Trail Therapy, Consumption & Confusion; 6.5 weeks in Switzerland and Northern Italy
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You capture Switzerland so beautifully, Mel. I love the nooks and crannies you manage to find. I guess cows are to Switzerland what sheep are to New Zealand; we're seeing sheep everywhere and in the last couple of days, wekas. Knowing how much you love New Zealand, as do we, I feel confident we would enjoy Switzerland too.
We're all living vicariously through another of your fine TRs Mel.
Such eye candy, such an interesting itinerary.
That you two were able to combine travel with fitness and fresh air, was just the icing on the cake yeah?
I am done. the trail therapists
PS what's being DCC'd mean?
Such eye candy, such an interesting itinerary.
That you two were able to combine travel with fitness and fresh air, was just the icing on the cake yeah?
I am done. the trail therapists
PS what's being DCC'd mean?
Sept 20 - The Hairdryer changes our plans
We’d planned to go to Isenthal and take the St. Jacob cable car up to Gitchenen, but while planning the previous night, we’d looked at weekday schedules; today was Saturday, so the schedule was different and there was no way we’d make the earlier train/bus.
So, we changed course.
Once again, we took the train from Altdorf UR Bahnhof to Erstfeld, where we changed to Bus 401 to Silenen Dägerlohn (2.70 chf each). We then walked about 10 minutes to the Chilcherberge Luftseilbahn.
There were a few people waiting, and when asked, they told us we could pay at the top.
Uri is home to some 36 small open air cable cars, which is part of what attracted us to the area in the first place. We rode a few of them on a previous visit, and were determined to ride a few more this time. Today we’d be riding one that really intrigued us, the Chilcherberge.
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/...-a-difference/
The Chilcherberge holds four people, and it was a really fun ride.
Chilcherberge
Random people on the Chilcherberge
Views from onboard the Chilcherberge
Once at the top we paid (7 chf each one way), and asked for return tickets, but were told (I think) that we could not return as the wind was too strong, ah yes, the dreaded Föhn (hairdryer).
Note: I forgot to ask if the HFC was valid, the Uri Ticket is, but once again not cost effective for us.
We’d learned about the Föhn on our previous stay here, and we knew that once the Föhn stops, the rain starts.
From the Internet:
Föhn winds occur wherever mountain ranges are swept by strong winds. The primary effect of the Föhn winds is warm and, above all, dry downdrafts on the mountain ranges facing away from the current, which often reach gale force.
In most areas, Föhn winds occur only on one side of the mountain range due to the prevailing wind direction. The alpine Föhn is a unique phenomenon, occurring on both sides of the mountain range. Named after the prevailing wind direction, the south Föhn blows on the northern side of the Alps, and the north Föhn on the southern side.
So, we changed course again.
We walked to the nearby Hängebrücke Schipfental (swing bridge), crossed it, and then backtracked to the trail that led down to Silenen Dägerlohn, planning to hike back down. Enroute we passed a couple of cows, one of which came right over to Bill and took a sniff.
Trail options
Walking to Hängebrücke Schipfental
Hängebrücke Schipfental
Walking back from Hängebrücke Schipfental
Walking back from Hängebrücke Schipfental
Here we found three options, one marked an hour, one marked at 1:45 and one marked 3:15. We decided to take the one-hour trail and wandered through a pasture looking for it, came to a dead end, backtracked, and then saw the gate we’d walked right past.
September blooms
We went through the gate and began what soon became a narrow, steep, rocky, root-riddled descent. No one else was hiking down, and we questioned if we were even on a trail until we passed a few much younger people hiking up. They may have been young and fit, but they didn’t seem to be enjoying themselves any more than we were.
The day was hot and sticky again, but at least there was a bit of shade.
We crept down the mountain, trying not to fall, both stumbling a few times, but thankfully not going over the edge. It seemed as if the torture would never end and I actually thought for a minute that I wouldn’t be able to finish the trail.
It was way more than we counted on; a punishing four booter (my area rates trail difficulty by 1-4 boots). My knees were screaming, Bill’s calves were screaming, and my toes were infuriated.
We stopped at a makeshift bench under a rock face to rest and bandage my tattered toes but to no avail, the steep downhill descent just crammed my toes into my boots and rubbed the bandages off.
And then, we looked up and saw the Chilcherberge above us, going down. What the heck? Perhaps, the wind had subsided, or the operator had been trying to tell us we couldn’t go down until it did, argh.
Chilcherberge
It was a steep 2,456-foot descent, well outside of our comfort zone. It took us two hours to crawl down that one-hour trail. We’d spent four hours hiking 4.3 miles, which pretty much says it all. We’re slow, but not that slow.
Our route as seen on our GPS
We later looked for the trail on the map, but didn’t find it. The only sign had been handmade, unlike the usual red and white bergweg signs.
We finally made it down to Silenen, popped into St. Albin Catholic church, then sought out the bus stop, where we had to wait 25 minutes for the next Bus 401 back to Erstfeld, where we connected to the train back to Altdorf (2.70 chf each).
St. Albin Catholic Church
St. Albin Catholic Church
St. Albin Catholic Church
We were hot, sticky, tired, and sore. But glad to be alive.
We hadn’t eaten, so we popped into the welcoming Transit café at the Altdorf UR Bahnhof. It felt wonderful to sit down with a cold drink.
The waitress spoke excellent English and was very helpful. Bill got the Flammkuchen Classic, I went for the Älplermagronen again, which came with a nice salad and a roll. It wasn’t the best Älplermagronen I’ve had, this more of a heat and serve variety, but it did the trick. Despite evidence to the contrary, I’m not a mac and cheese aficionado and never eat it at home. Lunch was washed down with a cider for me and a local wheat beer for Bill (42 chf).
We also picked up a loaf of bread and two pieces of cake from their bakery to take with us for later (9.70 chf).
Then it was back to the apartment for a hot shower.
To be continued...
We’d planned to go to Isenthal and take the St. Jacob cable car up to Gitchenen, but while planning the previous night, we’d looked at weekday schedules; today was Saturday, so the schedule was different and there was no way we’d make the earlier train/bus.
