Blogs from Interlaken, South-West, Switzerland, Europe

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Europe » Switzerland » South-West » Interlaken » Matten bei Interlaken September 30th 2022

It’s 9.40 pm and it’s been a long day. I’ll drop in a bit of information, some interesting facts, and let the beautiful scenery do the rest. Tim and I did another early dash to Jumbos, the Swiss Bunnings, to pick up some more things, like a 450mm drill extension, for the dishwasher, and after taking on Tim as a work experience boy - no need to pay them - I had the help I needed to get the job done. No leaks, it powers up, but with French instructions, I didn’t have time to run a test. Should be good, but just in case I made sure we were well down the highway before it was tested. It drizzled constantly as we headed to Spiezer, with me taking over driving duties. Tim wanted a break, ... read more
This was the Geneva I got to see
Another Geneva Gem
Wall of Colour

Europe » Switzerland » South-West » Interlaken November 7th 2019

Today the countryside is blanketed in fresh snow. At the train station there is a vending machine full of wooden animal figures and selling for 20-25 francs. The train glides past the Olympic bobsled, and numerous ski hills. Many homes have either horses, sheep or cows right in their backyards. Each bovine has a large brass bell suspended from their neck. Must be annoying for them, and the neighbours. Our ears have been popping constantly as we descend from 2,253 meters. Four different train rides and into the Swiss town of Interlaken which means ‘between the lakes’ of Brienz and Thun. This charming village is like a fairytale setting with pastel coloured houses nestled in the Swiss Alps. Chris takes the Jungfraujoch cog train to the Top of Europe and I stay back to nurse my ... read more
Old town - Interlaken West
The Quest - Get up the Famous Jungfraujoch!
Passed through Wengen

Europe » Switzerland » South-West » Interlaken October 25th 2019

After our excessive hike the day before, we planned to take it a bit easier and visit some local towns and planned our first stop at Interlaken. Actually, our first stop was the Gondola station, which we used every time we could for its excellent wifi; our cabin's was soooo slooooow.... Interlaken We had no real destination in mind to visit in town, so we pretty much parked at the first place we saw once we got into the area of town that seemed the most happening. Walking along the park, we saw lots of Chinese tourists and paragliders. We visited a couple of souvenir shops and Dana and I were both in awe of the cuckoo clocks. There were so many to choose from, and all were made either in Germany or Switzerland. The LÖtscher ... read more
Oberhofen Castle
Oberhofen gardens
Oberhofen gardens, Thunersee

Europe » Switzerland » South-West » Interlaken August 22nd 2019

Findlay's reunite in Interlaken, Sarah from the UK with her boyfriend and Mum, Dad and Dan from NZ. Unfortunately Murray was at World Water week in Stokholm so missed the family trip, but had a very productive time in the pre meetings to the conference. We were blessed with amazing weather and an apartment that was located near the main park in Interlaken. We were able to walk around, enjoying the rivers and para-gliders coming into land in the park near us. Mum shouted us a trip up the Jungfraujoch. An expensive trip but well worth it. It was more touristy than I had realised. Catching the bus up and then 2 train trips to get to the top. Where there are tunnels leading you to different areas. There was the Ice palace which was great ... read more
View of the Jung Frau from our accommodation in Interlaken
Interlaken
View of the Jung Frau

Europe » Switzerland » South-West » Interlaken » Matten bei Interlaken September 25th 2018

We had intended to go hiking in the Emmentaler area today at a small place called Sumiswald but decided against it as it meant another 2 hours on a train to get there and another back again. It is our last day in the Berner Oberland so we figured there were areas close at hand that we could visit. We set off for Wilderswil first which is nearby and headed off down the Lutschine River to it's outflow into the lake of Brienz. One mistake. There was a really cold wind blowing and we were doing our Kiwi habit of shorts and a light jacket when longs and a windproof jacket was in order. The Lutschine flows down the far side of a huge unused aerodrome belonging to the armed forces. All around it are large ... read more
A sheltered spot near Boningen at the head of the Brienzersee
The Monch and Jungfrau mountains from Unterseen

