Central Switzerland

Berner Alpen

Berner Alpen is Switzerland's central section of the Swiss Alps in the Bern and Valais cantons. Berner Alpen together with Interlaken, Jungfraujoch, and the highest elevated railway in Europe, constitute a major center for tourisim. Spectacular scenery comprised of the nearby mountain peaks, lakes, streams and wildflowers have long been famously portraied throughout European culture by nobility and artists during the past few centuries.

Interlaken, situated between the lakes of Thun and Brienz, is a renowned climatic health resort and the gateway to the Berner Alpen. A network of roads and mountain railways such as the narrow-gauge Berner-Oberland-Bahn (BOB) serve the resorts in the Jungfrau region. Three of the most famous mountains in Switzerland are the Jungfrau (4158m/13,642ft), Mönch (4099m/13,448ft) and Eiger (3970m/13,024ft), whose dangerous, nearly perpendicular northern ascent was first climbed in 1938. Their names mean the ‘maiden’, the ‘monk’ and the ‘ogre’; combined they are known as the Finsteraarhorn Group. Finsteraarhorn (4275m/14,026ft), the highest peak of the Berner Alps, is dominated by glaciers which stretch from the upper Aare and the Rhône valley to Lake Geneva.

Excursions up the Schilthorn mountain by funicular (as seen in the James Bond movie, "Her Majesty’s Secret Service"); to the waterfalls at Giessbach and Lauterbrunnen: to the Reichenbach Falls (where Sherlock Holmes fell to his fictional death); and to the Swiss Open-Air Museum at Ballenberg, with its charming houses from all regions of the country displaying traditional crafts and trades. Popular winter resorts of such as Lenk, Adelboden and Zweisimmen are reached from Spiez on Lake Thun. The castle at Thun, with its historical museum atop of the Altstadt (old town), should not be missed.

Berner Oberland Ski Resorts

The popular year-round resorts of Mürren, Wengen and Grindelwald are teeming with energy during the winter ski and snowboard season (mid-December to late-March). Grindelwald is an old-fashioned and quiet location with excellent skiing, ideal for intermediates and beginners, and alternative activities including tobogganing and winter hiking trails. The ski network meet up with the scenic ski village of Wengen, popular with British skiers, features plenty of long, gentle runs, ideal for intermediates. Nearby tiny, traffic-free Mürren is esteemed as one of Switzerland’s more rustic resorts, with limited but challenging skiing including the famous Schilthorn run where the British invented modern-day skiing. The quiet resort of Kandersteg is a great base for cross-country skiing.

Bern

Bern is a historic medieval center that provides excellent opportunities for sightseeing and shopping along the 11th-century streets. A spectacular backdrop provided by Jura to the northwest and the Alps to the south. This ancient city is located on the Aare River between the 13th-century clocktower and the stunning copper spire of the Nydegg Church. Opposite of the Nydegg bridge are the ancient medieval bear pits, a reminder of the city's ursine emblem seen throughout the town in the form of flags, statues, stained-glass windows and souvenirs. There are daily vegetable and flower markets here in the summer, and a celebrated onion market on the fourth Monday of November.

Luzern

Luzern or ‘Lucerne’ is located on the edge of a sizeable lake, the Vierwaldstättersee. Its medieval old town (Altstadt) remains intact; important buildings include the Hofkirche, the old Town Hall (1602-1606) and the famous Löwendenkmal, a memorial to the city mascot the ‘dying Lion of Lucerne’, carved out of a cliff. Spanning the River Reuss, the 170m-long (558ft), covered wooden Chapel Bridge, was the oldest in Switzerland (1333) until it was destroyed by fire in 1993. It has since been restored. Luzern also houses the Richard Wagner Museum and the Swiss Transport Museum. Large crowds gather here every year for an international music festival that is held here annually.

Luzern Excursions

Wwith its mountains, lakes, pine forests and meadows, the Lucerne region is traditionally a very popular tourist area. Ferries on the Vierwaldstättersee service the quaint villages surrounding the lakes and connect with various mountain railways and cableways. Cablecars, passenger lifts and cogwheel railways provide transport to the Sonnenberg, the Gütsch, the Pilatus and other mountains. South of Luzern, near the small town of Engelberg, the world’s first revolving cable car ascends Mount Titlis, the highest lookout-point in central Switzerland. History buffs should visit Schwyz, one of the three original cantons, the country’s namesake and home to the Museum of the Swiss Federal Charter and the Forum of Swiss History.

Luzern Ski Resorts

The main ski areas near Luzern include the pleasing, traditional village of Andermatt with reliable snow and challenging skiing, and Engelberg, with a small ski area suitable for all skill levels.

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