So, we changed course.
Once again, we took the train from Altdorf UR Bahnhof to Erstfeld, where we changed to Bus 401 to Silenen Dägerlohn (2.70 chf each). We then walked about 10 minutes to the Chilcherberge Luftseilbahn.
There were a few people waiting, and when asked, they told us we could pay at the top.
Uri is home to some 36 small open air cable cars, which is part of what attracted us to the area in the first place. We rode a few of them on a previous visit, and were determined to ride a few more this time. Today we’d be riding one that really intrigued us, the Chilcherberge.
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/...-a-difference/
The Chilcherberge holds four people, and it was a really fun ride.
Chilcherberge
Random people on the Chilcherberge
Views from onboard the Chilcherberge
Once at the top we paid (7 chf each one way), and asked for return tickets, but were told (I think) that we could not return as the wind was too strong, ah yes, the dreaded Föhn (hairdryer).
Note: I forgot to ask if the HFC was valid, the Uri Ticket is, but once again not cost effective for us.
We’d learned about the Föhn on our previous stay here, and we knew that once the Föhn stops, the rain starts.
From the Internet:
Föhn winds occur wherever mountain ranges are swept by strong winds. The primary effect of the Föhn winds is warm and, above all, dry downdrafts on the mountain ranges facing away from the current, which often reach gale force.
In most areas, Föhn winds occur only on one side of the mountain range due to the prevailing wind direction. The alpine Föhn is a unique phenomenon, occurring on both sides of the mountain range. Named after the prevailing wind direction, the south Föhn blows on the northern side of the Alps, and the north Föhn on the southern side.
So, we changed course again.
We walked to the nearby Hängebrücke Schipfental (swing bridge), crossed it, and then backtracked to the trail that led down to Silenen Dägerlohn, planning to hike back down. Enroute we passed a couple of cows, one of which came right over to Bill and took a sniff.
Trail options
Walking to Hängebrücke Schipfental
Hängebrücke Schipfental
Walking back from Hängebrücke Schipfental
Walking back from Hängebrücke Schipfental
Here we found three options, one marked an hour, one marked at 1:45 and one marked 3:15. We decided to take the one-hour trail and wandered through a pasture looking for it, came to a dead end, backtracked, and then saw the gate we’d walked right past.
September blooms
We went through the gate and began what soon became a narrow, steep, rocky, root-riddled descent. No one else was hiking down, and we questioned if we were even on a trail until we passed a few much younger people hiking up. They may have been young and fit, but they didn’t seem to be enjoying themselves any more than we were.
The day was hot and sticky again, but at least there was a bit of shade.
We crept down the mountain, trying not to fall, both stumbling a few times, but thankfully not going over the edge. It seemed as if the torture would never end and I actually thought for a minute that I wouldn’t be able to finish the trail.
It was way more than we counted on; a punishing four booter (my area rates trail difficulty by 1-4 boots). My knees were screaming, Bill’s calves were screaming, and my toes were infuriated.
We stopped at a makeshift bench under a rock face to rest and bandage my tattered toes but to no avail, the steep downhill descent just crammed my toes into my boots and rubbed the bandages off.
And then, we looked up and saw the Chilcherberge above us, going down. What the heck? Perhaps, the wind had subsided, or the operator had been trying to tell us we couldn’t go down until it did, argh.
Chilcherberge
It was a steep 2,456-foot descent, well outside of our comfort zone. It took us two hours to crawl down that one-hour trail. We’d spent four hours hiking 4.3 miles, which pretty much says it all. We’re slow, but not that slow.
Our route as seen on our GPS
We later looked for the trail on the map, but didn’t find it. The only sign had been handmade, unlike the usual red and white bergweg signs.
We finally made it down to Silenen, popped into St. Albin Catholic church, then sought out the bus stop, where we had to wait 25 minutes for the next Bus 401 back to Erstfeld, where we connected to the train back to Altdorf (2.70 chf each).
St. Albin Catholic Church
St. Albin Catholic Church
St. Albin Catholic Church
We were hot, sticky, tired, and sore. But glad to be alive.
We hadn’t eaten, so we popped into the welcoming Transit café at the Altdorf UR Bahnhof. It felt wonderful to sit down with a cold drink.
The waitress spoke excellent English and was very helpful. Bill got the Flammkuchen Classic, I went for the Älplermagronen again, which came with a nice salad and a roll. It wasn’t the best Älplermagronen I’ve had, this more of a heat and serve variety, but it did the trick. Despite evidence to the contrary, I’m not a mac and cheese aficionado and never eat it at home. Lunch was washed down with a cider for me and a local wheat beer for Bill (42 chf).
We also picked up a loaf of bread and two pieces of cake from their bakery to take with us for later (9.70 chf).
Then it was back to the apartment for a hot shower.
To be continued...
Oh, Mel, I will definitely not be following in your footsteps!
We did the lovely Crater Lake walk yesterday from Ronny Creek, around to Wombat Pool, I know you’ve done that. Really beautiful.
We did the lovely Crater Lake walk yesterday from Ronny Creek, around to Wombat Pool, I know you’ve done that. Really beautiful.
Adelaidean - I just looked at that TR and we'd gone up to Marion's Lookout too, which I seem to remember being a bit steep...and that was 21 years ago, it might do me in now.
I hope you're getting a few of the 35 nice days a year that we'd been told Cradle Mountain gets...
I hope you're getting a few of the 35 nice days a year that we'd been told Cradle Mountain gets...
Sept 21 -
Tired and sore from yesterday’s adventure, we got off to a slow start and vowed to take it easy today.
We took the 10:21 am Bus 405 from Altdorf UR Bahnhof to Isenthal, which lies in a secluded side valley on the western shore of Lake Uri, and got off at the Luftseilbahn St Jakob stop (5.80 chf each). It was a fun drive along a narrow winding road, the bus driver using his horn several times through the blind corners. I love the sound of a Swiss postbus horn.
https://www.postauto.ch/en/about-us-...tion/post-horn
We drove above and then alongside the Urnersee, the southernmost bay of Lake Lucerne, which is known for its steep cliffs that drop straight into the water, passing through busy Seedorf.
