A mountain pass & lovely Lucerne

After a day of resting tired legs and doing some writing, it was time to move on. Driving Bertha past the Brienzer See we had final views of the Jungfrau peaks in her mirrors.

A series of tunnels took us out and up to the Brunig Pass at 1008 metres which Bertha coped with brilliantly. We stopped for coffee overlooking Lungernsee before driver, van and passenger made the slow and steep, hairpin descent.

View from Brunig Pass at 1008m

It wasn’t until manoeuvring Bertha onto chocs at our chosen campsite that we realised there was a problem with the power steering. With schoolgirl German and incredible ‘trip luck’ we found a terrific mechanic, Piermin, just 200m down the road.

He diagnosed ‘schaum’ essentially bubbles in the automatic transmission oil which were most likely the result of the steep climb and descent down the pass. Apparently a common enough problem and easily, and very cheaply fixed, by some new oil being added. Thank you Piermin!

Bertha resting lakeside after her troubles

With a bright hot morning the next day we had to decide whether to use the good weather to see Mount Pilatus, or the lakeside city of Lucerne. We chose the latter and caught the ‘panorama train’ from the local station for the half hour journey.
 

Our panorama train to Lucerne

The panorama train travels along the same line as the commuter and intercity trains but makes all the stops and is designed for taking in the views. 

From its large picture and overhead windows we saw the mountain station for Mount Pilatus and a single carriage rack and pin train climb Switzerland’s steepest cog railway.

Bowling past Lake Lucerne we saw the mountain ridge of Rigi Kulm before disappearing into a long tunnel to be unloaded in Lucerne’s huge central station of many platforms. Armed with our walking tour information we began a lovely day of strolling around the pretty lakeside city. The fabulous old town is across the River Reuss, another fast-moving blue-green and foamy delight of dashing water, that we crossed using a medieval wooden covered bridge.
 

First views of Lucerne across the river

 

A unique remaining Guild House

Many of the historical houses in the old centre are covered with bright or fading paintings. Most have heraldic motifs or imagery associated with their owners, or the purpose of the building. Hence the Weinmarktapotheke had interesting wine and medicinal motifs dating back to 1530. Beautifully decorated houses line the sides of Stag Square where Goethe stayed at the Hotel Goldener Adler in 1779.
   

One of the ornate motifs

Winding back down to the river we crossed this time using the Spreuerbrucke, built in 1408 and part of the town’s fortifications. Hanging under the wooden eaves are a series of dark paintings illustrating the ‘dance of Death’ – carried out in the 1600s and suitably ghoulish showing skeletal death lurking in the corners of various incidents of daily life.

Kapellbrucke

Spreuerbrucke

One of the "large white birds" on the river

Americans were puzzled not by the pictures but by the many swans coasting along the river. “Say, can those large white birds fly?” asked one of them to no-one in particular and not interested in any answer.

Large numbers of Asian tourists hurried about taking photos, mainly of themselves or each other, and swatting at the swarms of river flies that collected in clouds by the water.


Back up in town we went to see the very moving Lion’s Monument carved into the sandstone cliff face in 1821. It is of a dying lion, pierced in his left flank and lying protectively on a fleur-de-lys.
It commemorates one of many ugly events that occurred in the French Revolution. More than 850 Swiss Guards were massacred in cold blood by mercenary mobs in Paris whilst they were stationed there to protect the Royal Family. It was the idea of a Swiss officer who somehow survived the assault.

Löwendenkmal - the lion of Lucerne

Sandstone rock above a pond

         



We had our picnic contemplating the sculpture and watching tour groups make their visit, before climbing up the steep path to the remains of the city’s fortified walls. A narrow walkway takes you along 400meters of solid and turreted walls and into three renovated watch towers. One of them is the oldest clock tower in Lucerne dating from 1533 and still housing a working mechanism.
 

Views across the city from the old town walls

A little giddy from the heights and the heat it was refreshing to take a bus out along the lakeside to see the waters and the belle-epoch hotels that grew up in the 19th century as English fuelled tourism boomed around the lake.

Walking the walls

Strolling back along its clear shores we saw paddle-steamers on the waters and admired tall and expensive terraced houses and hotels. From the water you can clearly see Lucerne’s position within the mountain range. 

Mount Pilatus across Lake Lucerne

Eschewing a visit to the art museum in favour of a return back in sunshine we collected our bikes from the station around 5pm. On the cycle back to the camp it seemed that everyone was out cutting or raking grass for drying into bales. For some it was a real family affair with wives, children and cats all busy in the freshly cut fields and paddocks.

We stopped to buy homemade alp cheese from a dairy farmer and later enjoyed its strong flavour, reflecting on a charming day in middle Switzerland.

The orchard next to the campsite

   

A lakeside house at Sachseln

Jungfraujoch ‘the Top of Europe’

We had budgeted for at least one mountain train journey and chose the trip up on Europe’s highest rack railway to Jungfraujoch.

This mountain resort at 4158 meters towers over the Aletsch glacier (the largest in the Alps) and sits amongst the peaks of the Eiger (3970m) and Monch (4099m) mountains. If you ignore the nearby Finsteraarhorn (4274m) which clearly the Swiss and Jungfraujoch Tourist boards do, then it could arguably be called the ‘top of Europe’.

An early start from the campsite

The morning was blessed with high blue skies and the snowy peaks were clearly visible from our starting point, the bus stop outside the camp. On the first bus of the day, leaving at 7.30, we were in time for the 8.05 Oberland electric train up to the ski town of Lauterbrunnen. 

