Traipsing, not Hiking, Through Switzerland (Lake Thun, Montreux, and Chur)
Oct 30th, 2019, 07:37 AM
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Traipsing, not Hiking, Through Switzerland (Lake Thun, Montreux, and Chur)
Feeling joyful and peaceful here in Hilterfingen on Lake Thun. I'll try a trip report, but this is going to be oh so boring for those of you accustomed to wonderful, amazing, lovely hiking and wandering reports from Melnq8, Adeleadian, mokka4, etc. These days, I'm more into 2-hour walks, perhaps 3- hour ones, and spending more time strolling and/or sitting and soaking in views.
I left my home in Garmisch-Partenkirchenon Saturday at about 09.15. I had spent 5 minutes calling the two taxi stands in town, to no answer. So I hoofed it to the station, about 30 minutes, arriving with sore shoulders (already!!) but enough time to buy coffee and a croissant. As I passed the taxi stand at Marienplatz, I saw it was empty! Anyway, all trains fine and dandy on the route through the Tyrolian Alps -- Innsbruck, St Anton, Feldkirch, etc. I had a first class seat and enjoyed a meal of wiener schnitzel with sekt (Austrian sparkling wine). But the arriving train at Zürich was 10 minutes late, and as I only had 12 minutes for my connection, I was feeling stressed. I hopped off the train and trotted to the track and actually made it on time. But then. Holy cow. The wrong train was sitting there! I finally flagged down a conductor, who told me that the DB had routed me on a WEEKDAY schedule for this Saturday train. She set me right, and 20 minutes later, I was on my way again. Arriving in Thun, it took me some minutes and a question to find the right bus (across the square, in front of the Coop), then the bus display wasn't working, so I missed my stop and had to walk 10 minutes instead of two.
The hotel's restaurant was full, but they put together a small cheese platter for me...
Sekt (Austrian sparkling wine) and schnitzel on the train
View from my balcony
I left my home in Garmisch-Partenkirchenon Saturday at about 09.15. I had spent 5 minutes calling the two taxi stands in town, to no answer. So I hoofed it to the station, about 30 minutes, arriving with sore shoulders (already!!) but enough time to buy coffee and a croissant. As I passed the taxi stand at Marienplatz, I saw it was empty! Anyway, all trains fine and dandy on the route through the Tyrolian Alps -- Innsbruck, St Anton, Feldkirch, etc. I had a first class seat and enjoyed a meal of wiener schnitzel with sekt (Austrian sparkling wine). But the arriving train at Zürich was 10 minutes late, and as I only had 12 minutes for my connection, I was feeling stressed. I hopped off the train and trotted to the track and actually made it on time. But then. Holy cow. The wrong train was sitting there! I finally flagged down a conductor, who told me that the DB had routed me on a WEEKDAY schedule for this Saturday train. She set me right, and 20 minutes later, I was on my way again. Arriving in Thun, it took me some minutes and a question to find the right bus (across the square, in front of the Coop), then the bus display wasn't working, so I missed my stop and had to walk 10 minutes instead of two.
The hotel's restaurant was full, but they put together a small cheese platter for me...
Sekt (Austrian sparkling wine) and schnitzel on the train
View from my balcony
Last edited by IBanna; Nov 4th, 2019 at 07:02 AM. Reason: User request
Oct 30th, 2019, 07:44 AM
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Walk from Iseltwald to Giessbach Falls
The hotel gave me a Panorama Card that makes all buses free between Thun and Interlaken. So, took a bus to Interlaken West station, then another bus to Iseltwald, and only had to pay for the second bus. Set off from Iseltwald to Giessbach Falls/Hotel. After about an hour, I started to have problems twisting my ankle, and once I fell, splat, on hands and knees and skinned my knee through my jeans. The trail was full of wet rocks and slippery dead leaves, so I began to walk very gingerly and slowly. I wished I'd brought my new collapsable hiking poles, but the trail description was " flat and easy," so I'd left them at the hotel. No one else was having these problems...an older couple, a young woman who passed me twice smirking, even a young woman jogging along the way. Ah well.
By the time I got to the Giessbach Hotel at the falls, I'd missed the bus, and the next one wasn't for another four hours. Geee. So I asked the very kind and helpful woman at reception, and she called me a taxi...26 chf to Brienz. Not bad. Then 2 trains and a bus, and voila, at home to sew up my jeans.
