Ingo's short trip to Southwest Germany and Bernese Oberland
Sep 28th, 2009, 05:01 AM
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Ingo's short trip to Southwest Germany and Bernese Oberland
Hi fellow Fodorites!
As sort of last minute decision I went on a short trip to Germany's southwest and the Bernese Oberland with my mom. Dad had to stay at home to supervise the ongoing construction works (especially to make sure the craftsmen work FAST and ACCURATE, LOL).
Sunday, 20 Sept
First stop was Bad Herrenalb in the northern Black Forest where we stayed in a Pension/B&B. www.hotelpensionfidelitas.de Excellent location slightly above the small town, nice views. We had an apartment with a double (for my mom) and a single (for me) room plus bathroom for 32 Euro per person incl. breakfast. Spotless clean rooms (furniture a bit outdated, beds not too comfy) with cable TV. Bathroom has a decent size (no tub, shower only which is fine). The owners are very friendly and helpful. Familiar atmosphere. Nice garden with afternoon sun. Parking is free. The rate included the local tax and also the KONUS guest card - which covers public transportation in the Black Forest, e.g. to Baden-Baden and Ettlingen (almost to Karlsruhe). I would stay there again (and my mom loved the place).
We had a quick look at the catholic church next to the B&B, then walked down (5 minutes) to the centre of town and hopped on bus # 244 to Baden-Baden which runs every hour on weekdays/every two hours on Sundays and takes about 50 minutes to Baden-Baden. A scenic bus ride, passing two picturesque small towns along the way (Loffenau and Gernsbach) and two "passes" with excellent views. We got off at Leopoldsplatz in Baden-Baden, which is a central square - the town was very busy, filled with people who enjoyed the sunny afternoon window shopping (some shops were actually open), had their coffee outdoors, simply enjoyed their Sunday afternoon. We walked from the narrow old town towards the Casino and gardens. The terrace of Atlantic Parkhotel right by the river looked intriguing so we decided to have a break there. Quite expensive (20 Euro for two) but enjoyable (delicious cake but tea was disappointing) since we could watch the dressed up folks (hilarious sometimes). Quite a show.
Anyway, we continued sightseeing with the Casino (only exterior and lobby, didn't go in - 4 Euro fee). Beautiful gardens in this area. On to the Tourist Info which is located in the Trinkhalle - beautiful building from outside (loggia). Back to the old town - narrow alleys, picturesque, walked up to the Stiftskirche which is quite interesting with a number of elaborate graves of the Margraves of Baden. Then we walked further to the old steambath house, saw the Heiliggrab church from outside (closed for good) and popped into the Friedrichsbad spa. Beautiful 19th century building, walked upstairs, took some photos. On to Caracalla spa which is modern - looked like people enjoyed it a lot, quite busy. The little church in front was disappointing inside (bare) but around the corner is an interesting 15th century set of sculptures "Jesus at the Mount of Olives". We did some more window shopping, then caught the bus (barely) back to Bad Herrenalb. We'd love to go back to Baden-Baden for a longer stay.
Dinner was in restaurant "Kühler Brunnen" in Bad Herrenalb. Excellent local food. We both had a soup, I had a salad plus venison with mushrooms and spätzle, my mom had ox tongue with dumplings and veggies. Beer: Alpirsbacher Klosterbier was delicious
The bill came to 32 Euro incl. tip for the two of us. www.kuehler-brunnen.de
Monday, 21 Sept
A quick look confirmed that the weather forecast was correct: clouds/fog after the gorgeous sunny Sunday. Anyway, after the good breakfast we took the tram S1 to Ettlingen (runs twice an hour, takes 25 minutes) where we got off at stop Erbprinz. Ettlingen is a nice small town with partially quite well preserved old town. The Schloss museum was unfortunately closed (Monday!) but we could peek in the lobby/staircase hall and some rooms. The Tourist Info provided us with a map for a self guided walking tour which we followed. We saw the garden of roses, town hall, main church, picturesque old townhouses, a large 19th century church and finally had lunch in restaurant Markgrafen Keller www.markgrafen-keller.de Redfish on a zucchini-tomato-pepper bed with wild rice and a beer - the fish very good, the beer not really. A bit on the expensive side: 25 Euro for both of us. All in all, Ettlingen is a nice small town, a good choice for a day trip.
Off to Karlsruhe. The tram S1 runs every ten minutes or so, takes about 20 minutes to the city centre. Our KONUS card wasn't valid here so we purchased a group day ticket for 7.50 Euro (for up to five people). We met another Fodorite, quokka, right in the heart of Karlsruhe, at Marktplatz next to the Pyramid where the founder of the city is buried (and where the tram stops). Quokka was so generous to give us a tour of the highlights of the inner city which included the Schloss (from outside), the absolutely beautiful old botanical garden, the buildings of Germany's highest courts (Bundesverfassungsgericht and Bundesgerichtshof, outside only), beautiful Art Nouveau townhouses (totally off the beaten path, had never found them!), the mint etc. We also had coffee and delicious fancy cakes on Market square in Cafe Böckeler (www.boeckeler.org). 20 Euro for the three of us, a bit on the expensive side but well worth the money. Time was too short to see more. We purchased some bread, cheese and fish salad for supper and said our goodbyes to quokka, then got on the tram back to Bad Herrenalb - it already got dark at that time.
As sort of last minute decision I went on a short trip to Germany's southwest and the Bernese Oberland with my mom. Dad had to stay at home to supervise the ongoing construction works (especially to make sure the craftsmen work FAST and ACCURATE, LOL).