I love how civilized Switzerland is; cars give way to buses, bikers give way to pedestrians, the young offer their seats to the old. One can get just about anywhere via clean and efficient train/bus/cable car, villages and trails often have perfectly safe springs for drinking/filling water bottles, and bergrestaurants for meals and breaks.
There’s a reason we keep going back.
Once there, we took the 8-person gondola up to the ski area of Gitschenen (16 chf each return, paid at the top).
St. Jacob-Gitschenen gondola
We didn’t want a big hiking day, so we planned to explore the circular trail from the top of the cable car station, which had been suggested to me as a hidden gem of Uri by Swiss TA poster Finsteraarhorn.
Gitschenen trails
Gitschenen trails
We located the flat, well graded trail to Chneuwies, then joined the slightly more rugged trail to Geissboden.
The undulating trail led us through alpine pastureland in the valley, and then below the Alpler (Torstock? Horn?) through the forest; which felt like walking in a bowl between mountain peaks. A nice little hike, which took just over an hour, quiet and sedate and very few other people. Thanks Finsteraarhorn!
Walking to Chneuwies
Walking to Chneuwies
Walking to Geissboden
Autumn color
Returning to Gitschenen
Betrufkapelle, Gitschenen
Afterwards, we stopped for lunch at the Alpstubli, but we were told they were closed from 12-2 for a baptism. The woman was very nice, explaining that we could have a drink, but they were otherwise too busy preparing for the event. She suggested we try the Berggasthaus below, which we didn’t realize was open.
So, we walked to the nearby Berggasthaus Gitschenen and had lunch on their terrace. Our waiter spoke excellent English and offered to help us with the menu but we’re pretty good at reading Swiss menus, although we can’t seem to make ourselves understood when we try to speak the few words that we know. Knowing it, and saying it correctly are two different animals.
We had a very good lunch here, a pastrami sandwich for Bill, gerstensuppe with speck for me (which was unlike any other barley soup I’ve had in Switzerland), one beer and one cider, 42 chf, very good and filling.
Bill's lunch
My lunch
The return buses were well spaced (12:03, 2:03, 3:45 and 5:03), but we managed to time it right for a change; we were down from the gondola with plenty of time for the bus back to Altdorf (5.80 chf each).
Gitschenen-St. Jacob gondola
Back in Altdorf we popped into the Coop Pronto to pick up a salad, salami and cheese for our dinner. The guy working there was getting used to seeing us and wished us a good Sunday.
It’d been cooler today; we didn’t feel the need for an immediate shower upon our return to the apartment. Rain was headed this way.
The church bells went nuts at 4:47; I’m not sure why bells don’t ring on the hour, perhaps a Sunday thing? We’d also noticed this at the church in Gitschenen.
We’d really enjoyed this apartment; ideally located close to the train station and various bus stops; it was spacious, and spotless with an exceptionally well-equipped kitchen with much more than we needed (soda stream, immersion blender, bread box), and items we very much appreciated such as a toaster, plentiful towels, coffee pods, scissors and even a handy milk frother.
Neighbors across the street from apartment
We’d only made it to town once, as everything we needed was in the vicinity of the Bahnhof.
The crotch goblin upstairs was noisy, but fortunately, he kept similar hours to us, up at six and down by 10.
Otherwise, the apartment was pretty quiet with windows closed and comfortable temperature wise, even though it’d been hot outside.
We were talking about a return visit before we even left. There’s still so much to see and do in the area, and we’ve just scratched the surface.
To be continued…
Tired and sore from yesterday’s adventure, we got off to a slow start and vowed to take it easy today.
We took the 10:21 am Bus 405 from Altdorf UR Bahnhof to Isenthal, which lies in a secluded side valley on the western shore of Lake Uri, and got off at the Luftseilbahn St Jakob stop (5.80 chf each). It was a fun drive along a narrow winding road, the bus driver using his horn several times through the blind corners. I love the sound of a Swiss postbus horn.
https://www.postauto.ch/en/about-us-...tion/post-horn
We drove above and then alongside the Urnersee, the southernmost bay of Lake Lucerne, which is known for its steep cliffs that drop straight into the water, passing through busy Seedorf.
I love how civilized Switzerland is; cars give way to buses, bikers give way to pedestrians, the young offer their seats to the old. One can get just about anywhere via clean and efficient train/bus/cable car, villages and trails often have perfectly safe springs for drinking/filling water bottles, and bergrestaurants for meals and breaks.
There’s a reason we keep going back.
Once there, we took the 8-person gondola up to the ski area of Gitschenen (16 chf each return, paid at the top).
St. Jacob-Gitschenen gondola
We didn’t want a big hiking day, so we planned to explore the circular trail from the top of the cable car station, which had been suggested to me as a hidden gem of Uri by Swiss TA poster Finsteraarhorn.
Gitschenen trails
Gitschenen trails
We located the flat, well graded trail to Chneuwies, then joined the slightly more rugged trail to Geissboden.
The undulating trail led us through alpine pastureland in the valley, and then below the Alpler (Torstock? Horn?) through the forest; which felt like walking in a bowl between mountain peaks. A nice little hike, which took just over an hour, quiet and sedate and very few other people. Thanks Finsteraarhorn!
Walking to Chneuwies
Walking to Chneuwies
Walking to Geissboden
Autumn color
Returning to Gitschenen
Betrufkapelle, Gitschenen
Afterwards, we stopped for lunch at the Alpstubli, but we were told they were closed from 12-2 for a baptism. The woman was very nice, explaining that we could have a drink, but they were otherwise too busy preparing for the event. She suggested we try the Berggasthaus below, which we didn’t realize was open.
So, we walked to the nearby Berggasthaus Gitschenen and had lunch on their terrace. Our waiter spoke excellent English and offered to help us with the menu but we’re pretty good at reading Swiss menus, although we can’t seem to make ourselves understood when we try to speak the few words that we know. Knowing it, and saying it correctly are two different animals.
We had a very good lunch here, a pastrami sandwich for Bill, gerstensuppe with speck for me (which was unlike any other barley soup I’ve had in Switzerland), one beer and one cider, 42 chf, very good and filling.
