lace makingto which traditionalSwiss craftsandcustoms– some 100authenticcentury-oldbuildings,in of East Brienz,this80-hectare parkcontains of Disneyland-like ruralSwitzerlandof yore. The room categories atthe grandold There are twoentrances,at thewestand Ballenberg istoobigtoabsorbinone Ballenberg Open-Air Museum Open-AirMuseum Ballenberg THE LAKES •• Around Brienz THE LAKES••AroundBrienz worthvisiting.Anold-fashioned Grand Hotel Giessbach Grand Hotel h ( % buildings 10am- 033 952 10 30; 033 9521030; is a kind isakind

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171

033 BERNESE OBERLAND BERNESE BERNESE OBERLAND lunch inthepanoramicrestaurant. just comeonadaytripfromInterlaken for above thelake, surroundedbyforest. Some idyllically situated onthemountain high It’s ‘Romantic’and‘Bellevue’. ‘Nostalgic’, through twonearbyriverthrough gorges andacross hikes, fortaking especially ply agoodbase ringue. Formanyvisitors, it’ssim- though, birthplaceofbeing thesweet-toothed me- Holmes’ ‘death’. still congregate here fortheanniversary of capesfans indeerstalker hatsandtweed remain English-eccentric. Every 4May, corner of Switzerlandthat wouldforever near Meiringen, he ensured there wasa ofdead atthebase theReichenbach Falls his fictionaldetective for When thewriter ArthurConanDoyleleft 595m pop 4660/elevation MEIRINGEN andSusten passes. the Grimsel forembarkingontours across a goodbase frau Region,isapopularhikingspot,and The Hasli Valley (Haslital), eastof theJung- OBERLAND BERNESE EAST h 952 2525;www.giessbach.ch;sSfr130-170,dSfr150-330; 172 Meiringen’s other claimtofameisfor in Meiringen andBrienzcan provide flyers withabasicmap. 20 minutes fromthe bridge,orthe destrian suspensionbridge. Openedin2005,the102m-long Meiringen’s latest comprisesaglacierunderneathEurope’s attraction longestandhighestpe- BRIDGE OVER MELTING WATERS can overnight inoneoftwo mountainhuts:the thatyoumightwanttospendacoupleofdaysupherescenery issospectacular and,ifso,you youupto1022m,from wheretakes it’sa1½-hour walktothebridge(1870m).The highAlpine Post andpickupabusthere. Trift’ (Sfr8.60,SwissPass valid).Alternatively, catchtheMIBtrainfromMeiringentoInnertkirchen any busfromMeiringenheadingtoSustenpass orGadmenandalightat‘Käppel beiNessental, power companyhasopeneditsrenovated cablecartopublicuse. Togettothebasestation,catch sight, asonewrestles andpessimism about thewarmerglobalfuture. withbothvertigo it becomesmelt-water more swiftlythanitoncedid.It’sasimultaneouslyimpressive andterrifying German) May-Oct) EAST BERNESEOBERLAND••Meiringen EAST The hike from the cable-car base station to the bridge takes about3½hours. basestationtothebridgetakes TouristofficesThe from thecable-car hike The The bridgewasbuiltinresponse requests tohikers’ andcanbereached becausethelocal isalready whocometobalanceabove ahugehit withhikers themajesticTriftglacier,as cable car overlooking itall: thefallssay

( % 033 982 20 11; www.grimselstrom.ch; oneway/return Sfr10/18; 033 9822011;www.grimselstrom.ch; Trifthütte