Sunday, 20 Sept
First stop was Bad Herrenalb in the northern Black Forest where we stayed in a Pension/B&B. www.hotelpensionfidelitas.de Excellent location slightly above the small town, nice views. We had an apartment with a double (for my mom) and a single (for me) room plus bathroom for 32 Euro per person incl. breakfast. Spotless clean rooms (furniture a bit outdated, beds not too comfy) with cable TV. Bathroom has a decent size (no tub, shower only which is fine). The owners are very friendly and helpful. Familiar atmosphere. Nice garden with afternoon sun. Parking is free. The rate included the local tax and also the KONUS guest card - which covers public transportation in the Black Forest, e.g. to Baden-Baden and Ettlingen (almost to Karlsruhe). I would stay there again (and my mom loved the place).
We had a quick look at the catholic church next to the B&B, then walked down (5 minutes) to the centre of town and hopped on bus # 244 to Baden-Baden which runs every hour on weekdays/every two hours on Sundays and takes about 50 minutes to Baden-Baden. A scenic bus ride, passing two picturesque small towns along the way (Loffenau and Gernsbach) and two "passes" with excellent views. We got off at Leopoldsplatz in Baden-Baden, which is a central square - the town was very busy, filled with people who enjoyed the sunny afternoon window shopping (some shops were actually open), had their coffee outdoors, simply enjoyed their Sunday afternoon. We walked from the narrow old town towards the Casino and gardens. The terrace of Atlantic Parkhotel right by the river looked intriguing so we decided to have a break there. Quite expensive (20 Euro for two) but enjoyable (delicious cake but tea was disappointing) since we could watch the dressed up folks (hilarious sometimes). Quite a show.
Anyway, we continued sightseeing with the Casino (only exterior and lobby, didn't go in - 4 Euro fee). Beautiful gardens in this area. On to the Tourist Info which is located in the Trinkhalle - beautiful building from outside (loggia). Back to the old town - narrow alleys, picturesque, walked up to the Stiftskirche which is quite interesting with a number of elaborate graves of the Margraves of Baden. Then we walked further to the old steambath house, saw the Heiliggrab church from outside (closed for good) and popped into the Friedrichsbad spa. Beautiful 19th century building, walked upstairs, took some photos. On to Caracalla spa which is modern - looked like people enjoyed it a lot, quite busy. The little church in front was disappointing inside (bare) but around the corner is an interesting 15th century set of sculptures "Jesus at the Mount of Olives". We did some more window shopping, then caught the bus (barely) back to Bad Herrenalb. We'd love to go back to Baden-Baden for a longer stay.
Dinner was in restaurant "Kühler Brunnen" in Bad Herrenalb. Excellent local food. We both had a soup, I had a salad plus venison with mushrooms and spätzle, my mom had ox tongue with dumplings and veggies. Beer: Alpirsbacher Klosterbier was delicious
The bill came to 32 Euro incl. tip for the two of us. www.kuehler-brunnen.deMonday, 21 Sept
A quick look confirmed that the weather forecast was correct: clouds/fog after the gorgeous sunny Sunday. Anyway, after the good breakfast we took the tram S1 to Ettlingen (runs twice an hour, takes 25 minutes) where we got off at stop Erbprinz. Ettlingen is a nice small town with partially quite well preserved old town. The Schloss museum was unfortunately closed (Monday!) but we could peek in the lobby/staircase hall and some rooms. The Tourist Info provided us with a map for a self guided walking tour which we followed. We saw the garden of roses, town hall, main church, picturesque old townhouses, a large 19th century church and finally had lunch in restaurant Markgrafen Keller www.markgrafen-keller.de Redfish on a zucchini-tomato-pepper bed with wild rice and a beer - the fish very good, the beer not really. A bit on the expensive side: 25 Euro for both of us. All in all, Ettlingen is a nice small town, a good choice for a day trip.
Off to Karlsruhe. The tram S1 runs every ten minutes or so, takes about 20 minutes to the city centre. Our KONUS card wasn't valid here so we purchased a group day ticket for 7.50 Euro (for up to five people). We met another Fodorite, quokka, right in the heart of Karlsruhe, at Marktplatz next to the Pyramid where the founder of the city is buried (and where the tram stops). Quokka was so generous to give us a tour of the highlights of the inner city which included the Schloss (from outside), the absolutely beautiful old botanical garden, the buildings of Germany's highest courts (Bundesverfassungsgericht and Bundesgerichtshof, outside only), beautiful Art Nouveau townhouses (totally off the beaten path, had never found them!), the mint etc. We also had coffee and delicious fancy cakes on Market square in Cafe Böckeler (www.boeckeler.org). 20 Euro for the three of us, a bit on the expensive side but well worth the money. Time was too short to see more. We purchased some bread, cheese and fish salad for supper and said our goodbyes to quokka, then got on the tram back to Bad Herrenalb - it already got dark at that time.
Sep 28th, 2009, 06:34 AM
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I returned from Germany (also England and Austria) about 10 days ago, but your report makes me want to go back again.
By the way, I think it was you who commented on the beauty of St. Wiperti chuch. I thought it was lovely, too.
By the way, I think it was you who commented on the beauty of St. Wiperti chuch. I thought it was lovely, too.
Sep 28th, 2009, 06:46 AM
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Casino (only exterior and lobby, didn't go in - 4 Euro fee).>
For others planning a Baden-Baden visit i would put the interior of the casino at the very top of the list here - really ornate and history-filled - once the rich and royals of Europe gamed here - great tour IMO - i understand that you may not have had time or timed in right - i think tours are only once a day around 11am or so.
Interesting report - anticipating reading about the Bernese Oberland!
