Best of Switzerland in 8 Days - Day 4 - Giessbach Waterfall and Lake Blausee

Introduction.

Switzerland is a country where there is something to see in and around every town. There are so many gems that get missed by tourists who are on a tight time schedule and just want to complete visiting some well-known touristy places to finish their "Pilgrimage" of  Switzerland. The fun lies in spending time and enjoying the endless beauties that Switzerland has to offer. 

In this blog, I would take you along to two unheard of places, Giessbach waterfall and Lake Blausee (literally meaning Blue Lake). First, let me tell you about these two places.

Giessbach waterfalls are on the south side of Brienz Lake (Brienzersee), one of the two lakes that are connected to Interlaken. In fact, both the lakes are connected by the Aary river that flows through Thun town, Thun Lake, Interkalen, and then into Brienz Lake. It is a beautiful waterfall having 14 tiers and it tumbles down over 400 meters to drain to Brienz lake.

Blausee on the other hand is a very small beautifully Blue lake in Kalley. This lake got created during a landslide some 15000 years ago. It is very close to the Kander River and is fed by a natural spring. Its water is blue and it has a very romantic but tragic story(mostly a myth) attached to the blueness of the water.

Travel to Brienz.

Let us start our travel. Since we were in the suburb, our trip started in the standard way, leaving the house, taking the bus to Interlaken OST, we boarded a train for Brienz village. After a short train ride of about 20 minutes, we reached Brienz. Brienz is a town famous for wooden carvings.

Watching Over the Village - Brienz Town

Shephard and his Horn

A Girl in a Row Boat

Are you Pinocchio?

Going to Giessbach Waterfall.

After a stroll through this small yet beautiful town and enjoying some of the wooden statues, etc, we took a bus for our first destination, Giessbach Waterfall. The buses going to Axalp village on top of the mountain pass through the stop of Giessbach waterfall. Getting down at this stop, it takes about 10 minutes to walk to the fall. The bus frequency is about 1 hour.

Another way is to take an Interlaken - Brienz boat and get down at the bottom of the fall (where this fall drains into Brienz lake) and take a short Funicular ride to Grand Hotel Giessbach. From here, if the full beauty of the fall is to be experienced,  a trek of about 1 km needs to be done upstream along with the fall.

Since we came there by bus, we were already above the falls and we had to walk down for 10 minutes. what we saw after this ten-minute walk was majestic. See for yourself.

Her Majesty the Giessbach Fall"

Posing on one of the Bridge across Giessbach Fall

Giessbach, in its full glory

The Grand Hotel, Giessbach, is a historical property in operation since 1857. This hotel has won awards including The Historic Hotel of theYear (2004). Visitors can visit this hotel. They can also eat here because despite being situated in a remote area, the rates of food, etc are in line with regular rates across Switzerland. Another reason in favor of this hotel is they cook well.

Beauty with Grand Hotel

Grand Hotel, Giessbach

Axalp Village.

Visiting the falls, we returned to the bus stop only to realize that we had looked at the timetable of Buses coming to Giessbach and not going back to Brienz. This error meant that the next bus to Brienz was about 40 minutes later. In fact, the bus that comes from Brienz goes to Axalp Village and the same bus comes back to take one to Brienz. 

We put this newfound knowledge to immediate use and hopped onto a bus going to Axalp. There were just a handful of passengers on the bus. This bus was being driven by a daredevil woman with deftness on a narrow mountain road with many hairpin bends. AT few places she had to reverse to give a pass to the oncoming vehicle. we were scared but she was cool. This trip turned out to be very beautiful as the mountains and the meadows were fabulous. Axalp is a famous place for winter sports like Skiing. In fact, the bus stop here is called Sportsbahnhof (Sport main Station).

Green Meadows

A small Village on the way

Axalp Village Square (Just big enough for the bus to take a U turn)

Reaching Blausee.

After a very brief halt there, the bus started the return journey and reached Brienz Bahnhof in about 40 minutes. We were to go to Blausee from here. The journey involved taking a train back to Interlaken Ost. Changing to another train for Spiez. At Spiez, we took another train to Frutigen. Fron Frutigen Bahnhof we took a bus to Blausee. The lake is about a 7 to 10 min walk through the woods but the path is wide and well laid out.

Sine Blausee is a Nature Park, there is an entry fee of about 8 Swiss frank on weekdays and 10 CHF on weekends. After buying tickets we were into the complex and soon, we were face to face with an unbelievably beautiful blue water lake. As big as a big pond and as clear water as clean glass. You don't have to believe me, here are the proofs -

Blausee, First look

Crystal Clear Blue water

By now you must be curious about the legend that is associated with this lake. The story goes that there was this beautiful blue-eyed girl who fell in love with a Shephard. He was also madly in love with the girl. They would regularly row to the middle of the lake to enjoy the beauty and to do some romance. This continued for a while. Unfortunately, one day the Shephard died in an accident. This girl, oblivious of this fact, went to the lake every day and waited for her lover. Eventually, after many day's wait, this dejected girl could not bear the separation anymore and ended her life in this lake. The water of the lake miraculously took the blue color of her eyes and was thereafter called Blau - Blue See - Lake. They have sunk a "so-called" statue of that girl in the lake which can be seen at the bottom of the lake.

How much more clean the water could be?

The beauty from the legend of Blausee

There is a glass bottom rowboat that takes us on a trip inside this blue water lake. It is fun to enjoy the depths of the lake on this short trip.

See the reflexation of the sky

Trip in the glass bottom Boat

Blausee Nature Park has a hotel with about 20 rooms, a restaurant right next to the lake, and one Pizza place right at the entrance, it also has a big wooded area where you can stroll. There are play equipment where children can play and also places to make barbecue if you are carrying marinated stuff to Barbecue there.