(www.trifthuette.ch inGerman) (www.trifthuette.ch Windegghütte Reichenbachfall funicularandtheRothornBahn. Reichenbachfall bus routes,cablecars,theFreilichmuseum Ballenberg,the arangeofdiscounts,includingforboats,somescenic Offers that momenton,fanshave flocking been Moriarty, over theprecipice here. From both HolmesandHolmes’arch-enemy, Dr acted like oneof hisownvillainsandpushed In 1891,in ingly burdensomehero,Sherlock Holmes. them perfect fordispatching hisincreas- howArthurConanDoylethought can see to thegroundwithadeafening roar,you ichenbach Falls), where thewater cascades Gazing over themighty Sights &Activities Bahnhofstrasse; office Tourist alpenregionCARD Information reach thetouristoffice. thoroughfare, andinafew minutes you’ll Hotel Meiringen, ontothemain turnright tion opposite. Head aheadpastthe straight themainpostofficeandbussta- you’ll see (bikeexit thetrainstation rental available), The townisnorthof theAare River. As you Orientation suspension bridge. andlongestEurope’s highest pedestrian & 2-6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon&3-5pmSatrest ofyear) & 2-6pmMon-Fri, 11am &4.30-6pmSat,SunJulAug,8am-noon Triftbrücke ,

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h % (www.windegghuette.ch inGerman) (6/13daysSfr35/55; 8am-12.30pm & 2-6pm Mon-Fri, 8- 8am-12.30pm &2-6pmMon-Fri, 033 9725050;www.alpenregion.ch;

(Trift Bridge; www.trift.ch in www.trift.ch Bridge; (Trift ,

three hoursabove it. www.lonelyplanet.com Reichenbachfälle h 9am-4pm Jun-Oct) ConanDoyle h Apr-Oct) Apr-Oct) (Re- ,

of year) h funicularSfr11/7; Sfr4/3, combinedwithReichenbachfall 26;adult/child Bahnofstrasse 21; www.sherlockholmes.ch; &Oct) Jun,Sep daily May, well ason and mountaineering paragliding. tourist office can provide onthis,as details beginner runs;Sfr52 foradaypass).The region (mainlyintermediate andalsosome schlucht West,nearthewestern entrance. from Meiringen andInnertkirchen toAare- lessoftenhourly onweekdays, onweekends, visit the to September. alsoplytheroute fromJune hourly buses Meiringen takes atleast twohours, but revolving restaurant,nearby 2250m-high Hound of the Baskervilles sure andresurrected Holmesin1903’s writer, hegavea ‘serious’ intopublicpres- Conan Doylefailedinhisquesttobecome to thesite. (Thisisdespite thefact that,after www.lonelyplanet.com is thesteep andnarrow town, towardsthevillage of Innertkirchen, ing theregion. than2kmfromthe Less back inMeiringen. &Oct) 10am-5pmMay Jun-Sep, 88; www.rosenlaui.biz;adult/childSfr7/3.50 one nearInnertkirchen. The near Meiringen andthelesser-used eastern two entrances:themainwestern entrance 34 17;return summer/winter Sfr48/40) child Sfr2/3; adultoneway/return Sfr3/6, 10 11;www.grimselstrom.ch; the tothevillageA pathleads of and Rosenlaui bach Valley and ridebacktoMeiringen. can rent Trotti-bikes (adult/child Sfr19/14) village of Zwirgi. AtGasthausZwirgi, you pathssteep upthesideof thefallsto Meiringen. Alternatively, youcantake the takes nearly anhourtowalkbackdown gen, southof theAare River, tothetop.It Gorge; Sfr3/5; .reichenbachfall.ch; adultoneway/return Sfr6/8,child & Fri, 9am-5pmApr-Jun& Fri, &Sep-Oct) Sfr7/3.5; Reichenbach funicular Reichenbach For a brief season, a For abriefseason, There’s skiingand snowboarding inthe If you’re areal care fan,youmight to Otherwise, it’sbetter tokeepOtherwise, toexplor- Zwirgi of isatthestart thescenic 1.30-6pm Tue-Sun May-Sep, 4.30-6pmWed-Sunrest 1.30-6pm Tue-Sun May-Sep, Gletscherschlucht % h in the basement of inthebasement theEnglishchurch h 033 971 40 48; www.aareschlucht.ch; adult/child 033 9714048;www.aareschlucht.ch; adult/child 9am-6pm Jul&Aug,9-11.45am1.15-5.45pm Sherlock HolmesMuseum h , which runstowardsGrindelwald. 8am-6pm dailyJul&Aug, plus9-11pmWed 6am-7pm)