For others planning a Baden-Baden visit i would put the interior of the casino at the very top of the list here - really ornate and history-filled - once the rich and royals of Europe gamed here - great tour IMO - i understand that you may not have had time or timed in right - i think tours are only once a day around 11am or so.
Interesting report - anticipating reading about the Bernese Oberland!
Sep 28th, 2009, 07:30 AM
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Hey quokka! Thanks again ;-) Definitely not enough time in your area; but then again this calls for another visit.
Peg, yes, I recommended St. Wiperti in Quedlinburg. Glad you liked it. Must check out your trip report - but will finish mine first.
Pal, they only do tours of the Casino in the mornings; we were there in the afternoon. In addition to the entrance fee I'd have to have borrowed a sports coat and tie - both for another fee
Peg, yes, I recommended St. Wiperti in Quedlinburg. Glad you liked it. Must check out your trip report - but will finish mine first.
Pal, they only do tours of the Casino in the mornings; we were there in the afternoon. In addition to the entrance fee I'd have to have borrowed a sports coat and tie - both for another fee
Sep 28th, 2009, 07:31 AM
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Tuesday, 22 Sept
We left after an early breakfast, drove via Gernsbach to the Autobahn and headed to Switzerland. Since we had no intention to buy a vignette we took the last exit in Germany (Weil am Rhein) and crossed the border on a minor road to Basel. Driving through Basel was a bit of a hassle and I got lost once but quickly was back on the right road. On via Liestal over the Jura mountains (Oberer Hauenstein, picnic) which is a scenic drive to Wiedlisbach - picturesque tiny town, totally off the beaten path - where we stopped for a few minutes. Via Solothurn, Bern and Thun we reached the Bernese Oberland. There was a thread on Fodor's recently about which side of Lake Thun to drive - everyone including myself recommended the northern shore and that's what I did again. Absolutely gorgous scenery. Leaves started to change their colours, the lake's colours alternated between blue and turquoise, the sky was blue and the sun shone brightly. Perfect. In Interlaken I didn't take the major road but turned right early and drove via Heimwehfluh - another photo stop with panoramic view of Mt. Jungfrau to Wilderswil and on to Lauterbrunnen. Parked the car, dragged the luggage to the train station (easy) and took the cog railway to Wengen. The views got better and better ...
We had booked the 3star Hotel Belvedere through the German travel agency TUI. I think it's impossible for Americans to book through them, which is unfortunate - the rates are far better than directly or through online booking machines like hrs.com e.g. We had two single rooms including half board (breakfast and dinner) for 64 Euro per night per person - but stay 4 nights, pay 3, which sums up to 192 Euro per person for 4 nights. A steal. The best thing was, however, that the 3star hotel Belvedere had already closed for the season and all their guests were transferred to the 4star hotel Silberhorn - which is located right vis-a-vis the train station in Wengen. Our single rooms were adjoining rooms connected with a double-door on the 4th floor, large, balcony to the south with panoramic view from Mt. Jungfrau via Lauterbrunnen valley to Mt. Schilthorn. Wow. Bathrooms were spacious with tub, beds were big and comfy, furniture/decor traditional (flowery wallpapers were not my taste, but my mother's, LOL). There's a nice wellness area in the hotel with hot tub, sauna, steam bath, showers, deck chairs and free fruits/juice/water. It was sooo wonderful to relax in the hot tub and rest on the deck chair with view (large windows) of the train station and the mountains afterwards. Robe and extra towels are free (to find in your room).
The hotel has a nice lobby and bar, a dining room for breakfast and the half-board guests plus an a-la-carte restaurant. If you book half board they serve a five-course dinner with salad buffet, soup, appetizer, main course (three choices) and dessert (and you can pick some cheese and/or fruits also from a buffet, which is sorta the sixth course). The food quality was quite good with ups and downs. It's a steal compared to usual prices in restaurants in Switzerland. Wine list was excellent, moderate prices. We had a bottle of very good Pinot Noir from the canton Valais and a bottle of delicious Fechy from Lake Geneva, split over the four nights' dinners.
We had been to Wengen before but walked around a bit before dinner. I was very disappointed that they had placed the floor station of the Männlichen cable car right on the large meadow in the middle of the village - I remembered the beautiful view from above which is now gone for good. I noticed that they had built quite a few more apartment buildings in Wengen, also, hotels are turned into rental apartments - like the Eiger right by the train station - a questionable development. However, it got dark early and we returned to the Hotel for dinner. It was buffet that night. Even more food I had green salad, clear soup with small dumplings, a selection of dried meat (the famous Bündnerfleisch), thin slices of roast beef, champignons stuffed with contadou (cheese), tried ham in bread-dough, deer sausage and braised beef with boletus, fera fillet, had a bit of pasta and French beans. I couldn't miss the dessert, though, could I? It was vacation! So I picked some from the buffet ... mousse au chocolat in a dough, apricot cake, vermicelles, some fruit, cheese. Relax, folks, only small pieces of each, LOL!