Bill's lunch
My lunch
The return buses were well spaced (12:03, 2:03, 3:45 and 5:03), but we managed to time it right for a change; we were down from the gondola with plenty of time for the bus back to Altdorf (5.80 chf each).
Gitschenen-St. Jacob gondola
Back in Altdorf we popped into the Coop Pronto to pick up a salad, salami and cheese for our dinner. The guy working there was getting used to seeing us and wished us a good Sunday.
It’d been cooler today; we didn’t feel the need for an immediate shower upon our return to the apartment. Rain was headed this way.
The church bells went nuts at 4:47; I’m not sure why bells don’t ring on the hour, perhaps a Sunday thing? We’d also noticed this at the church in Gitschenen.
We’d really enjoyed this apartment; ideally located close to the train station and various bus stops; it was spacious, and spotless with an exceptionally well-equipped kitchen with much more than we needed (soda stream, immersion blender, bread box), and items we very much appreciated such as a toaster, plentiful towels, coffee pods, scissors and even a handy milk frother.
Neighbors across the street from apartment
We’d only made it to town once, as everything we needed was in the vicinity of the Bahnhof.
The crotch goblin upstairs was noisy, but fortunately, he kept similar hours to us, up at six and down by 10.
Otherwise, the apartment was pretty quiet with windows closed and comfortable temperature wise, even though it’d been hot outside.
We were talking about a return visit before we even left. There’s still so much to see and do in the area, and we’ve just scratched the surface.
To be continued…
You are welcome, Mel. I'm glad the hike in Gitschenen met your expectations.
In the first "Walking to Chneuwies" picture, the mountains should be (left to right): Alpeler, Maisander and Hoh Brisen.
It's always intriguing and inspiring how you plan, execute, adapt to your adventures and overcome the inconveniences! Well done and always thank you for sharing your experiences with all the details and the pictures.
In the first "Walking to Chneuwies" picture, the mountains should be (left to right): Alpeler, Maisander and Hoh Brisen.
It's always intriguing and inspiring how you plan, execute, adapt to your adventures and overcome the inconveniences! Well done and always thank you for sharing your experiences with all the details and the pictures.
Sept 22 -
We’d gotten eaten alive by mozzies during the night; evidently, we’d left the windows open too late. We both heard buzzing around our ears and had tried to hide under the covers, but it got too hot.
We woke with about a dozen bites each, me looking like I had chicken pox as most were on my arms and face.
Our phones warned us that severe rain was expected; after four hot, sweaty days, we welcomed it.
We tidied up the apartment, put on our rain gear and walked to the Bahnhof to catch our 10:39 train to Meiringen, using our previously purchased Super Saver Tickets.
We changed trains in Arth Goldau; having checked the SBB app we expected the IC train to Lucerne to be busy, but it wasn’t as bad as expected. In Lucerne we changed to a train to Interlaken Ost.
There was a mad rush of luggage laden Asian tourists, so it was a bit of a scrum to find luggage space. A conductor passed through the carriages asking people to move their bags, etc. Many seats were reserved, but we found a seat with no issues.
Bill and I stood early to collect our luggage for the next stop; an Asian tourist asked why we were standing, telling us it was still a 30-minute ride. I told him it was actually a four-minute ride to our stop. Why he assumed we were going to Interlaken Ost with him is a mystery.
Once in Meiringen, we walked the 5-7 minutes to our apartment in the center of town. We were met at the door by the owner who also runs the shop below and lives above, as we’d told him our arrival time.
Meiringen is a town of about ~4,660 residents, located in the Haslital Valley in the eastern Bernese Oberland, where the foothills of the Alps meet the High Alps.
Although we’ve visited the BO many times over the years, we’d never based in Meiringen, and had only visited once as a day trip many moons ago. It just happened to fit nicely into our routing between Altdorf and Zweisimmen, so we decided to give it a go.
Nice apartment this, one flight of stairs, two bedrooms, spacious and clean, well located, nicely furnished and well equipped with raclette maker and toaster. There was a sink in the master bedroom as well as the bathroom, which also had a spacious shower. The living room had a huge TV, which we only turned on once to watch a few British game shows (which are so much more entertaining than ours in the US).
However, there was no terrace as had been advertised.
I love the high quality of Swiss construction; thick solid wood doors, beautiful wood finishes, etc. Window screens wouldn’t go amiss though, and would save us some serious itching.
We eventually sought out the nearby Migros and Coop for provisions. The apartment owner had told us we could buy coffee pods that fit the machine in the apartment at Coop so we took a pod with us. And so began the futile coffee pod search.
There are so many types of machines these days and they all take different pods; it’s enough to drive a person to distraction.
The afternoon was spent washing two loads of smelly laundry thanks to our sweaty stay in Altdorf. It was nice to have dryer, and better yet, one that didn’t take two hours to dry!
Later we walked to the nearby Indian Gourmet Restaurant and Pizzeria on Bahnhofstrasse, a combination we often see in Switzerland, but one I don’t quite understand.
We had the restaurant to ourselves, our waiter telling us they had a location in Interlaken, but had just expanded to Meiringen four months ago, and were still not very busy. We had a nice chat with him about a shared interest, wine.
Bill ordered the Karahi chicken, I chose the Paneer Tikka, both came with rice. We also shared a garlic naan, our dinner washed down with a lovely Spanish Rioja, all very good (80 chf).
A guest card was included with our accommodation, so we spent the evening reviewing our options and making plans for the coming days.
To be continued…
We’d gotten eaten alive by mozzies during the night; evidently, we’d left the windows open too late. We both heard buzzing around our ears and had tried to hide under the covers, but it got too hot.
We woke with about a dozen bites each, me looking like I had chicken pox as most were on my arms and face.
Our phones warned us that severe rain was expected; after four hot, sweaty days, we welcomed it.
We tidied up the apartment, put on our rain gear and walked to the Bahnhof to catch our 10:39 train to Meiringen, using our previously purchased Super Saver Tickets.