There we changed trains to reach Kleine Scheidegg from where we boarded the bright red Jungfraubahn, to climb by rack railway the 1393 meters over just 9.3 kilometres.

The train snaking its way up through the mountainside

The entire journey would take little under 3 hours - the first part was up through high mountain pastures to Eigergletscher from where the train entered the tunnel taking us across the face of the Eiger and Monch and up to the Jungfrau.

The train at the foot of the mountain

 

The 'rack and pin' train

 

There were viewing points at Eigerwand and Eismeer stations at which we left the train and peered out of picture windows blasted out of the tunnelled rock and revealing the pristine white and wide pathway of the glacier as it made its timeless voyage down the mountainside.

Viewing point from Eigerwand station

Viewing point from Eismeer

At 3,454m we reached our destination, Jungfraujoch. The dark and cold station inside the mountain dripped with moisture and we walked quickly to find daylight at the impressive and futuristic research centre which also serves as a resort.

The Aletsch Glacier

Views across to the Vosges and Black Forest mountains

Another marvel of engineering, ‘Switzerland’s fastest lift’ whisked us up to the landmark observatory in just 27 seconds. From there we enjoyed spectacular views of the Aletsch Glacier and the ice-white peaks of the surrounding mountains. 

Looking across we could make out the French Vosges and even the Black Forest.

The blindingly bright light exposed everything and everyone in such crystal clarity that people and places seemed somehow to be superimposed.

The walk up to Monchjoch Hutte

Perfect snow drifts

Down on the glacier we hiked for an energetic hour up the steep and snowy way to reach the Monchjoch Hutte, filled with families and adventurers tucking into steamy bowls of bacon and cheesy soup. We had a picnic prepared so enjoyed it on the viewing platform looking back down the slope to the observatory and admiring the snow which looked like whipped Italian ice-cream.

 

A snow plane lands on the glacier

 

The top of Europe!

Walking across the glacier to the Monchjoch Hutte

The train down the mountain

As the afternoon got hotter and busier with more people, and curiously a lot of dogs, arriving at the summit we headed back down the rack railway and diverted via Grindelwald for our journey home.

The views at this altitude of just 1,000 meters were of classic Alpine villages, and pasture lands of lush green grass. We knew that until very recently the weather had been consistently wet and it was no surprise to see so many people out enjoying the unexpected sunshine of a Sunday afternoon.

Views across the Bernese Oberland

Grindelwald alpine houses

 

A Sunday afternoon rail ramble

Trails bristled with walkers, some strolling others pounding along with Nordic poles. Station platforms were full of excited day trippers (like us!) and hillside restaurants and café terraces were full of diners and drinkers. 

It was a thoroughly enjoyable descent through very pretty scenery back to an equally bustling Interlaken.

Once delivered back to camp by the bus, we toasted a remarkable day with a glass of cool white wine whilst wearing our sunglasses to keep hotly bright eyes in the shade.

Week 6: Into the Swiss Alps

Our next stop was the busy resort of Interlaken between the two lakes of Thunersee and Brienzersee.

We hoped to see the mountains and a classic Swiss lake and Interlaken offers both. Our campsite was well located on the shores of the Thunersee, but very noisy with the world’s most seemingly inconsequential road works happening alongside it every day from 6.30am. Regrettably we were parked right by the hedge so had to contend with the noise and clouds of billowing dust as well as choking fumes from the heavy plant machinery. Not the sublime lakeside experience we had imagined!

Early morning light across Thunersee

Despite being pushed at the tourist office to take the train to see Thun (pronounced Toon) we opted for the bus instead, which with our half fare pass, made us a saving of 51francs or £36, such is the wild pricing of the popular transport routes. The bus route we knew hugged the lakeside road on our side, whilst the train line went overland and through tunnels on the other side offering no views of the glistening water. It took an hour to reach the town but it was enjoyable meandering along the shoreline seeing weekenders take to the waters in sail boats and rowing boats. 

Surfing on the River Aare

Old wooden bridge

Thun itself has a lovely setting at the head of the lake in the foothills of the Bernese Alps. It is spread on both sides of the river Aare and across an island in the middle which we reached by a covered wooden bridge and walkway. 

There are two of these bridges which as well as providing access to the island, also act as damns which regulate the flow of the river through the town. The fast gushing waters were being surfed and rafted on by local youngsters so we joined the passers-by cheering them on.

Old Thun

The old town curves along the river banks and up to a pretty Schloss. We meandered around the streets which, like Bern, had arcaded shops at street level, but you could walk up above them through flower-filled terraces and past the front doors of people’s homes.

A jazz band was playing at a restaurant and we loitered on a bridge to listen. It was chilly so we found a coffee to stroll with and were given a biscuit each by a local tourist officer thanking us for our visit. It was sweet really!

Jumping off the return bus at Oberhofen we admired the turreted and story-book castle that spills across the shore. A corporate event appeared in full swing and the garden gates were open so we chanced our luck and wandered through the grounds, and the extensive herb garden which yielded a cheeky crop of rosemary and thyme for Bertha’s larder! 

Oberhofen Castle on Thunersee

A network of paths took us along the lake shore to the end of the castle grounds and out into the public gardens. It was noticeably warmer here than at Thun and the crystal clear lake waters dazzled under blue skies. People were strolling and smiling as we headed to the nearest bus stop.

A fine view from the bus stop!

Back at camp we made plans for an adventure in the Alps the next day. It was mindboggling trying to work out the best route, package and price for our budget.

We had a stack of pamphlets and brochures but what made it so confusing was that everyone was selling you the same thing, but differently.

We made a decision and hoped for clear skies in the morning…