Wednesday, 23 Sept
Blue sky in the morning. Breakfast buffet was quite good but I wish they'd had more fruit and a wider selection of cereals and cheese. Anyway, off we went taking the cable car to Männlichen - 24 CHF each. (We didn't purchase a pass - doesn't make sense for only 3 full days). We walked up to the top of Mt. Männlichen - less than a half hour - for even better views. Hard work for my digital camera ;-) The views of the mountains and glaciers from Wetterhorn via Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau to Breithorn etc. are simply stunning. From the top of Mt. Männlichen you also have the best views in the opposite direction - Lake Thun, Schynige Platte, the deep valleys. Back to Männlichen from where we hiked to Kleine Scheidegg. The views are fabulous but the crowds were annoying. It was busy like on any avenue in New York. Jesus. Of course there's a reason for that - the scenery and easy accessibility along with the fantastic weather - but I couldn't remember it was *that* crowded on my last visit some years ago. Anyway, we had a picnic shortly before arriving at Kleine Scheidegg (barely found a spot without loudly chattering groups of seniors or kids within a distance of 10 m). Kleine Scheidegg was of course even more crowded. We took the train down to Wengernalp to escape "Central Station" and off we hiked via Mettlenalp to Innerwengen. Peaceful, deserted except for some cows and occasional hikers (who took the time to greet). Lovely landscape with fantastic views of the Lauterbrunnen valley, Mt. Jungfrau etc. The descent was in parts pretty steep and exhausting but we finally arrived in Innerwengen, the least spoilt part of Wengen with beautiful old wooden houses with flower boxes and small gardens, so pretty. 20 minutes later we entered our hotel and quickly headed to the wellness area. Dinner that night was good but nothing remarkable.
We left after an early breakfast, drove via Gernsbach to the Autobahn and headed to Switzerland. Since we had no intention to buy a vignette we took the last exit in Germany (Weil am Rhein) and crossed the border on a minor road to Basel. Driving through Basel was a bit of a hassle and I got lost once but quickly was back on the right road. On via Liestal over the Jura mountains (Oberer Hauenstein, picnic) which is a scenic drive to Wiedlisbach - picturesque tiny town, totally off the beaten path - where we stopped for a few minutes. Via Solothurn, Bern and Thun we reached the Bernese Oberland. There was a thread on Fodor's recently about which side of Lake Thun to drive - everyone including myself recommended the northern shore and that's what I did again. Absolutely gorgous scenery. Leaves started to change their colours, the lake's colours alternated between blue and turquoise, the sky was blue and the sun shone brightly. Perfect. In Interlaken I didn't take the major road but turned right early and drove via Heimwehfluh - another photo stop with panoramic view of Mt. Jungfrau to Wilderswil and on to Lauterbrunnen. Parked the car, dragged the luggage to the train station (easy) and took the cog railway to Wengen. The views got better and better ...
We had booked the 3star Hotel Belvedere through the German travel agency TUI. I think it's impossible for Americans to book through them, which is unfortunate - the rates are far better than directly or through online booking machines like hrs.com e.g. We had two single rooms including half board (breakfast and dinner) for 64 Euro per night per person - but stay 4 nights, pay 3, which sums up to 192 Euro per person for 4 nights. A steal. The best thing was, however, that the 3star hotel Belvedere had already closed for the season and all their guests were transferred to the 4star hotel Silberhorn - which is located right vis-a-vis the train station in Wengen. Our single rooms were adjoining rooms connected with a double-door on the 4th floor, large, balcony to the south with panoramic view from Mt. Jungfrau via Lauterbrunnen valley to Mt. Schilthorn. Wow. Bathrooms were spacious with tub, beds were big and comfy, furniture/decor traditional (flowery wallpapers were not my taste, but my mother's, LOL). There's a nice wellness area in the hotel with hot tub, sauna, steam bath, showers, deck chairs and free fruits/juice/water. It was sooo wonderful to relax in the hot tub and rest on the deck chair with view (large windows) of the train station and the mountains afterwards. Robe and extra towels are free (to find in your room).
The hotel has a nice lobby and bar, a dining room for breakfast and the half-board guests plus an a-la-carte restaurant. If you book half board they serve a five-course dinner with salad buffet, soup, appetizer, main course (three choices) and dessert (and you can pick some cheese and/or fruits also from a buffet, which is sorta the sixth course). The food quality was quite good with ups and downs. It's a steal compared to usual prices in restaurants in Switzerland. Wine list was excellent, moderate prices. We had a bottle of very good Pinot Noir from the canton Valais and a bottle of delicious Fechy from Lake Geneva, split over the four nights' dinners.
We had been to Wengen before but walked around a bit before dinner. I was very disappointed that they had placed the floor station of the Männlichen cable car right on the large meadow in the middle of the village - I remembered the beautiful view from above which is now gone for good. I noticed that they had built quite a few more apartment buildings in Wengen, also, hotels are turned into rental apartments - like the Eiger right by the train station - a questionable development. However, it got dark early and we returned to the Hotel for dinner. It was buffet that night. Even more food
I had green salad, clear soup with small dumplings, a selection of dried meat (the famous Bündnerfleisch), thin slices of roast beef, champignons stuffed with contadou (cheese), tried ham in bread-dough, deer sausage and braised beef with boletus, fera fillet, had a bit of pasta and French beans. I couldn't miss the dessert, though, could I? It was vacation! So I picked some from the buffet ... mousse au chocolat in a dough, apricot cake, vermicelles, some fruit, cheese. Relax, folks, only small pieces of each, LOL!Wednesday, 23 Sept
Blue sky in the morning. Breakfast buffet was quite good but I wish they'd had more fruit and a wider selection of cereals and cheese. Anyway, off we went taking the cable car to Männlichen - 24 CHF each. (We didn't purchase a pass - doesn't make sense for only 3 full days). We walked up to the top of Mt. Männlichen - less than a half hour - for even better views. Hard work for my digital camera ;-) The views of the mountains and glaciers from Wetterhorn via Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau to Breithorn etc. are simply stunning. From the top of Mt. Männlichen you also have the best views in the opposite direction - Lake Thun, Schynige Platte, the deep valleys. Back to Männlichen from where we hiked to Kleine Scheidegg. The views are fabulous but the crowds were annoying. It was busy like on any avenue in New York. Jesus. Of course there's a reason for that - the scenery and easy accessibility along with the fantastic weather - but I couldn't remember it was *that* crowded on my last visit some years ago. Anyway, we had a picnic shortly before arriving at Kleine Scheidegg (barely found a spot without loudly chattering groups of seniors or kids within a distance of 10 m). Kleine Scheidegg was of course even more crowded. We took the train down to Wengernalp to escape "Central Station" and off we hiked via Mettlenalp to Innerwengen. Peaceful, deserted except for some cows and occasional hikers (who took the time to greet). Lovely landscape with fantastic views of the Lauterbrunnen valley, Mt. Jungfrau etc. The descent was in parts pretty steep and exhausting but we finally arrived in Innerwengen, the least spoilt part of Wengen with beautiful old wooden houses with flower boxes and small gardens, so pretty. 20 minutes later we entered our hotel and quickly headed to the wellness area. Dinner that night was good but nothing remarkable.