Iseltwald
Brienz
The hotel gave me a Panorama Card that makes all buses free between Thun and Interlaken. So, took a bus to Interlaken West station, then another bus to Iseltwald, and only had to pay for the second bus. Set off from Iseltwald to Giessbach Falls/Hotel. After about an hour, I started to have problems twisting my ankle, and once I fell, splat, on hands and knees and skinned my knee through my jeans. The trail was full of wet rocks and slippery dead leaves, so I began to walk very gingerly and slowly. I wished I'd brought my new collapsable hiking poles, but the trail description was " flat and easy," so I'd left them at the hotel. No one else was having these problems...an older couple, a young woman who passed me twice smirking, even a young woman jogging along the way. Ah well.
By the time I got to the Giessbach Hotel at the falls, I'd missed the bus, and the next one wasn't for another four hours. Geee. So I asked the very kind and helpful woman at reception, and she called me a taxi...26 chf to Brienz. Not bad. Then 2 trains and a bus, and voila, at home to sew up my jeans.
Iseltwald
Brienz
Oct 30th, 2019, 07:51 AM
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Actually kind of happy to avoid more hiking today and spent a day in town. I live in a small town, so I like having the opportunity to poke around and shop and explore. Thun is twice as large as Garmisch is, and I loved going from shop to shop. Sadly, the trees are past their peak for autumn colors, ah well. So I had lunch, then walked home along the lake...walked 8.9 miles.
Oct 30th, 2019, 12:12 PM
#5
Ha, swandav, just checked for your photos on Facebook....so happy to see you here, too, LOL.
It all looks so lush and cool, I have just been watering my garden for the hot day ahead and am enjoying looking at those wet and green landscapes.
It all looks so lush and cool, I have just been watering my garden for the hot day ahead and am enjoying looking at those wet and green landscapes.
Oct 30th, 2019, 12:50 PM
#6
Sounds like things got off to a rough start. Four hours for the next bus makes our bus mis-adventures sound downright pleasant
Hope you're having a great time despite the few bumps in the road.
I look forward to reading more.
Hope you're having a great time despite the few bumps in the road.
I look forward to reading more.
Oct 31st, 2019, 01:56 AM
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" Sounds like things got off to a rough start. Four hours for the next bus makes our bus mis-adventures sound downright pleasant"
May be you didn't check that's a 8 miles long bus line from Brienz via nowhere to nowhere (Axalp, a cluster of actually empty holiday chalets with only a few dozen inhabitants).
May be you didn't check that's a 8 miles long bus line from Brienz via nowhere to nowhere (Axalp, a cluster of actually empty holiday chalets with only a few dozen inhabitants).
Oct 31st, 2019, 02:21 AM
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Thanks for this wonderful report, S! That is what I call a room with lake view
Oops, that trail along lake Brienz looks indeed slippery. Glad you recovered quickly! Beautiful pictures, despite foliage beyond peak.
Ahh, Thun ... one of my favourite small cities in Switzerland.
Looking forward to more posts
Oops, that trail along lake Brienz looks indeed slippery. Glad you recovered quickly! Beautiful pictures, despite foliage beyond peak.
Ahh, Thun ... one of my favourite small cities in Switzerland.
Looking forward to more posts
Oct 31st, 2019, 02:31 AM
#10
Beautiful photos!
On the ferry last week, I chatted with a lady who had just walked the Tour du Mont Blanc. That's the first time this area (and hiking/ traisping) was on my radar. I'm bookmarking to read your TR!
On the ferry last week, I chatted with a lady who had just walked the Tour du Mont Blanc. That's the first time this area (and hiking/ traisping) was on my radar. I'm bookmarking to read your TR!
Oct 31st, 2019, 06:02 AM
#11
" spending more time strolling and/or sitting and soaking in views. "
While I enjoy the long walks I'm also onboard strolling as sitting as a great way to spend a day. Sorry about your tumble, that trail did look like a slippery mess, wet leaves are trouble.
Beautiful pics, thanks for sharing. Looking forward to more.
While I enjoy the long walks I'm also onboard strolling as sitting as a great way to spend a day. Sorry about your tumble, that trail did look like a slippery mess, wet leaves are trouble.
Beautiful pics, thanks for sharing. Looking forward to more.
Oct 31st, 2019, 07:25 AM
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Ohhh you'll be here before you know it, mokka4!! Thanks, yes, just a stiff knee for a few days.
Adeleadian, lol! Yes it is cool! Love it.
Melnq8, yes as neckervd notes, this bus service was out in the middle of nowhere...nothing out there but the falls and the hotel. I'd guess most folks going through are better hikers just...going through! Thanks! Yes it's a wonderful time, always!
Oh suze, thank you! Posting Vevey today....
Hey Ingo! Yes I really love Thun, and that hotel is fabulous!
Thanks starrs & Nelson! Truly is going to be a low-key report, as my trips to Lake Geneva are all about nostalgia... but will try to catch some of this scenery!
Adeleadian, lol! Yes it is cool! Love it.