We changed trains in Arth Goldau; having checked the SBB app we expected the IC train to Lucerne to be busy, but it wasn’t as bad as expected. In Lucerne we changed to a train to Interlaken Ost.
There was a mad rush of luggage laden Asian tourists, so it was a bit of a scrum to find luggage space. A conductor passed through the carriages asking people to move their bags, etc. Many seats were reserved, but we found a seat with no issues.
Bill and I stood early to collect our luggage for the next stop; an Asian tourist asked why we were standing, telling us it was still a 30-minute ride. I told him it was actually a four-minute ride to our stop. Why he assumed we were going to Interlaken Ost with him is a mystery.
Once in Meiringen, we walked the 5-7 minutes to our apartment in the center of town. We were met at the door by the owner who also runs the shop below and lives above, as we’d told him our arrival time.
Meiringen is a town of about ~4,660 residents, located in the Haslital Valley in the eastern Bernese Oberland, where the foothills of the Alps meet the High Alps.
Although we’ve visited the BO many times over the years, we’d never based in Meiringen, and had only visited once as a day trip many moons ago. It just happened to fit nicely into our routing between Altdorf and Zweisimmen, so we decided to give it a go.
Nice apartment this, one flight of stairs, two bedrooms, spacious and clean, well located, nicely furnished and well equipped with raclette maker and toaster. There was a sink in the master bedroom as well as the bathroom, which also had a spacious shower. The living room had a huge TV, which we only turned on once to watch a few British game shows (which are so much more entertaining than ours in the US).
However, there was no terrace as had been advertised.
I love the high quality of Swiss construction; thick solid wood doors, beautiful wood finishes, etc. Window screens wouldn’t go amiss though, and would save us some serious itching.
We eventually sought out the nearby Migros and Coop for provisions. The apartment owner had told us we could buy coffee pods that fit the machine in the apartment at Coop so we took a pod with us. And so began the futile coffee pod search.
There are so many types of machines these days and they all take different pods; it’s enough to drive a person to distraction.
The afternoon was spent washing two loads of smelly laundry thanks to our sweaty stay in Altdorf. It was nice to have dryer, and better yet, one that didn’t take two hours to dry!
Later we walked to the nearby Indian Gourmet Restaurant and Pizzeria on Bahnhofstrasse, a combination we often see in Switzerland, but one I don’t quite understand.
We had the restaurant to ourselves, our waiter telling us they had a location in Interlaken, but had just expanded to Meiringen four months ago, and were still not very busy. We had a nice chat with him about a shared interest, wine.
Bill ordered the Karahi chicken, I chose the Paneer Tikka, both came with rice. We also shared a garlic naan, our dinner washed down with a lovely Spanish Rioja, all very good (80 chf).
A guest card was included with our accommodation, so we spent the evening reviewing our options and making plans for the coming days.
To be continued…
Thank you for the clarification Finsteraarhorn - I think the confusion with Alpeler was my misspelling. I'd looked for Alpler and came up with a whole series of possibilities, so was a bit confused.
I'd also thought Alpeler was the second one in the photo you referred to, but I'm not surprised that I was wrong!
I'd also thought Alpeler was the second one in the photo you referred to, but I'm not surprised that I was wrong!
Sept 23 -
We slept great, it was very quiet, we seemed to be getting a later and later start.
We’d learned to close the windows at dusk to avoid mosquitoes; I was going through Benadryl cream and After Bite like crazy.
I’d discovered some really good store brand Skyr and granola at Migros, which became my breakfast for the rest of our stay in Switzerland.
Nice and thick
It was cloudy with a high chance of rain, so we put on our rain togs. We were enjoying the cooler weather and lack of sweat.
We walked to the Meiringen-Hasliberg-Reuti cable station, making friends with a cat enroute.
The first stage of the cable car was ‘free’ with our guest cards for which we’d paid 20 chf each in tax. There was no operator on the cable car, it was all done remotely.
We had to wait a bit as the cable car only runs every 30 minutes; it holds 81 people; there were about 10 of us onboard.
Meiringen-Hasliberg-Reuti cable car
A seven-minute ride later we were in Hasliberg-Reuti, elevation 1082 m, where we decided to walk the circular trail from Reuti via Weissenfluh and Eigen. This mixed bag of a trail included a bit of asphalt, a bit of pasture, a bit of steep gravel road and a bit of what felt like rainforest, a three-mile loop that returned us to the cable station.
Reuti
Reuti
Walking to Weissenfluh
A bit of color on a grey day
Walking to Weissenfluh
Walking to Weissenfluh
Walking through wet forest
Circular trail, green, green, green!
We had a nice lunch at the Reuti Hotel, Bill choosing the mittagsmenu of Hackbraten (meatloaf) with senfsauce (mustard sauce) noodles and grilled veg, 21 chf; he often chooses the mittagsmenu in Switzerland as it’s a good opportunity for him to have meat at a reasonable price.
Meatloaf with mustard sauce, noodles and grilled veg
I chose the pumpkin cream soup, 10 chf. Lunch was washed down with a Weissbier, 9 chf (!), and a nice Ticino merlot, 5 chf (45 chf total).
Pumpkin cream soup
Afterwards we walked another short trail; the clouds getting lower and lower.
Clouds getting serious
Interesting fungi
More wet forest
Swiss cats
Eventually, we took the cable car back down, and then walked to the Coop and Migros to look for the elusive coffee pods again. There was no name on the machine but we’d since done a Google image search of the pods and discovered they were Tchibo, but we couldn’t find them the second time around either.
Back at the apartment, we popped into the shop below and told the owner we could not find the correct pods, and asked if we could buy some from him as we needed coffee. He insisted they had them at Coop, but gave us some extras at no charge. (Later in the trip at a different Coop, we found a huge free-standing display of Tchibo pods, nowhere near the coffee aisle). Ah-ha!
We’d picked up some ready-made salads at Migros, doctored them up a bit (they were pretty sparse) and had those for dinner.
It’d been a day of hills, clouds, eye-popping green and friendly Swiss cats. We’d logged 6.7 miles not including another mile too/from Coop. Our legs were not happy; getting old is for the birds.
