I'm glad if you found some useful information in my report!

I know that many people recommend Ballenberg as a back-up for a bad weather day in the Bernese Oberland, but do pay attention to the weather in / around Brienz, too -- it is, after all, an outdoor museum!

Bummer.... but check this website as it shows a number of the descents in other locations. They are on different dates depending on the location so maybe one would work out for you during your trip.

https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/...he-cattle.html

BTW, have you considered visiting the Laténium -- a museum featuring Switzerland's prehistory? I thought it excellent, with displays of interest to people of all ages. And the setting is lovely.

joannyc, those processions don’t fit in with our itinerary I’m afraid. Maybe on a future trip we could plan our itinerary around one.

kja, is that the Latenium in Neuchatel? It does sound interesting, but that adds another destination and I already have too many, I think!

It's outside of Neufchatel, but closer than some of the other places you seem to be considering, and could, perhaps, be combined with Murten.

Zermatt is not that far from Thun - Only about 90 mins. via Spiez and Visp. And well, well worth visiting on a clear day. zermatt has its own micro climate so you do need to check the local weather before going - Thun is on the northern side of the Alps, Zermatt in the south. Weather patterns change a lot between the two. The zermatt tourist office site gives an accurate forecast - www.zermatt.ch - and www.meteoblue.com is pretty good too for hour by hour weather.

IF you go to Zermatt - go early in the day. Go right from the main station there to the station across the square and take the train to the Gornergrat. The views from the top are incredible. Take the time also to wander around the village and visit the Matterhorn museum which is very well done and fascinating. IF you have a Swiss Travel Pass it will get you to and from Zermatt, give you entrance to the museum and get you 50% off the Gornergrat train fare.

Thanks for that mokka, Loetschental looks lovely.

2 hours each way Thun-Zermatt -and yes go for it - scenic train the whole way and Gornergrat train is fantastic. Long day but oh so sweet.

Thanks for that information, Hambagahle. We’ll definitely go to Zermatt if we get a good weather day.

Since you are staying in Wengen prior, why in the name of Roger Federer would you move on to stay in Thun?

You can take the train from Wengen to Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken to Thun. It only takes about 1 1/2 hours.

Thun is a cute town with a covered bridge, but I would not stay there after sleeping in Wengen.

Seems daft.

Thin

The Lauterbrunnen Valley from my room of the Hotel Bellevue Wengen.

Piz Gloria.

Hi Pepper,

I believe the idea is to have a base from which the OP can visit a wider arc of Switzerland. Up in Wengen for the Alps, down in Thun for excursions.

s

We’ll stay in Wengen first, then Lucerne, then Locarno and lastly Thun. This is in order to take the GEX, the Centovalli line and the Lotschberger train rides . Staying in Thun will let us see many more places in the vicinity than we would have time for from Wengen as well as going to Zermatt one day if the weather allows.

Which makes sense. Spiez however might make more sense as it is a major rail junction.

I’m doing the same next year. Thun works as a base once out of the mountains, has good access for Bern, Murten, Kandersteg etc excursions, is a nice place in itself. We didn’t visit those places last year because it was too long a trip from a mountain base.

Yes, I like the look of Thun too. I was thinking of Bern as a base but the smaller size of Thun appealed to me. Also, hotels in Bern were more expensive for our dates than Thun. I think it should be pretty handy for the trains that we’ll most likely be taking.

Spiez however has hotels overlooking Lake Thun and views of high Alps - Thun is a largish city sans such views. I'd take Spiez but that's just me.

Something on your camera lens Thin? Those don't look like birds.

Those are actual photographs that I re-photoed with my phone so I could post them here. Those birds are probably dust.