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h ( ( % % 033 97124 033 97142 Reichen- 9am-6pm 033 971 033 982 033 982 (Aare (Aare The Sfr24-44; article. meat Dishesrange fromChinese ern re-creation, butthefood isthegenuine tional woodeninterior is patently amod- hosting manymurder-mystery weekends. gem, andtodayithonours hismemoryby inthisopulentbelleépoqueonce stayed lock Holmes’creator, ArthurConanDoyle, Sfr75/120; old s/dwithbathroomSfr90/150,without news/dSfr125/180, Bahnhofstrasse; inGerman; stock.ch sushi menuonFridaysandSaturdays. modern European,withasupplementary a not-too-formal bite. Thecuisineismostly few quirkysculptures, thisisagood spotfor and accompanyinggardendotted with a s/dfromSfr110/200) .sauvage.ch; Bahnhofstrasse; .ch inGerman; Hotel Victoria Hotel Eating Hasli Lodge Sleeping the slightly shabby,butstillofferslightly goodvalue. tastes; the14initsolderwingare growing bedrooms initsnewwingcater toupmarket two halves. The14light-filled, minimalistic i 11;dmSfr35-40, sSfr60-65,dSfr100-120; Kirchgasse brief menu. There’s apopularbar/restaurant witha pet), itsroomsare quite old,butdecent. Kreuz’‘Weisses emblemisstillonthecar- and thelike. Aconverted budget hotel (the sports fans,hikers, backpackers, musicians to hangoutinMeiringen foradventure- mains Sfr24-48; EAST BERNESE OBERLAND •• Meiringen BERNESEOBERLAND••Meiringen EAST Hotel Alpbach Hotel Park Hotel duSauvage Park Hotel Hotel Rebstock Hotel Sfr130/180/250; s/d/trfrom Bahnhofplatz; toria-meiringen.ch; Hotel Victoria AUTHOR’S CHOICE ingly scattered aroundtheguestlounge. rooms. Ahandfulofboardgamesiswelcom- wood floorsgive warmthtootherwisewhite of fruit,blueloungechairsanddarkhard- arrangedpieces sign hotel. Orchids,artfully the Victoria isMeiringen’sequivalentofade- ) Thishasswiftlybecomethecoolplace Alpen Tower h np 9am-midnight)

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( % 033 9714141;www . Thetradi- Sher-

173 BERNESE OBERLAND BERNESE BERNESE OBERLAND climbing are other popularactivities. winter.both summer andeven Skiingand d’être, with550kmof surroundingtrails, odd looks.Hiking isthistown’sraison anything wearing Kandersteg but sturdyboots andyou’llattractafew in up Turn 1176m pop 1165/elevation KANDERSTEG for theskiresort of Gstaad. Farther westisSaanenland,knownmainly river valleys,theSimmeand theKander. andFrutigland,dominated bytwo mental At thewestern sideof theJungfrauare Sim- OBERLAND WEST BERNESE to private vehicles. (toGrindelwald)isclosed Scheidegg Grosse Andermatt), buttheroadsouthwestover and cars cantake thepass southeast (to 30 minutes, viaBrienz).Insummer,buses Brünig Pass) andInterlaken Ost (Sfr10.40, 80 minutes; withascenicrideover the Frequent trainsgotoLucerne(Sfr18.80, &Away There Getting Indian-style giantprawns. fondue orröstiwithveal tonoodleswith 174 8; menusSfr14.50-18.50; cakes andothersimplemeals. arange ofalso does savoury pan- salads, of meringue,thiscafé town’s bestpurveyors Café Brunner Café are closedtoalltrafficfromlate tolate October June. wald, see p153 )orAndermatt( p234 ). Swiss Pass. Children travel free. train stationoratthe 88 38;www.postalbus.ch/travel) tours onoffer changeeachyear,socheckwith andseverallakes glaciersalongtheway. the Grimsel,Nufenen, GotthardandSusten passes,enjoyingstupendous viewsofsnowypeaks, tourfromMeiringen.Fromhere,four-Alpine-pass acircularbustripcrossing it’spossibletomake youcanspendafullsunnydayenjoyingwonderful Between earlyJulyandOctober, ALPINE PASS TOURS WESTBERNESEOBERLAND••Kandersteg The fare isSfr118foradultsor–andhere’s themajorsellingpoint–Sfr25forholdersofa Of course,ifyouhave acar,youcansetyour ownitinerary.Donote,Of however, thatthepasses There isarangeofotherroutes fromMeiringen(includingtoGrosseScheideggandGrindel- At thetimeofwriting,busleftMeiringenat9.20amandreturned at5.30pm.However, the

