Trip to the Summit of Mount Niesen on a 105-year-old Funicular

(This album was published on Aug.1, 2023. It refers to a later trip we did to the summit of Mount Niesen, on a much uglier day, but also with very clear views. Those photos are HERE)

July 5, 2015 -- A wonderful day for a trip to the summit of Mount Niesen, which is located near Spiez south of Lake Thun, and nicknamed "Switzerland's Pyramid". Furthermore, this is definitely the 360-degree view mountain in the region. And very popular with paragliders, as we found out up there. 

The Niesen Funicular, built between 1906 and 1910, covers 3.5 kilometers of railway tracks in two sections, and is considered one of the longest funiculars in the world. At its steepest section it has an incline of 68%. It also sports the longest stairway in the world, 11674 steps along the railway line {not for the public, although they do a marathon up the stairs, it's called the Niesenlauf (highlights on this youtube video: NIESENLAUF)}

Crossing the Kander River as the train starts heading up the mountain. 

The Niesen Funicular line, completed in 1910 and running since. 

A beautiful day to be up on the mountain. We got here at 9:30.

The restaurant terrace near the summit station of the railway, view to the east 

A short walk above the restaurant you reach the very summit of the mountain. This view is directly into the Kien Valley, where we traveled to after returning back off the mountain, for a relatively short hike from Griesalp to the valley bottom along the fabulous waterfalls there. 

At the very summit there is a 360-degree view. This is a panorama view north to Lake Thun

A look south across the summit of Mount Niesen. Below on the left is the Kander Valley

Down below is the town of Frutigen at the junction of the Kander Valley and the Adelboden Valley (not sure if it's called that). (side note: in July 2023 we walked down to Frutigen from the mid-station of the Niesen Railway). 

On the very summit of Mount Niesen

In the back are the very recognizable profiles of Mounts Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau

So many paragliders lined up here, and we spent some time watching them. 

Fabulous meadow flowers. This is near the summit station of the funicular. We headed back down at about 10:45. 

Time to head back down (there was a hike in the Kien Valley after this). Those steps form the longest staircase in the world, about 3.5 kilometers. 

This is a look at Mount Niesen from the opposite side of the valley, as we took a bus ride into the Kien Valley. (Kiental).