Europe » Switzerland » South-West » Interlaken » Matten bei Interlaken September 24th 2018

A note: "Higher, stronger, faster" is the Olympic Motto. And seen on a poster: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not the winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well" (Pierre de Coubertin) "And shopping is not an Olympic Event" The weather has changed and it has been a cold, blustery day. After all the hiking in the mountains over the past few days it was time for a break and to go somewhere less elevated and warmer. We figured to go to the other side of the Alps where the weather was fine but cold. Our Swiss Travel Pass allows us to go anywhere in Switzerland so we set off to visit the Olympic Museum in Lausanne which we'd visited many years ago but was ... read more
The world record high jump
One of the interactive displays

Europe » Switzerland » South-West » Interlaken September 22nd 2018

Today was our catchup day with our old Swiss friend, Mariann. We had decided that not matter what socializing we did today, it had to include using the Swiss Travel Pass as they are expensive - F900 for 15 days or around $1000+ of ours. After spending the morning with Mariann at her house she agreed to come with us to Kandersteg where we went many years ago but hadn't been back. We would either go up to the Lake Oschinesee or to Sunbuel which Mariann had been told was a lovely place to go to. The lake we had been to before and is one of the icons of mountain lake photos so always worth a visit. However, we were happy to go to somewhere new too. We set off from Interlaken West station to ... read more
At Sunbuel with a side branch valley behind
Looking back down the Kander Valley from the cable car

Europe » Switzerland » South-West » Interlaken » Matten bei Interlaken September 20th 2018

I opted not to write up a blog for yesterday as it was a travelling day from St Gallen to Interlaken and then to settle into our apartment and buy food. The apartment is up to standard and in a quiet location but not with the views we've been used to from previous trips. After a chat to the family at home, we headed off to Interlaken Ost to get the train to Lauterbrunnen. What a circus! Tourists everywhere and standing room only in the train. And we thought coming later in the year would downsize the tourist population. I guess there are some places in Switzerland which are an absolute magnet and this is one of them. On reflection, in perfect weather, why wouldn't people want to go up the Jungfrau or Schilthorn? However, we ... read more
What a lunch time view to soak up
The 1.2km tunnel
Such a strange place for a long tunnel

Europe » Switzerland » South-West » Interlaken » Matten bei Interlaken September 17th 2017

The next morning, I got up early before the other girls and headed for the train station towards Switzerland. France is another country where you have to make ticket reservations before you board trains, so the day before I had gone to the ticket office to book my trains, and they told me that the trains I wanted were fully booked. They did, helpfully, find me another route with more changes I could get instead though, and I booked myself onto those. My first train was from Nice to Avignon, and then from Avignon to Lyon, then Lyon to Geneva, Switzerland. I had only really booked Geneva as a place to stay for the night between travelling, but had been told it was a nice place to see on the banks of Lac Leman. As soon ... read more
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Europe » Switzerland » South-West » Interlaken September 7th 2017

Today we've got our eagerly awaited trip up to the Jungfraujoch. It's overcast but not cold. Our tour bus picks us up near the station outside the ubiquitous McDonald's, which somehow seems a bit incongruous in clean, green, culturally sophisticated Switzerland. Our guide introduces himself as Kid, and he's from Burma, so maybe it's going to be an incongruous day. His accent makes him a bit hard to understand, but he seems to be very well organised, and Issy says that he's got rave reviews on TripAdvisor. We head towards the town of Interlaken. There doesn't seem to be any shortage of tunnels along the route, including one five kilometre long monster. It seems, perhaps unsurprisingly, that Switzerland's very big on tunnels. We're told that the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which was opened in 2016, is the ... read more
Casino at Interlaken
Jungfraujoch
Jungfraujoch




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