( % 033 971 14 23; Bahnhofstrasse 033 9711423;Bahnhofstrasse h postal busoffice 7am-8pm) forallthelatest details. Alternatively, you’llfindinformationatMeiringen’s Oneof the

( h 8.15-11.15am) BernerOberlandPostalBus 2-4.30pm SatDec-Mar) 8am-noon& 8am-noon&2-6pmMon-Fri, Jun &Oct-Nov, 8am-noon&2-5pmMon-FrApr- 1.30-4.30pm SatJun-Sep, steg.ch; Oct, 7.30am-6.15pmJun-Sep) Oct, 675 1118;oneway/return Sfr14/19;8.45am-4.45pmMay- hus.ch; s/dfromSfr100/200) nature park nature ginners and day passes costSfr34.ginners anddaypasses The limited downhillskiingissuited tobe- while55kmof open. hikingtracksstay see, ski trails,includingtheiced-over Oeschinen- Kandersteg. it takes an hourtowalkbackdown 20 minutes of thelake byfoot.Oncethere, comfort. Withlowceilings, smallwindows fully renovated tocombine quaintnesswith chalet wonder- datingfrom1753hasbeen fashioned chair lift,the situated Anold- amongthemountains. (Lake Oeschinen; www.oeschinensee.ch) Oeschinen; (Lake many places are closed between seasons. many placesare between closed there’s lotsof cheaper accommodation,but Kandersteg’s popularitywithhikers means Sleeping its fresh trout. by busoronfoot).Thislake isfamousfor 5km tothenorthof Kandersteg (reachable then leftonthemainstreet. centre, aheadfromthetrainstation straight hiking routes. isinthevillage Theoffice The In winter there are 75kmof cross-country The Ruedihus To the east is the spectacular To theeastisspectacular opposite. are advisable. Reservations h tourist office tourist 8am-noon & 1.30-6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon& 8am-noon &1.30-6pmMon-Fri,

( ( % % (Blue Sea) anditsnamesake (BlueSea) 033 6758181;www.doldenhorn-ruedi 033 6723333;admissionSfr4.50) canhelpwithsuggested

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camp sitesSfr10.50;dmSfr21-27) dihus.ch; s/dfromSfr120/200) for food. are more modern. Also anexcellentchoice 19th-century décor,whileroomsintheRitter gant hotel. TheVictoriasidehastraditional coach tavern, nowtransformedintoanele- Sfr60/100/120) -victoria.ch; s/dfromSfr125/210) -victoria.ch; the Hotel-Pension National. and antiquefurniture, it’sinafieldsouthof www.lonelyplanet.com Gucci, Hèrmes, LouisVuitton andRolexare of itsleadinghotel, Palace. theGstaad , crouched turrets beneaththehilltop fairytale wannabes, it’sapicturesque buttinyvillage alty, heiresses like Paris Hiltonandvarious nery, Roger Moore, minorEuropean roy- Con- boots. Renownedasahauntof Sean reputation –toolittleforitsfur-lined ski the resort of appearsGstaad smallerthanits inFrance, and fittinglytwinnedwithCannes Synonymous withtheinternational jetset, 1100m pop 2500/elevation GSTAAD a further1¾hours toreach Leukerbad. over five hours Pass toget totheGemmi and way toheadsouthishike; ittakes alittle /autoverlad formore Thetraditional details. www.bls.ch See inItaly. and onwardstoIselle trundle toGoppenstein (30kmfromBrig) Lötsch berg which Tunnel,through thetrains Kandersteg isatthenorthernendof the &Away There Getting (International ScoutCentre; Pension National Sfr14) includinghamburgers andschnitzels. restaurant hasarange of heartyfare (from ing andtoiletfacilities,aswellashop. Its thishasdecentwash- lift toOeschinensee, you’ll cometothePfadfinderzentrum. road for15minutes. Afurther15minutes on, street andfollowthe fromthetrainstation Pension onthemain National,turnright and awell-regarded restaurant. rooms, fromtraditionaltomore modern, chalet hasarange of individuallydecorated granderthanitssisterslightly Ruedihus,this Sfr6-12; campsitesperadult/carSfr7.50/3,tents ing-kandersteg.ch; Camping Rendez-vous Camping Doldenhorn Basic accommodationisavailableBasic at Hotel Victoria Ritter Victoria Hotel h year-round) , andthehuge

