Category: Switzerland

Six days in Switzerland and 75 years young – Part 2

Ange BowmanLeave a comment
The birthday dawned with another sensational day of blue skies and snowcapped mountains so today we decided on Lucerne for our day trip. 
Back to to the now familiar Interlaken Ost station to board the train for 2 hour ride to Lucerne, due to track work we scored a bonus of a bus ride between Meiringen and re boarded our train a couple of stops out of Lucerne which gave a better opportunity to see some of the little villages and the countryside.

Lucerne proved to be an interesting place to wander around with it little covered bridges and an old building galore contributing to Lucerne’s cityscape alongside the world-famous Chapel Bridge and Water Tower are the Musegg Wall, the Jesuit Church, the Mill Bridge, the Lion Monument (which we missed unfortunately).

The Chapel Bridge is a covered wooden footbridge spanning diagonally across the Reuss River in the city of Lucerne in central Switzerland. 


Named after the nearby St. Peter’s Chapel,  the bridge is unique since it contains a number of interior paintings dating back to the 17th century, although many of them were destroyed along with most of the centuries old bridge in a 1993 fire. Subsequently restored, the Chapel Bridge is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe as well as the world’s oldest surviving truss bridge. 

It is a symbol of the city and is one of Switzerland’s main tourist attractions. We walked across the bridge and steadily made our way back to Lake Lucerne near station before boarding the train for Bern. 



Again being able to choose a different way home on the train was so good as we hardly ever travelled over the same ground, although we had a bit of a wait for our connection in Bern but were glad to settle into our seats for the final hour home. 


We decided on birthday dinner at Des Alpes Interlaken not sure if it was because we both really tired or the meal was only just so so. I enjoyed my steak but it was definitely not the best I’ve eaten by a longshot. After coffee and dessert we were grateful to see our beds which thankfully were just across the road.


After good nights sleep and hearty breakfast (forgot to mention how good the breakfast were more on that later) we set off to catch the Golden Pass train to Montrex. 




We boarded at Interlaken Ost station all included in our very worthwhile EuroRail 15 day pass and spent a very enjoyable day meandering through the most picturesque views I have ever been lucky enough too see.
After changing trains at Zweisimmen we continued down to Montreux which lies on the north east shore of Lake Geneva. We left the train for a wander around along the waterfront and lunch at very nice little cafe in the very French Montreux. 




















Our walk around Montreux




The highlight of the day was being able to travel on the The GoldenPass Classic train that runs on the Montreux–Zweisimmen line offers a journey with a romantic, retro style ambiance. 



Its coaches are inspired by the Golden Mountain Pullman Express from the 1930s, a luxury train in the style of Orient Express that was short lived due to the economic crisis of the period. 

Platter available on GoldenPass Classic
It disappeared from circulation rather quickly. The current train is a reproduction of the Belle Époque style of its predecessors, in which you will travel like a king. You can even find a coach that houses a wine cellar in which you can taste wines from the area in a warm, convivial atmosphere. This was a real highlight for me and I can’t wait to bring Sharpy here to experience this wonderful journey. 


The Route through Swiss Alps
‘a must do’



Day 5 in Interlaken was a supposedly a rest day but it wasn’t long before we decided to head to the ferry wharf and board the ferry to Thun. A short bus ride from the hotel to Interlaken west where we waited to board the ferry (again included in our Eurorail Pass) it was two hour journey with lots of stopping points along the way. It was fun to see all these beautiful places from the lake, a different perspective altogether with each one prettier than the last.

We left the ferry and found a department store to get some of gifts for home purchased wandered through the street markets for awhile but as we were both getting foot sore we headed back to catch the train home to Interlaken, surprise surprise we disembarked at Interlaken West for a change and caught the bus to the door of the hotel. This was a rest day but I am glad we did this trip on our day off as it would have been a pity to miss cruising on the lake. So all modes of local Swiss transport covered train, ferry, cogwheel rail and walking, boy have we walked. Our fitness levels have improved now and all the walking is coming easier each day. There is just so much to do and see, we hated the thought of wasting our time resting.  Time for that on the river cruise or so we thought.

Every trip I plan I factor in rest days rest days along the way but this rarely happens, there always one more site or experience we can fit in.
Day 14 found us once again dragging the dreaded bags back to Interlaken Ost to for our train to Frankfurt, Germany. We farewelled Hotel deNord which was our home for 5 nights and 6 days. The hotel was very central being located midway between to two Interlaken train stations with a free city bus just outside the hotel that ran between the two stations. 



This hotel is in a great location overlooking a park where the para-gliders land all through the day and right near all the restaurants and shopping area! 


Our spacious room had a balcony which was lovely to sit out on or take in the snow capped mountains that surround Interlaken – recommended! 
Love the table ornaments
My breakfast fare – each day 

A feature of our stay here was the beautiful continental breakfast at our disposal each morning, eggs, cheeses, meats, hot rolls and much much more.  



