LAKE OF BRIENZ
Look at any list of top ten places to visit in Switzerland and Interlaken will pop up. Its location between two lakes & as the launching point of most excursions to the Bernese Oberland make it unique. In a previous “Spotlight” we explored the Lake of Thun region. This visit will take us to the other lake which gave Interlaken its name. For breathtaking views of the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau and a great introduction to the region, catch a ride on the historic cog railway to the Schynige Platte. From the mountain station you can take a number of well-marked circular hiking trails, or if you just want to enjoy the splendid view, have lunch on the terrace of the Schynige Platte restaurant.
Although not as large as the Lake of Thun, the crystal-clear, emerald green Lake of Brienz is just as beautiful & a boat trip round the lake is a delightful experience. Ideally you’ll want to try to catch the fully renovated paddle steamer “Lötschberg” for your journey boarding it at Interlaken Ost. Some people choose to visit the picturesque village of Bönigen first and catch the ship there. One of the stops on your way to the Village of Brienz is Giessbach known for its 14-step waterfalls and the Grand Hotel built in 1874. The hotel, once the meeting point of high society, is accessible by Europe’s oldest funicular.
Brienz, located at the end of the lake is the well known center of woodcarving in Switzerland. Strolling through the beautiful village you will see many of the homes on its streets decorated with woodcarvings dating back to the 1700s. Its “Woodworking School” founded in 1884 teaches the art of woodcarving & is the official training workshop for the canton of Bern. In 2009 a woodcarving museum was established in Brienz. For an interesting & close look at past historical life in Switzerland, a visit to the Ballenberg Open Air Museum is a must. The Swiss have saved over 100 old residential and agricultural buildings from the country at large, transporting and re-assembling them on a 66 acre site where farm life is depicted with live demonstrations of life in that era.
Most of us have attended air shows or visited museums such as the Pima Air & Space Museum. Unless you have served in the military, few people have had the opportunity to view actual live-fire demonstrations by modern aircraft such as the F/A-18 Hornet or F-5 Tiger II. Curious? Once a year the Swiss Air Force, after a day of training, holds air power & skills demonstrations near the village of Axalp in the Swiss Alps near Brienz.
There are lots of places yet to visit in and around the Lake of Brienz. We’ll tell you about them in future “Spotlights”
Check out the Videos & websites by clicking on the highlighted links above.
Look at any list of top ten places to visit in Switzerland and Interlaken will pop up. Its location between two lakes & as the launching point of most excursions to the Bernese Oberland make it unique. In a previous “Spotlight” we explored the Lake of Thun region. This visit will take us to the other lake which gave Interlaken its name. For breathtaking views of the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau and a great introduction to the region, catch a ride on the historic cog railway to the Schynige Platte. From the mountain station you can take a number of well-marked circular hiking trails, or if you just want to enjoy the splendid view, have lunch on the terrace of the Schynige Platte restaurant.
Although not as large as the Lake of Thun, the crystal-clear, emerald green Lake of Brienz is just as beautiful & a boat trip round the lake is a delightful experience. Ideally you’ll want to try to catch the fully renovated paddle steamer “Lötschberg” for your journey boarding it at Interlaken Ost. Some people choose to visit the picturesque village of Bönigen first and catch the ship there. One of the stops on your way to the Village of Brienz is Giessbach known for its 14-step waterfalls and the Grand Hotel built in 1874. The hotel, once the meeting point of high society, is accessible by Europe’s oldest funicular.
Brienz, located at the end of the lake is the well known center of woodcarving in Switzerland. Strolling through the beautiful village you will see many of the homes on its streets decorated with woodcarvings dating back to the 1700s. Its “Woodworking School” founded in 1884 teaches the art of woodcarving & is the official training workshop for the canton of Bern. In 2009 a woodcarving museum was established in Brienz. For an interesting & close look at past historical life in Switzerland, a visit to the Ballenberg Open Air Museum is a must. The Swiss have saved over 100 old residential and agricultural buildings from the country at large, transporting and re-assembling them on a 66 acre site where farm life is depicted with live demonstrations of life in that era.
Most of us have attended air shows or visited museums such as the Pima Air & Space Museum. Unless you have served in the military, few people have had the opportunity to view actual live-fire demonstrations by modern aircraft such as the F/A-18 Hornet or F-5 Tiger II. Curious? Once a year the Swiss Air Force, after a day of training, holds air power & skills demonstrations near the village of Axalp in the Swiss Alps near Brienz.
There are lots of places yet to visit in and around the Lake of Brienz. We’ll tell you about them in future “Spotlights”
Check out the Videos & websites by clicking on the highlighted links above.