Sep 28th, 2009, 10:00 AM
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Sep 28th, 2009, 09:07 PM
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One more installment:
Thursday, 24 Sept
Once more blue sky, but with a few clouds this time. Nothing threatening, only more interesting. We took the cog-train down to Interlaken-Ost and strolled through the town to the boat station in Interlaken-West. I have never been a big fan of Interlaken and will probably never be - but I have to specify my sentiment. The main street between Hotel Victoria-Jungfrau and the train station Interlaken-West is a nightmare of overpriced restaurants, shops and other tourist traps. The area between the hotel and the train station Interlaken-Ost, however, is quite nice and interesting. The Höhematte - the large meadow in front of the hotel - is beautifully landscaped with flowers, fountains, trees lining the surrounding streets. Probably 9 out of 10 visitors miss the former convent of Interlaken which is located right west of the Höhematte. Some original buildings are preserved and used as the town's administration offices. There's a catholic church and a protestant church which are both worth to see (quite simple, though) and there is a nice courtyards with remains of the cloisters and a chapel. Also worth to see is the Casino with nice gardens (flower clock). There was a fair inside the Casino's main hall but we could peek inside and admire the beautiful wooden Art Nouveau architecture. All in all, Interlaken has nice and charming corners (also Unterseen, which we didn't visit this time).
The boat left at noon. Lake Thun is on of my favourite lakes in Switzerland (I don't care much for Lake Brienz e.g.). The scenery is stunning. Unfortunately it was a bit hazy and we couldn't see the mountains in farther distance. But the scenery right next to the lake was beautiful enough. So were the little villages and rocky patches on the northern shore. We each had a glass of wine (very good) and got off the boat at Merligen. The terrace of the upscale hotel Beatus right by the boat station was too inviting so we decided to have a break there. Excellent decision. We lounged in the comfy rattan sofas under the palm trees right by the lake, ordered cappucino and shared a super delicious variation of fruit sorbet. The service was excellent and super friendly, btw. I almost didn't want to leave and it was very hard to convince my mom to get up and on her feet again. Hmpf. This place is definitely on the list for a future stay. The bill was 22 CHF incl. tip.
We walked uphill along small streets, saw the typical wooden houses with flower boxes, finally ended up at the parish church on a hill. Nice church built in 1937 with modern frescos and stained-glass windows but the point was the view - gorgeous. Down to the lake again, bought bus tickets at the Tourist Info and took the bus (every half hour) to Interlaken-Ost. The bus ride was very scenic (same as on the drive on Tuesday, of course, but since I had been driver I had to concentrate on the driving back then). We took the train to Lauterbrunnen, changed for the cog-train to Wengen and soon arrived at the hotel. Did I mention public transportation in Switzerland is perfect? We relaxed in the wellness area, watched the hikers coming back into town and afterwards enjoyed a gala dinner: Salad buffet, clear soup with vegetable stripes and Sherry, mushroom toast, pineapple sorbet with brandy, roast sole with noodles and veggies for me and veal steak with morels sauce, noodles and veggies for my mom, followed by almond pudding, cheese for me and fruits for my mom. OMG, I am wondering how we managed to eat all that ...
Thursday, 24 Sept
Once more blue sky, but with a few clouds this time. Nothing threatening, only more interesting. We took the cog-train down to Interlaken-Ost and strolled through the town to the boat station in Interlaken-West. I have never been a big fan of Interlaken and will probably never be - but I have to specify my sentiment. The main street between Hotel Victoria-Jungfrau and the train station Interlaken-West is a nightmare of overpriced restaurants, shops and other tourist traps. The area between the hotel and the train station Interlaken-Ost, however, is quite nice and interesting. The Höhematte - the large meadow in front of the hotel - is beautifully landscaped with flowers, fountains, trees lining the surrounding streets. Probably 9 out of 10 visitors miss the former convent of Interlaken which is located right west of the Höhematte. Some original buildings are preserved and used as the town's administration offices. There's a catholic church and a protestant church which are both worth to see (quite simple, though) and there is a nice courtyards with remains of the cloisters and a chapel. Also worth to see is the Casino with nice gardens (flower clock). There was a fair inside the Casino's main hall but we could peek inside and admire the beautiful wooden Art Nouveau architecture. All in all, Interlaken has nice and charming corners (also Unterseen, which we didn't visit this time).