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% ( % Less uniquebutalso Less 033 675 11 39; www.kisc.ch; 033 6751139;www.kisc.ch; . Toreach theHotel- 033 6758000;www.hotel Thiswasoncea 033 6751534;www.camp Pfadfinderzentrum Hotel-

rest ofyear) 10am-noon&1.30-5pmSat noon &1.30-6.30pmMon-Fri, 8.30am- noon &1.30-5pmSatSunJul,Aug &Dec-Mar, .gstaad.ch; Promenade; buy specific sectors (Sfr26buy specificsectors toSfr52). mum of twodays(Sfr97); forsingledays, The regional passisavailable foramini- Diablerets andLes glacier(see d’Oex p95 ). are covered, someasfarafieldChâteau 250kmoftotalling runs.Inall,69lifts places includedintheRegionSkiGstaad, areZweisimmen. These onlysomeof the like StStephan and Saanen,Saanenmöser, varied skiing,headtoneighbouring resorts Runs tend tobeblueoreasyred. Formore 2200m, meaningsnowisnotguaranteed. around thevillage onlygouptoaround little resort. There issome that’s anoft-repeated complaintin this ‘Where oneactuallyskiinGstaad?’; does Activities ming anddiscountsonmanyactivities. some free transport, guidedtours andswim- card(Sfr33)The three-day offers Easyaccess Information the centre andthetouristoffice. toreachalong thepedestrian-onlysection Hauptstrasse, andgo200meast turnright aheadpastHotel tostraight Bernerhof lel tothemainstreet, Hauptstrasse. Walk isinthecentre,The trainstation paral- &Information Orientation enjoythehikingopportunities. might ordinarymortals andbeingseen, are seeing skiing. Whileitsprincipalcompetitive sports ter après-skiwindow-shopping thanactual Promenade,anditofferspedestrianised bet- inthechi-chi piled high boutiquesliningthe to Gstaad (changeto Gstaad atZweisimmen). Fromeither resort,total). atrain runsback adjoining Simmen Valley (around4½hours inthe and downtoStStephan orto Lenk to walkTurbach, over theReulisenpass, Anundemanding excursionfrom Gstaad. is ing offers somemore challenging pistes. the Videmanette area bychairlift andthis making machines. Fromhere, youcanreach the Eggli cablecar, where there are snow- Snowboarding There’s a There isaplethoraof otheractivities. WEST BERNESEOBERLAND••Gstaad is possibleinfourvalleysradiating out . tourist office tourist is better, especiallyabove h 8.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am- 8.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri,