To be continued…
We slept great, it was very quiet, we seemed to be getting a later and later start.
We’d learned to close the windows at dusk to avoid mosquitoes; I was going through Benadryl cream and After Bite like crazy.
I’d discovered some really good store brand Skyr and granola at Migros, which became my breakfast for the rest of our stay in Switzerland.
Nice and thick
It was cloudy with a high chance of rain, so we put on our rain togs. We were enjoying the cooler weather and lack of sweat.
We walked to the Meiringen-Hasliberg-Reuti cable station, making friends with a cat enroute.
The first stage of the cable car was ‘free’ with our guest cards for which we’d paid 20 chf each in tax. There was no operator on the cable car, it was all done remotely.
We had to wait a bit as the cable car only runs every 30 minutes; it holds 81 people; there were about 10 of us onboard.
Meiringen-Hasliberg-Reuti cable car
A seven-minute ride later we were in Hasliberg-Reuti, elevation 1082 m, where we decided to walk the circular trail from Reuti via Weissenfluh and Eigen. This mixed bag of a trail included a bit of asphalt, a bit of pasture, a bit of steep gravel road and a bit of what felt like rainforest, a three-mile loop that returned us to the cable station.
Reuti
Reuti
Walking to Weissenfluh A bit of color on a grey day
Walking to Weissenfluh
Walking to Weissenfluh
Walking through wet forest
Circular trail, green, green, green!
We had a nice lunch at the Reuti Hotel, Bill choosing the mittagsmenu of Hackbraten (meatloaf) with senfsauce (mustard sauce) noodles and grilled veg, 21 chf; he often chooses the mittagsmenu in Switzerland as it’s a good opportunity for him to have meat at a reasonable price.
Meatloaf with mustard sauce, noodles and grilled veg
I chose the pumpkin cream soup, 10 chf. Lunch was washed down with a Weissbier, 9 chf (!), and a nice Ticino merlot, 5 chf (45 chf total).
Pumpkin cream soup
Afterwards we walked another short trail; the clouds getting lower and lower.
Clouds getting serious
Interesting fungi
More wet forest
Swiss cats
Eventually, we took the cable car back down, and then walked to the Coop and Migros to look for the elusive coffee pods again. There was no name on the machine but we’d since done a Google image search of the pods and discovered they were Tchibo, but we couldn’t find them the second time around either.
Back at the apartment, we popped into the shop below and told the owner we could not find the correct pods, and asked if we could buy some from him as we needed coffee. He insisted they had them at Coop, but gave us some extras at no charge. (Later in the trip at a different Coop, we found a huge free-standing display of Tchibo pods, nowhere near the coffee aisle). Ah-ha!
We’d picked up some ready-made salads at Migros, doctored them up a bit (they were pretty sparse) and had those for dinner.
It’d been a day of hills, clouds, eye-popping green and friendly Swiss cats. We’d logged 6.7 miles not including another mile too/from Coop. Our legs were not happy; getting old is for the birds.
To be continued…
The coffee pod search / Googling brands is a familiar story - I feel like a winner if a Swiss or Italian apartment provides a generous supply and I don’t need to hunt them down.
Love your photos and daily adventures, I think I do half your walk lengths, and still feel like I’ve had a quite active holiday !
Love your photos and daily adventures, I think I do half your walk lengths, and still feel like I’ve had a quite active holiday !
Mel, your day at Chilcherberge sounds like our Tongariro day. Did you find your slice of the Bernese Oberland crowded?
Adelaidean, love your photos from Cradle Mountain. Takes us back to our own visit. We tried to summit, but gave up with all the hexagonal columns. That hike ranks up there with Tongariro.
Adelaidean, love your photos from Cradle Mountain. Takes us back to our own visit. We tried to summit, but gave up with all the hexagonal columns. That hike ranks up there with Tongariro.
Sept 24 -
The weather was a bit fickle; we waffled about what to do. We considered taking the cable car up to the Alpen Tower, which at 2,250 meters above sea level touts 360° panoramic views of over 400 mountain peaks, but we didn’t trust the threatening skies.
https://haslital.swiss/en/map/detail...96ea44876.html
Instead we decided to check out the 120 meter Reichenbach Falls, the setting for the final altercation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional hero Sherlock Holmes and his greatest foe, Professor Moriarty.
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/...lls-funicular/
Map of the area
We walked the 20 minutes to the cog-rail funicular station, bought tickets (8 chf each return with guest card discount) and were whisked up the side of the mountain, we the only two people on the funicular.
Crossing the Aare River on walk to Reichenbach Falls funicular
Walking to Reichenbach Falls funicular
Reichenbach Falls funicular
Funicular up to Reichenbach Falls
After taking in the views, we set out on the panorama circular trail, estimated at one hour, which began with a lot of steps. Halfway, we stopped at the Gasthaus Zwirgi for a beverage (11 chf).
Top of funicular
Views from top of funicular
Reichenbach Falls
Reichenbach Falls
The return walk was harder than expected, which surprised us as it was marked as a wanderweg, which generally means well-graded and easy. But this section was more of a bergweg with wet roots, mossy stone covered rocks and a steepish descent through pasture.
Panorama circular trail (we think)
Panorama circular trail (we think)
We thought we’d taken the wrong route, as the signs kept changing; one said 15 minutes, then the next said 35 minutes. I guess we’ll never know, but it took us 38 minutes to go up and 53 minutes to go down this varied and rocky trail.
A lot of people were waiting for the funicular when we got back, unlike the ascent, most seats were taken.
We walked back to town, Bill’s interest piqued by the deer curry mittagsmenu at Indian Gourmet Restaurant and Pizzeria (20.50 chf with a few leaves of lettuce as a salad, and a lot of rice).
I chose the Dahl Tadka, also a lunch special, at 20.50 chf. Bill asked for spicy, I didn’t, but mine got drive-by spicy, so a bit hot for my tastes (54 chf with one glass each of Rioja Baron de Ley 2019, lovely wine).
Afterwards we made a grocery run to pick up raclette supplies for dinner, then decided to spend the gloomy afternoon chilling in the apartment, having logged a mere 3.6 miles.