The boat left at noon. Lake Thun is on of my favourite lakes in Switzerland (I don't care much for Lake Brienz e.g.). The scenery is stunning. Unfortunately it was a bit hazy and we couldn't see the mountains in farther distance. But the scenery right next to the lake was beautiful enough. So were the little villages and rocky patches on the northern shore. We each had a glass of wine (very good) and got off the boat at Merligen. The terrace of the upscale hotel Beatus right by the boat station was too inviting so we decided to have a break there. Excellent decision. We lounged in the comfy rattan sofas under the palm trees right by the lake, ordered cappucino and shared a super delicious variation of fruit sorbet. The service was excellent and super friendly, btw. I almost didn't want to leave and it was very hard to convince my mom to get up and on her feet again. Hmpf. This place is definitely on the list for a future stay. The bill was 22 CHF incl. tip.
We walked uphill along small streets, saw the typical wooden houses with flower boxes, finally ended up at the parish church on a hill. Nice church built in 1937 with modern frescos and stained-glass windows but the point was the view - gorgeous. Down to the lake again, bought bus tickets at the Tourist Info and took the bus (every half hour) to Interlaken-Ost. The bus ride was very scenic (same as on the drive on Tuesday, of course, but since I had been driver I had to concentrate on the driving back then). We took the train to Lauterbrunnen, changed for the cog-train to Wengen and soon arrived at the hotel. Did I mention public transportation in Switzerland is perfect? We relaxed in the wellness area, watched the hikers coming back into town and afterwards enjoyed a gala dinner: Salad buffet, clear soup with vegetable stripes and Sherry, mushroom toast, pineapple sorbet with brandy, roast sole with noodles and veggies for me and veal steak with morels sauce, noodles and veggies for my mom, followed by almond pudding, cheese for me and fruits for my mom. OMG, I am wondering how we managed to eat all that ...
Sep 29th, 2009, 10:22 AM
#15
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Thanks for the comments all!
Enzian, yes, there is a place called Heimwehfluh. Great views from there and sooo off the beaten path. Here's the link:
www.heimwehfluh.ch
("Heimweh" translates to homesickness ;-) )
quokka, you know there's always a lot of food in my trip reports and I am the only one who writes detailed tips on VT on restaurants!!
Ann, thanks for the concern but yes, the clothes fit ;-) But only because I had lost a few pounds before I went on the trip, LOL.
Grady, good to hear from you. Best to you!
Enzian, yes, there is a place called Heimwehfluh. Great views from there and sooo off the beaten path. Here's the link:
www.heimwehfluh.ch
("Heimweh" translates to homesickness ;-) )
quokka, you know there's always a lot of food in my trip reports and I am the only one who writes detailed tips on VT on restaurants!!
Ann, thanks for the concern but yes, the clothes fit ;-) But only because I had lost a few pounds before I went on the trip, LOL.
Grady, good to hear from you. Best to you!
Sep 29th, 2009, 10:26 AM
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Ok, here we go with the final installment:
Friday, 25 Sept
No clear blue sky but a mix of sun and clouds in the morning. We bought round trip tickets from Wengen to Grindelwald via Zweilütschinen, to First mountain (gondola) and back by bus from Grosse Scheidegg. About 80 CHF each person if I recall correctly (20% discount if you buy RT tix). The train ride to Grindelwald was beautiful, the town itself was VERY busy, full of construction sites/road works and crowds (tour buses). We walked the few minutes to the First gondola and quickly escaped the crowds. By this time the sky was overcast. The sun fought hard and sent some rays down to earth every now and then. It was very interesting to see the clouds moving and giving way to see a piece of the mountains from time to time.
We hiked up to Lake Bachalpsee where we enjoyed a picnic in the sun - yes, we were mostly above the clouds up there. YAY! We met a number of hikers but it was bearable, by far not as many as between Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg. Lake Bachalpsee is a very beautiful spot with great views and I highly recommend a visit there. The hike is easy, less than an hour from the top station of First gondola.
Back to First and on towards Grosse Scheidegg. First the weather got better but later the clouds got thicker and a cold wind blew from the Hasli valley beyond Grosse Scheidegg (as it often happens at passes). The trail is mostly flat, only slightly descending first, later gaining some elevation again and finally totally flat at the end. We missed the bus by 10 minutes - yuck. Thank god the restaurant was open where we had coffee (mom) and hot chocolate plus a piece of cake (me). The bus arrived right on time and took us safely down to Grindelwald's train station. Back to Wengen via Zweilütschinen.
The dinner that night was somewhat disappointing. We had chosen salmon steak for main course. While mine was very good my mother's was badly cooked, still raw (?) inside. She complained to the waiter, he took it away without any comment and brought the same piece back five minutes later - cooked inside but burnt black on the underside. In the meantime my mother had lost her patience, ate a few bites of the salmon and then mentioned the disaster to the waiter - again no apology. It was a one-time slip but I would have expected a different reaction from the staff.
Saturday, 26 Sept
Early breakfast, packing and off we went. As we didn't have a vignette we drove minor roads, no autobahn again. Quite long but very interesting and scenic. This is the route we drove: Lauterbrunnen - Interlaken - Brienz - Brünig Pass - Sarnen (beautiful town) - Luzern (a lot of traffic and crowds!) - Arth - Sattel (doesn't fellow Fodorite schuler live there? Saw many shops with the same name there.) - Rapperswil (picturesque setting by the lake) - Lichtensteig (cute little town) - Appenzell (cheese and chocolate shopping at the Coop there, beautiful town with a market going on) - Stoss (picnic with beautiful view of Rhine valley) - St. Margrethen - Bregenz/Austria - Lindau/Germany and on the Autobahn back home. There was fog/clouds in the low parts of the country again (Luzern, Rapperswil) and only in the higher regions like Brünig, Sattel, Appenzell the sun was out.