Facilities around Blausee

Facilities around Blausee

Modelling can be done even at Blausee

A Loghouse to Relax

Me, Relaxing on a Lounger and thinking, Where next"

In all, Blausee is a family place for a day-long picnic. There are activities that happen here in Summer including an open-air movie. It may be a family place, but it is a top-class trip for travelers also. Do not miss it during your Swiss trip.

End of the Trip.

By the time we finished our trip, it was nearing around 6 pm. We followed the transport in reverse order, Bus to Frutigen, then a train to Interlaken Ost and finally our B &B. Balance day was spent relaxing.

Tomorrow, we will go (along with you) to a mountain where again, most Indians do not go. Also tomorrow we shift our base, post the trip to the Mountain, to Lucern.

Best of Switzerland in 8 Days - Day 3 - Thun Town and Boat Cruise.

Introduction

Our schedule for today was to enjoy our B & B Sun Deck for some time and then set out for a trip to Thun Town, going by Bus and returning by Boat. We cooked our own breakfast and had a leisurely breakfast on the sundeck overlooking the beautiful valley and mighty snow-clad hills. It was a picture postcard setting with occasionally trains also passing over the bridge on the river "Aare" connecting Thun and Brienz Lakes.

We were to explore Thun Town and in return trip by boat from Thun to Interlaken over the full expanse of Thun Lake, enjoy the countryside. Since we were in a bit outer area (10 minutes to Interlaken Ost station), our trip had to start with a local bus trip.

Visiting Thun Town

Taking a bus from our B&B around 10 am we reached Interlaken Ost. We took a direct bus from Interlaken Ost station stop to Thun Bahnhof stop. That brings me to interesting and important information about the transportation system of Switzerland. Most places in Switzerland have all three modes of transport co-located. That means the Railway station, bus stop, and Boat stations are co-located.

Thun is a historical town since roman times (2 BC) when it had a prominent place in Roma Administration. It has also been an important town. In the present day, like most Swiss towns (not cities) Thun also has a population just short of 50 K. It is a small yet beautiful town. There are historical buildings like Thun Castle on the highest point in the town which was built around 1500, Stadtkirche (City Church), Town Hall, and then there is Schloss Schadau (Schadau Palace) on the other side of the Transportation Hub (Railway Station, Bus Stop and Boat Station) built-in 1854 in Gothic Revival Style by a rich merchant for his family. This beautiful palace has huge grounds, one side of which is on the shore of Lake Thun. It is now a hotel and also it is open to visitors, picnickers, and locals alike. 

Let us see this small lovely town. As we walked from the Transport hub onto the streets, we were welcomed by historical buildings (not modern). Here is one such building on the bank of River Aare.

A Historic Building on the town street. River Aare is also seen

Also on our way was this Traffic Island with Musical Instrument Models decorates with flowers. We could see Drum, Saxophone and two more such decorations.

Traffic Island with models Musical instruments decorated with flowers

Another view

The streets had very thin traffic. They were beautiful and had footpaths on both sides. Here is another of the old building on the way/

Another of the old building

After some more walk, we turned into this narrow cobbled street with shops (Turns out, it is the historic shopping street of this town). 

Main Street of Thun. It leads to Townhall

On this street we found a path of stairs going up leading to the Town Church and  Thun Castel.

Taking Rest in the middle of the climb

Old Town Church

Climbing those stairs, we reached the Church first as seen above, and walking a little further throw a narrower lane gave us our first glimpse of Thun Castle.

Thun Castle, first look

Inside the Thun Castle

Church Spire from Thun Castle

Schloss Schadau (Schadau Palace), Its a Hotel and a Restaurent now

Schloss Schadau Forecourt

Schloss Schadau, A watch Tower

This place has a huge garden

Roses are Rosy

Schloss Schadau Garden

Arrangements to make Barbecue

In Thun Lake adjoining Schloss Schadau

Boat Cruise, Thun - Interlaken West

After finishing our tour of this small and charming Thun town, we boarded a boat from the Transport Hub (I did this naming because they are co-located, whereas actually they are called Bus Station, Railway Station, and Boat Station) for a trip from Thun to Interlaken West through Thun lake, a trip across the full lake. This trip takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes with about 10 stips between these two terminal stations.

The boat was very comfortable and it being Switzerland, the weather was comfortable. That made sitting in open a pleasure.

Sun Bathing in the boat

On the Fox'el (Front Part) of the Boat, Schloss Schadau in the background

Schloss Schadau from the boat

A castle at the foot of the mountains

There are 4 services a day from Thum to Interlaken West and 4 from Interlaken West to Thun. The boat has 10 stops between these two towns but not every service stops at every port. There are three Major stops that every service has to take.

Clock Tower

One of the Lake side Hotel

Oberhofen Castle

A colorful Castle, also a boat station

The boats also have enclosed areas and a cafeteria to cater to passenger's needs. There are also toilets available (its a norm in Europe, even long-distance buses also have toilets)

Spiez Castle

One more

A boat passing in the opposite direction

Look at the Tunneling for the road. This is Interlaken - Thun Route for Buses

An old Castle in Interlaken Town

In about two hours we reached Interlaken West Jetty. From there we took a stroll through busy Interlaken main street to Interlaken East station. We also saw an old Castle and monastery in Interlaken about which we were not aware. That was a surprise find for us. This Monastery dates back to 11th century and has had its fortunes changing from time to time. A castle got added to it in 16th century. Now the whole complex is an administrative office of this region.

This was a long and tiring day with a lot of walking and exposure to the sun (even during our boat trip). After visiting Interlaken Monastery, we returned back to Interlaken Ost station, did our essential purchases from the Coop store at the station, and took a bus back to our B & B. It was rest, dinner and sleep time tehreafter.