Raclette supplies for dinner
To be continued...
The weather was a bit fickle; we waffled about what to do. We considered taking the cable car up to the Alpen Tower, which at 2,250 meters above sea level touts 360° panoramic views of over 400 mountain peaks, but we didn’t trust the threatening skies.
https://haslital.swiss/en/map/detail...96ea44876.html
Instead we decided to check out the 120 meter Reichenbach Falls, the setting for the final altercation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional hero Sherlock Holmes and his greatest foe, Professor Moriarty.
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/...lls-funicular/
Map of the area
We walked the 20 minutes to the cog-rail funicular station, bought tickets (8 chf each return with guest card discount) and were whisked up the side of the mountain, we the only two people on the funicular.
Crossing the Aare River on walk to Reichenbach Falls funicular
Walking to Reichenbach Falls funicular
Reichenbach Falls funicular
Funicular up to Reichenbach Falls
After taking in the views, we set out on the panorama circular trail, estimated at one hour, which began with a lot of steps. Halfway, we stopped at the Gasthaus Zwirgi for a beverage (11 chf).
Top of funicular
Views from top of funicular
Reichenbach Falls
Reichenbach Falls
The return walk was harder than expected, which surprised us as it was marked as a wanderweg, which generally means well-graded and easy. But this section was more of a bergweg with wet roots, mossy stone covered rocks and a steepish descent through pasture.
Panorama circular trail (we think)
Panorama circular trail (we think)
We thought we’d taken the wrong route, as the signs kept changing; one said 15 minutes, then the next said 35 minutes. I guess we’ll never know, but it took us 38 minutes to go up and 53 minutes to go down this varied and rocky trail.
A lot of people were waiting for the funicular when we got back, unlike the ascent, most seats were taken.
We walked back to town, Bill’s interest piqued by the deer curry mittagsmenu at Indian Gourmet Restaurant and Pizzeria (20.50 chf with a few leaves of lettuce as a salad, and a lot of rice).
I chose the Dahl Tadka, also a lunch special, at 20.50 chf. Bill asked for spicy, I didn’t, but mine got drive-by spicy, so a bit hot for my tastes (54 chf with one glass each of Rioja Baron de Ley 2019, lovely wine).
Afterwards we made a grocery run to pick up raclette supplies for dinner, then decided to spend the gloomy afternoon chilling in the apartment, having logged a mere 3.6 miles.
Raclette supplies for dinner
To be continued...
Hiking, fresh air, alpine scenery all rewarded by Indian deer curry then homemade raclette.
Doesn't get any better than that.
Was surprised to read about the mozzies.
Congrats on another successful trip, both of you.
I am done. the international couple
Doesn't get any better than that.
Was surprised to read about the mozzies.
Congrats on another successful trip, both of you.
I am done. the international couple
The coffee pod search / Googling brands is a familiar story - I feel like a winner if a Swiss or Italian apartment provides a generous supply and I don’t need to hunt them down.
Adelaidean - I know right? Seems an easy problem to solve - just provide enough for one's stay and/or offer additional at a modest price.
zebec - thanks for tagging along - yes, that's our MO for most of our trips, although Italy was more about consumption and confusion than trail therapy. We've only had trouble with mosquitos in Uri - twice now at the same time of year. Past years we've had to flight off the wasps, which weren't a problem this time.
Adelaidean - I know right? Seems an easy problem to solve - just provide enough for one's stay and/or offer additional at a modest price.
zebec - thanks for tagging along - yes, that's our MO for most of our trips, although Italy was more about consumption and confusion than trail therapy. We've only had trouble with mosquitos in Uri - twice now at the same time of year. Past years we've had to flight off the wasps, which weren't a problem this time.
Sept 25 -
We woke to more gloom, but agreed we preferred it over the heat and humidity of Altdorf.
As you might have already gleaned, food is expensive in Switzerland, so our MO is to eat out once a day (usually lunch), self-cater breakfast and either skip or self-cater dinner.
I enjoy cooking, but on holiday it’s all about convenience and simplicity, so dinner can be anything from sashimi, raclette, ready-made salads, to a platter of meats, cheese, fruit and nuts or bacon and butter sandwiches.
We had extra time this morning as our intended bus didn’t leave until 10:45, so I stunk up the apartment by frying some bacon for later.
I then walked to the Frutal Bakery and Café right around the corner from our apartment. I’d seen the huge meringue outside their shop the day we arrived, and later read that meringue supposedly originated in Meiringen, said to be invented here in 1600 by the Italian confectioner Gasparni.
Frutal Bakery and Café
As one who enjoys the occasional meringue, I would be remiss to not investigate.
So, investigate I did, surprised to find row after row of flavored meringue; I’d never seen so many flavors; my mom would be salivating as she loves meringue.
Frutal Bakery and Café
Frutal Bakery and Café
Frutal Bakery and Café, no idea what these are
After much waffling, I chose a bag of Bailey’s flavored meringue (7.50 chf and a good choice as it turned out) and vowed to return to try out some cake.
Meiringen had been quiet, just the ebb and flow of local life. Thus far we hadn’t seen many obvious tourists, at least not of the international variety.
The weather had grown cooler; we donned our fleece jackets, put our waterproof gear in the backpack and walked to the Bahnhof. From here we took the Meiringen-Innerkirchen train (free with guest card), got off at Innerkirchen Grimseltor, then connected with Bus 172 to the Gadman Tällibahn stop (also free with guest card), taking a page from Adelaiden’s book.
Meiringen-Innerkirchen train route
Meiringen-Innerkirchen train
https://www.grimselwelt.ch/bahnen/taellibahn/
We paid at the self-service ticket machine (50% off with guest card, so 4 chf each, honesty system), scanned our ticket and the gates opened so we could board the cable car. We then followed the written directions, the doors closed and we were off. Soon we were at the foot of the Gadmer Dolomites.
Vending machine, Swiss style, Gadman Tällibahn station
Vending machine, Swiss style, Gadman Tällibahn station
Gadman Tällibahn
Gadman Tällibahn, self-operated
It was cloudy and foggy at the top. We followed the bergwanderweg for about an hour, the undulating trail leading alongside a ledge overlooking the Gadmer Valley, and crossing a few landslides and streams.