To sum it up, the area in Germany's southwest was very nice from accommodation over food to interesting, beautiful towns in lovely landscape and calls for a return soon. Public transportation included in the guest tax (KONUS card) in the Black Forest is a very good idea and saves a lot of money. Otherwise prices are slightly higher than in other regions in Germany but I don't complain as the quality (of food e.g.) is also very good (usually better / more diverse) than in most other German regions (at least from my experience).
There's something special about Switzerland. For me it is almost like a second home. The landscape is very beautiful (not only in the Alps, also in the Jura mountains and in the countryside of cantons Bern and Solothurn e.g.), the villages are often picturesque, the towns have beautiful medieval or Baroque centres, relatively unspoilt. Thus I avoid buying a vignette and driving the Autobahn in Switzerland. I enjoy driving (oy vey, swandav's gonna hate me, LOL) the minor roads and through these towns like Liestal, Waldenburg, Wiedlisbach, Solothurn, Bern, Thun or as mentioned above on the drive back.
The Bernese Alps in the Jungfrau region certainly offer some of the most dramatic, beautiful mountain scenery anywhere. I enjoyed the views on this short trip tremendously - but I never fell in love with this region and most likely never will. It is *way* too overrun with tourists for my taste. Even Wengen, which claims to be car-free (but there were quite a number of regular cars, often construction related) seems become more and more overbuilt with apartment houses, hotels turned into apartment complexes etc. I hardly saw farmers there (Innerwengen the exception). Grindelwald was even worse. I didn't visit Mürren this time but do hope it has kept more of its charm. I also found the food too be not particularly exciting and found that confirmed when I talked to other guests who had not booked half-board and ate in other restaurants in Wengen. I am sure there are very good restaurants somewhere in the area, but you need to look hard for them it seems. Another point is that the fares for public transportation are really high in the Jungfrau region. If you don't have a pass - and for only 3 days and with our plans it didn't pay off - it hurts your wallet.
Comparing to the Engadin the Bernese Oberland/Jungfrau region is only second in my book. Food is much better there (Italian influence probably to blame), the fares for public transportation, especially cable cars/gondolas are MUCH lower - and often included in the hotel rate (from two-night stay onwards). Besides, the Jungfrau region is a sort of cul-de-sac from Interlaken up in the mountains. In the Engadin you have easier access to neighbouring regions like Val Bregaglia, Val Poschiavo which are clearly of Italian culture. Sorry, couldn't resist to compare ... anyway, no regrets but I'll certainly not go back to the Jungfrau region (except Lake Thun) very soon. All this is very subjective, of course, and others will disagree.
Pictures to come but please bear with me. Thanks for reading and happy travels!
Friday, 25 Sept
No clear blue sky but a mix of sun and clouds in the morning. We bought round trip tickets from Wengen to Grindelwald via Zweilütschinen, to First mountain (gondola) and back by bus from Grosse Scheidegg. About 80 CHF each person if I recall correctly (20% discount if you buy RT tix). The train ride to Grindelwald was beautiful, the town itself was VERY busy, full of construction sites/road works and crowds (tour buses). We walked the few minutes to the First gondola and quickly escaped the crowds. By this time the sky was overcast. The sun fought hard and sent some rays down to earth every now and then. It was very interesting to see the clouds moving and giving way to see a piece of the mountains from time to time.
We hiked up to Lake Bachalpsee where we enjoyed a picnic in the sun - yes, we were mostly above the clouds up there. YAY! We met a number of hikers but it was bearable, by far not as many as between Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg. Lake Bachalpsee is a very beautiful spot with great views and I highly recommend a visit there. The hike is easy, less than an hour from the top station of First gondola.
Back to First and on towards Grosse Scheidegg. First the weather got better but later the clouds got thicker and a cold wind blew from the Hasli valley beyond Grosse Scheidegg (as it often happens at passes). The trail is mostly flat, only slightly descending first, later gaining some elevation again and finally totally flat at the end. We missed the bus by 10 minutes - yuck. Thank god the restaurant was open where we had coffee (mom) and hot chocolate plus a piece of cake (me). The bus arrived right on time and took us safely down to Grindelwald's train station. Back to Wengen via Zweilütschinen.
The dinner that night was somewhat disappointing. We had chosen salmon steak for main course. While mine was very good my mother's was badly cooked, still raw (?) inside. She complained to the waiter, he took it away without any comment and brought the same piece back five minutes later - cooked inside but burnt black on the underside. In the meantime my mother had lost her patience, ate a few bites of the salmon and then mentioned the disaster to the waiter - again no apology. It was a one-time slip but I would have expected a different reaction from the staff.
Saturday, 26 Sept
Early breakfast, packing and off we went. As we didn't have a vignette we drove minor roads, no autobahn again. Quite long but very interesting and scenic. This is the route we drove: Lauterbrunnen - Interlaken - Brienz - Brünig Pass - Sarnen (beautiful town) - Luzern (a lot of traffic and crowds!) - Arth - Sattel (doesn't fellow Fodorite schuler live there? Saw many shops with the same name there.) - Rapperswil (picturesque setting by the lake) - Lichtensteig (cute little town) - Appenzell (cheese and chocolate shopping at the Coop there, beautiful town with a market going on) - Stoss (picnic with beautiful view of Rhine valley) - St. Margrethen - Bregenz/Austria - Lindau/Germany and on the Autobahn back home. There was fog/clouds in the low parts of the country again (Luzern, Rapperswil) and only in the higher regions like Brünig, Sattel, Appenzell the sun was out.