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175 Hik- BERNESE OBERLAND BERNESE BERNESE OBERLAND s/d fromSfr350/600; Green Go, is alsofoundup here. wood favourite, while theresort’s topdisco, hilltop vantage point.It’sanotherBolly- gazeoverits haughty the village fromits in luxury,thisturreted palacecasts fairytale in each room. belle époquestylewithatuborsteam bath chalet hasexclusive rooms,decorated ina Ecclestone,thiscentral One bossBernie breakfast.buffet renovated rooms, asmallbarandgenerous the skischool, it’sarusticSwiss chalet with Ten(sort of). minutes fromthecentre near you’re not Alist,butwanttomake believe Apr &May) &sometimes & 4-10pmwinter,closedmid-Oct–mid-Dec /saanen; dmSfr31; opengstaad.com) .alpinzentrum.ch) paragliding. offeringincluding several canyoning and of hasdetails ist office otheroperators, Thetour-glacier tours safaris. andjeep season. town. Onlydoublesare available inthehigh vated rooms,thistimetheoldesthotel in simple chalet reno- hotel withpleasantly roessli.ch; Promenade;standards/dSfr140/260) minutes awaybytrain. let RüblihorninnearbySaanen,justfour drop atothertimesof theyear. pricesand All hotel pricesare high-season Sleeping lianz hoststheannual During July,Gstaad Festivals &Events 176 phorn.ch; Gsteigstrasse;s/dSfr130/240; and in a marquee inGstaad. and inamarquee in Saanen’s15th-centuryMauritian church of August.It’sheld classicalmusicevery tival Saanen nearbyhostsa is about Sfr82 toSfr108. Onelarge operator rivers, fromMay from toSeptember, .com; s/dSfr380/420) Rössli Post Hotel There’s Hotel Olden Hotel Hotel Alphorn Hotel SYHA hostel Alpinzentrum Gstaad Alpinzentrum WESTBERNESEOBERLAND••Gstaad

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façade. aquarium and‘interesting’ paintingsonits has reopened inanewhomewithhuge late, themostfamoustea roomintown andchoco- patisseries for itsappletart, staples. Swiss cently pricedrestaurant thatserves in the1960s,thisritzy–andpriceychalet Sfr35 toSfr50). a cheaper restaurant, AlpenBistro(mains stools thatlooklike haybales.There’s also tree of fire, instead of afireplace, andsome kitchens, a bunch of litmonitors, like a wall dividingthepublicspacesfrom glassern design,Chlösterli hasa6m-tall transformedwithpostmod- inn that’sbeen 10-minute drive fromtown.AnoldSwiss amazing restaurant/bar/club complexa Chlösterli (www.chlosterli.com),in Le an hasopenedthisrestaurantAlain Ducasse 65, fixed 3-coursemenuSfr105) Sfr17-27) Post Hotel Rössli Post Hotel Eating &Drinking Dec-Apr &Jun-Oct) mainsSfr18-40,menusfromSrf45) erhof-gstaad.ch; Chinese. with reasonable prices.Itoffers upmarket Another goodrestaurant withinahotel, from Sfr140-160; Chesery Hotel Bernerhof Hotel Charly’s Spoon desNeiges 44) of Schönried, food container. Above thenearby village guests eatfroma fun winter, where guestsheadhomeonskis. host fondue,raclette andwine evenings in Berghaus Wispile 744 2757) ( valley floor. The gourmet mit stationofthecablecarsupfrom batch ofmountainrestaurants atthesum- in seasonyoucanheadforthearea’s good If Gstaad’sritzyrestaurants aren’t foryou, MOUNTAIN FEAST mains are aboutSfr25. % , where staff dress inarmyuniformsand Further above Eggli isthegimmicky-but- Videmanette Berghaus 033 7489612) Thisplacehasareasonable, de-

( % ( hasahuntingtheme. Mostcheap % 033 7441544;Promenade) h 033 7442451;Lauenenstrasse;menus

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there’s abar. GaultMillau chef of theyear. Downstairs with chef RobertSpethrecently named restaur fromstrengthant goes tostrength, www.lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright theterms and conditionsonoursiteforalonger wayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake beautiful people. lounge andclubisafavourite hauntof the Geoffrey (amongothers), thisbrasserie, don andalsoownedbyRoger Moore’s son, bar of theMayfair inLon- establishment Hush

( % 033 7481500;Promenade) The sister passes close to Gstaad atSaanen. toGstaad close passes pal roadconnectingAigleandSpiez,it five 11istheprinci- timesdaily.Highway DiableretsLes (Sfr12.40, 50minutes) about hours) to viaMontreux. busgoes Apostal airport(Sfr45, three You canget toGeneva one hour20minutes; change atZweisimmen). Montreux (Sfr23, 1½hours) andSpiez(Sfr24, isontheGoldenPassGstaad route between &Away There Getting WEST BERNESEOBERLAND••Gstaad © LonelyPlanetPublications

177 BERNESE OBERLAND BERNESE

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