The views, unfortunately, were obstructed by the clouds, but we liked this trail a whole lot more than the one at Reichenbach Falls the previous day.
Bergwanderweg
Bergwanderweg
Trail marker
Bergwanderweg
We then backtracked to the one woman operated Tallishutte, where we had a nice lunch of flammkuchen, beer and cider (40.40 chf). We had both the trail and the restaurant to ourselves.
Tallishutte
Flammkuchen
After lunch we took the cable car back down (4 chf each). Four people at the bottom asked us how it was and if they sold beer at the top; they sounded American and seemed new to cable cars.
Woman unloading supplies
With time to kill before the next bus, we followed the wanderweg to Gadman (1.2 miles) where we waited for the return bus to Innerkirchen Grimseltor (only one other person on the bus), and then connected to the train back to Meiringen, which got really busy around Aareschlucht (Aare Gorge, one of the top sites of Meiringen) and Alpbach.
Walking to Gadman
House in Gadman
Gadman
Many moons ago we’d visited Meiringen as a day trip from elsewhere in the Berner Oberland, and I remember walking from the Meiringen train station to the Aareschlucht. I thought perhaps the Meiringen-Innerkirchen line was new, but no, it’s been around for 101 years, and became public transport in 1946, so I’m not sure why we didn’t utilize it on that trip long ago. But I digress.
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/...es/aare-gorge/
Back in Meiringen, I hit up the Frutal bakery to satisfy my never-ending craving for chocolate cake (3.80 chf, unfortunately a disappointment).
Looked better than it tasted, unfortunately
It’d been a lovely four-mile+ day.
Dinner was raclette in our apartment again. We were now wearing our fleece indoors; we think the boiler might not have been turned on for the season yet.
To be continued…
We woke to more gloom, but agreed we preferred it over the heat and humidity of Altdorf.
As you might have already gleaned, food is expensive in Switzerland, so our MO is to eat out once a day (usually lunch), self-cater breakfast and either skip or self-cater dinner.
I enjoy cooking, but on holiday it’s all about convenience and simplicity, so dinner can be anything from sashimi, raclette, ready-made salads, to a platter of meats, cheese, fruit and nuts or bacon and butter sandwiches.
We had extra time this morning as our intended bus didn’t leave until 10:45, so I stunk up the apartment by frying some bacon for later.
I then walked to the Frutal Bakery and Café right around the corner from our apartment. I’d seen the huge meringue outside their shop the day we arrived, and later read that meringue supposedly originated in Meiringen, said to be invented here in 1600 by the Italian confectioner Gasparni.
Frutal Bakery and Café
As one who enjoys the occasional meringue, I would be remiss to not investigate.
So, investigate I did, surprised to find row after row of flavored meringue; I’d never seen so many flavors; my mom would be salivating as she loves meringue.
Frutal Bakery and Café
Frutal Bakery and Café
Frutal Bakery and Café, no idea what these are
After much waffling, I chose a bag of Bailey’s flavored meringue (7.50 chf and a good choice as it turned out) and vowed to return to try out some cake.
Meiringen had been quiet, just the ebb and flow of local life. Thus far we hadn’t seen many obvious tourists, at least not of the international variety.
The weather had grown cooler; we donned our fleece jackets, put our waterproof gear in the backpack and walked to the Bahnhof. From here we took the Meiringen-Innerkirchen train (free with guest card), got off at Innerkirchen Grimseltor, then connected with Bus 172 to the Gadman Tällibahn stop (also free with guest card), taking a page from Adelaiden’s book.
Meiringen-Innerkirchen train route
Meiringen-Innerkirchen train
https://www.grimselwelt.ch/bahnen/taellibahn/
We paid at the self-service ticket machine (50% off with guest card, so 4 chf each, honesty system), scanned our ticket and the gates opened so we could board the cable car. We then followed the written directions, the doors closed and we were off. Soon we were at the foot of the Gadmer Dolomites.
Vending machine, Swiss style, Gadman Tällibahn station
Vending machine, Swiss style, Gadman Tällibahn station
Gadman Tällibahn
Gadman Tällibahn, self-operated
It was cloudy and foggy at the top. We followed the bergwanderweg for about an hour, the undulating trail leading alongside a ledge overlooking the Gadmer Valley, and crossing a few landslides and streams.
The views, unfortunately, were obstructed by the clouds, but we liked this trail a whole lot more than the one at Reichenbach Falls the previous day.
Bergwanderweg
Bergwanderweg
Trail marker
Bergwanderweg
We then backtracked to the one woman operated Tallishutte, where we had a nice lunch of flammkuchen, beer and cider (40.40 chf). We had both the trail and the restaurant to ourselves.
Tallishutte
Flammkuchen
After lunch we took the cable car back down (4 chf each). Four people at the bottom asked us how it was and if they sold beer at the top; they sounded American and seemed new to cable cars.
Woman unloading supplies
With time to kill before the next bus, we followed the wanderweg to Gadman (1.2 miles) where we waited for the return bus to Innerkirchen Grimseltor (only one other person on the bus), and then connected to the train back to Meiringen, which got really busy around Aareschlucht (Aare Gorge, one of the top sites of Meiringen) and Alpbach.
Walking to Gadman
House in Gadman
Gadman
Many moons ago we’d visited Meiringen as a day trip from elsewhere in the Berner Oberland, and I remember walking from the Meiringen train station to the Aareschlucht. I thought perhaps the Meiringen-Innerkirchen line was new, but no, it’s been around for 101 years, and became public transport in 1946, so I’m not sure why we didn’t utilize it on that trip long ago. But I digress.
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/...es/aare-gorge/
Back in Meiringen, I hit up the Frutal bakery to satisfy my never-ending craving for chocolate cake (3.80 chf, unfortunately a disappointment).
Looked better than it tasted, unfortunately
It’d been a lovely four-mile+ day.
Dinner was raclette in our apartment again. We were now wearing our fleece indoors; we think the boiler might not have been turned on for the season yet.
To be continued…