To sum it up, the area in Germany's southwest was very nice from accommodation over food to interesting, beautiful towns in lovely landscape and calls for a return soon. Public transportation included in the guest tax (KONUS card) in the Black Forest is a very good idea and saves a lot of money. Otherwise prices are slightly higher than in other regions in Germany but I don't complain as the quality (of food e.g.) is also very good (usually better / more diverse) than in most other German regions (at least from my experience).
There's something special about Switzerland. For me it is almost like a second home. The landscape is very beautiful (not only in the Alps, also in the Jura mountains and in the countryside of cantons Bern and Solothurn e.g.), the villages are often picturesque, the towns have beautiful medieval or Baroque centres, relatively unspoilt. Thus I avoid buying a vignette and driving the Autobahn in Switzerland. I enjoy driving (oy vey, swandav's gonna hate me, LOL) the minor roads and through these towns like Liestal, Waldenburg, Wiedlisbach, Solothurn, Bern, Thun or as mentioned above on the drive back.
The Bernese Alps in the Jungfrau region certainly offer some of the most dramatic, beautiful mountain scenery anywhere. I enjoyed the views on this short trip tremendously - but I never fell in love with this region and most likely never will. It is *way* too overrun with tourists for my taste. Even Wengen, which claims to be car-free (but there were quite a number of regular cars, often construction related) seems become more and more overbuilt with apartment houses, hotels turned into apartment complexes etc. I hardly saw farmers there (Innerwengen the exception). Grindelwald was even worse. I didn't visit Mürren this time but do hope it has kept more of its charm. I also found the food too be not particularly exciting and found that confirmed when I talked to other guests who had not booked half-board and ate in other restaurants in Wengen. I am sure there are very good restaurants somewhere in the area, but you need to look hard for them it seems. Another point is that the fares for public transportation are really high in the Jungfrau region. If you don't have a pass - and for only 3 days and with our plans it didn't pay off - it hurts your wallet.
Comparing to the Engadin the Bernese Oberland/Jungfrau region is only second in my book. Food is much better there (Italian influence probably to blame), the fares for public transportation, especially cable cars/gondolas are MUCH lower - and often included in the hotel rate (from two-night stay onwards). Besides, the Jungfrau region is a sort of cul-de-sac from Interlaken up in the mountains. In the Engadin you have easier access to neighbouring regions like Val Bregaglia, Val Poschiavo which are clearly of Italian culture. Sorry, couldn't resist to compare ... anyway, no regrets but I'll certainly not go back to the Jungfrau region (except Lake Thun) very soon. All this is very subjective, of course, and others will disagree.
Pictures to come but please bear with me. Thanks for reading and happy travels!
Sep 29th, 2009, 10:27 AM
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Ingo--yes, I knew that. I experienced a lot of Heimweh myself when I studied in Germany as a college student. But I quickly recovered and ended up having a wonderful time.
I wonder how the place came to be named that? Is it so wonderful that the residents all experience Heimweh if they leave?
I wonder how the place came to be named that? Is it so wonderful that the residents all experience Heimweh if they leave?
Sep 30th, 2009, 09:39 AM
#19
Hi Ingo! Thanks for the great trip report. You went right through the area where I live!
Today we went to a place I've never been before: Engstlenalp. Drop dead gorgeous. It's above Innerkirchen on the way up to Susten. It has a very nice restaurant/hotel, a beautiful alp surrounded by high mountains, a background of the Berner Oberland Alps and no alps. It's smack right in between Engelberg and Melchseefrutt.
We wanted to go up to Trift glacier but we would have had to wait 1.5 hours so we decided to go to Gelmerbahn instead. However, we passed the sign up to Engstlenalp and my husband, who had been there before, was drawn to the area like a magnet.
It's a narrow winding road that you can drive (or take the bus) to get there and allows for a nice flat hike back to the lake or more strenuous hikes to Jochpass/Engelberg or Melchseefrütt.
If you're ever in the area again, this is one place to recommend!
http://www.wanderland.ch/de/orte_detail.cfm?id=313513
http://www.hoehenwanderung.ch/
Today we went to a place I've never been before: Engstlenalp. Drop dead gorgeous. It's above Innerkirchen on the way up to Susten. It has a very nice restaurant/hotel, a beautiful alp surrounded by high mountains, a background of the Berner Oberland Alps and no alps. It's smack right in between Engelberg and Melchseefrutt.
We wanted to go up to Trift glacier but we would have had to wait 1.5 hours so we decided to go to Gelmerbahn instead. However, we passed the sign up to Engstlenalp and my husband, who had been there before, was drawn to the area like a magnet.
It's a narrow winding road that you can drive (or take the bus) to get there and allows for a nice flat hike back to the lake or more strenuous hikes to Jochpass/Engelberg or Melchseefrütt.
If you're ever in the area again, this is one place to recommend!
http://www.wanderland.ch/de/orte_detail.cfm?id=313513
http://www.hoehenwanderung.ch/
Sep 30th, 2009, 09:53 AM
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schuler, thank for the tip ... been there, done that ;-)
I've done the hike (train from Stans-) from Engelberg (gondola/chair lifts to Jochpass) via Engstlenalp to Melchsee-Frutt, cable car down and by bus back to Stans. I agree that the area is drop-dead gorgeous. And not crowded at all. I'd want to go there by bus from Meiringen one day.
www.engstlenalp.ch
I've done the hike (train from Stans-) from Engelberg (gondola/chair lifts to Jochpass) via Engstlenalp to Melchsee-Frutt, cable car down and by bus back to Stans. I agree that the area is drop-dead gorgeous. And not crowded at all. I'd want to go there by bus from Meiringen one day.
www.engstlenalp.ch