We ate our fill here each day and this set us up for the rest of the day, another feature of this hotel was the fantastic staff who looked after us exceptionally well providing good sound advice for each day’s sightseeing

Getting around Swiss style
//www.youtube.com/get_player

A few random pics from previous few days

Six days in Switzerland and 75 years young – Part 1

Ange BowmanLeave a comment







After few hours on the train from Zurich with just the one change at Bern we disembarked from our
train at Interlaken Ost (East) not to be confused with Interlaken West.

The stations are at each end of town with a shuttle bus running between them so doesn’t matter which you choose but on the advice of our very friendly guard we choose the east as it was well within walking distance of our hotel, Hotel Du Nord, Interlaken. 
The view from deck outside our room
After a smooth check in and a bit of a rest we decided to set out and explore the very picturesque Interlaken, with hang gliders landing in the park opposite the hotel and snow capped mountains sounding us, it was exactly as I imagined only more spectacular . 


The blue sky and warm weather only added to our very first Swiss experience. after wandering, a sumptuous hot chocolate (I am forever spoiled when it comes to hot chocolate) and taking in the sights close to the hotel we headed for a little Chinese place we had seen earlier in the day for dinner. A dish and a rice and we were done and ready to turn in. 

 Interlarken surrounded by snowcapped mountains and with Hang gliders dropping in with regularity in the park across from our hotel provided us with picture postcard backdrop for the next few days. Below are few photos around Interlaken before the story continues with our day on the mountain.

Our Day on the Mountain              


We organised to head for the Jungfraujoch the next day as the forecast was good an on the advice of the hotel staff should do it while the going is good otherwise the weather could close in later in the 
weak and it wont be worth doing. Jungfraujoch lies at a height of 3,466 meters (11,371 ft) above sea level in the Bernese Alps, on the boundary between the cantons of Bern and Valais, halfway between Interlaken and Fiesch.

A complex tunnel connects the railway station to the Top of Europe building and an elevator to the summit of the Sphinx, A scientific observatory, the Sphinx Observatory, is also located here. a peak

Not they highest I have been in the world, that was Independence Pass (Colorado) It is at elevation 12,095 ft (3,687 m) but that is about as high as I want to go.

As promised the next morning dawned with another clear blue skied  day and we keen to set off on our first or a number day trips in Switzerland. Interlaken proved to be a great base for each of our day trips it was nice to be in one place for a a string of nights. Our first train was to the little village of Grindelwald where we wandered for awhile taking in the sights before boarding train two at Lauterbrunnen station, our final train for the trip to the top was a cog wheel train. 





The railway runs almost entirely within the Jungfrau Tunnel, built into the Eiger and Mönch mountains and containing two stations in


the middle of the tunnel, where passengers can disembark to observe the neighbouring mountains through windows built into the mountainside. 






It was great to be able to stop on the way up to check out the views.


Some two hours after leaving Interlaken we found ourselves at the Top of Europe, we decided to have lunch (not too bad food and price-wise for a bistro with a captive crowd) before heading up to the lookout and face the cold (or not as cold as we expected as it turned out).

At the Sphinx are enclosed and open viewing platforms, with views over the Aletsch Glacier and the surrounding peaks.  Also accessed via the tunnels is the Ice Palace, a series of ice caverns beneath the glacier, and the Alpine Sensation, which presents a display on the touristic development of the Alps and the history of the Jungfraujoch Railway.
The view from the platform was mind blowing and I would recommend anyone that has the chance to take the time to go up especially on a clear day as it feels like you are looking over all of Europe. Our stay at the top was interesting including a visit to the ice caves and standing out on the actual mountain.
How or why would anyone contemplate building a rail line up this majestic mountain is beyond me, it must have been such difficult job but they did it never the less.  After few hours wandering around and checking out all that as on offer we boarded the trusty little cogwheel train for the decent back down the mountain.  

Once we got off the cog wheel train back at Lauterbrunnen station which is a railway station in the village and municipality of Lauterbrunnen in the Swiss canton of Bern. The station is on the Berner Oberland Bahn (BOB), whose trains operate services to Interlaken Ost. 



The ice-cave carved in the mountain

We ventured outside to get the feel of bein on the mountain

It is also the valley terminus of the Wengernalpbahn where we changed trains to travel back to Interlaken Ost via Wengen, we decided to take Wengen side back to Interlaken so we could see the other side of the mountain and really get a chance to see some of the amazing waterfalls along this side of the mountain. Lots of end season skiers and snowboarder heading back down which only added to the experience and provided a small insight into what this place would be like in high season. One thing that amazed me was the number of hikers that we dotted all over the mountain taking in the various pre-marked walks. We arrived home and decided on soup for dinner so called into same Chinese place from previous night for quick bite before calling it a day. 




















and this end our second full day in Switzerland.

Where to this year…

Ange BowmanLeave a comment

Travel plans for 2014 include a trip to China and Europe.   


The China trip is part of MacWool Wool Growers Tour. About 30 keen woolgrowers will set off on March 2, escorted by Don, Kerrie, Sharpy and myself.  We will visit Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chongqing, Yangshuo, Guilin and a highlight is sure to be the three day cruise on the Yantze river

Travel China Guide 


A week after returning form the China trip Mum and I set off to Amsterdam to do an 8 Day Tulip River cruise as well as visiting Belgium, Switzerland and Germany.