Melnq8, yes as neckervd notes, this bus service was out in the middle of nowhere...nothing out there but the falls and the hotel. I'd guess most folks going through are better hikers just...going through! Thanks! Yes it's a wonderful time, always!
Oh suze, thank you! Posting Vevey today....
Hey Ingo! Yes I really love Thun, and that hotel is fabulous!
Thanks starrs & Nelson! Truly is going to be a low-key report, as my trips to Lake Geneva are all about nostalgia... but will try to catch some of this scenery!
Last edited by swandav2000; Oct 31st, 2019 at 07:53 AM.
Oct 31st, 2019, 07:52 AM
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Yesterday I transferred from Lake Thun to Montreux. One of my favorite things in the world is running out of a tunnel and seeing the first hit of sapphire blue of Lake Geneva below, so I took a longer route, the Golden Pass through Spiez and Zweisimmen, to set up that first hit. Sadly, it was foggy for the entire route, so there was no blue. Not even at the lake's edge, where the waters' murky grey slid into the foggy grey of the sky. Well, it felt good to be here, anyway. My sister and I went to boarding school in Montreux in 1968, when I was 13, and it had a huge impact on me. It's still imprinted on my soul as some sort of Swiss nirvana...
Not much of a view from the train
My stomach was feeling queasy today, so I stayed close to home...went to Vevey and ended up putting 5.5 miles on the step counter just running around. I would stop every 5 paces to take pictures, and the tracking app kept telling at me to keep moving, lol. Need to mute that thing. I love Vevey, as it always looks so typically French. Had lunch at the Hostellerie de Geneve right on the Pl de Marche...probably the best pizza in the world. I've been eating pizza here since the 1990s, and it's always the best I've had.
Not much of a view from the train
My stomach was feeling queasy today, so I stayed close to home...went to Vevey and ended up putting 5.5 miles on the step counter just running around. I would stop every 5 paces to take pictures, and the tracking app kept telling at me to keep moving, lol. Need to mute that thing. I love Vevey, as it always looks so typically French. Had lunch at the Hostellerie de Geneve right on the Pl de Marche...probably the best pizza in the world. I've been eating pizza here since the 1990s, and it's always the best I've had.
Oct 31st, 2019, 12:16 PM
#15
We were very lucky suze and you other Fodorites convinced us not to stay in Vevey in June.
Lovely town, BUT the hotel I had booked was centimetres from the arena, as we discovered on our walk. It really was a construction site.
Lovely town, BUT the hotel I had booked was centimetres from the arena, as we discovered on our walk. It really was a construction site.
Oct 31st, 2019, 01:01 PM
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Melnq8 -- that's where the Nestle museum of food, Alimentarium, is.
Adeleadian -- I'm always torn between Vevey and Montreux. Montreux always wins because of my history here, but Vevey is a hard draw. Yeah, staying that close to the arena would have been a nightmare.
s
Adeleadian -- I'm always torn between Vevey and Montreux. Montreux always wins because of my history here, but Vevey is a hard draw. Yeah, staying that close to the arena would have been a nightmare.
s
Oct 31st, 2019, 01:17 PM
#18
It's still imprinted on my soul
Interesting phrase. I was feeling exactly that looking at the street scene photos of Vevey. I haven't been there in years but I swear I recognized a number of those locations. There is something magical in that region.
Interesting phrase. I was feeling exactly that looking at the street scene photos of Vevey. I haven't been there in years but I swear I recognized a number of those locations. There is something magical in that region.
Nov 1st, 2019, 04:37 AM
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Oh I so agree, suze! In my case, that impression was compounded by the fact I was 13 years old -- such an impressionable age. Plus, my daddy worked for Aramco (Arabian American Oil Co), and my sister and I were born and raised in Saudi Arabia; Montreux was the first place we lived that wasn't a desert. The difference was literally life changing.
s
s
Last edited by swandav2000; Nov 1st, 2019 at 04:45 AM.
Nov 1st, 2019, 04:45 AM
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Morges
Travelled to Morges. Stepped off the train in Lausanne to indulge in a big-city department store experience, then on to Morges. I've always loved this little town for its sweet little pedestrian street lined with shops and cafes, and for its sweet harbor. There is also a large park planted with tulips next to the lake that is amazing in the spring. These days I only visit in the fall, so I generally miss it.
Lausanne cathedral
Easier going down these streets!
Morges
Travelled to Morges. Stepped off the train in Lausanne to indulge in a big-city department store experience, then on to Morges. I've always loved this little town for its sweet little pedestrian street lined with shops and cafes, and for its sweet harbor. There is also a large park planted with tulips next to the lake that is amazing in the spring. These days I only visit in the fall, so I generally miss it.
Lausanne cathedral
Easier going down these streets!
Morges
