3-in-1 Outing in the Lauterbrunnen Valley (Allmendhubel, Schilthorn, Mürren)

Tuesday October 16, 2018 -- A trip to the top of Mount Schilthorn, world-renowned from the James Bond movie "On her Majesty's Service" which was mostly filmed at that location in 1969, is usually an expensive proposition reserved mainly for Asian Tour Groups -- who whip up and down again within an hour before rushing off to the next "must-see" peak on their whirlwind prepaid coach tour of Europe -- but we had discount passes so took the opportunity to head up there, mainly for the view, as there isn't much regular hiking to be done (just long, steep slopes).

Mount Schilthorn, whose revolving restaurant is nicknamed Piz Gloria (from the movie) is accessed by a series of cable cars from Stechelberg at the back of the Lauterbrunnen Valley via the little vacation village of Mürren. Before heading all the way up, we had planned a 3-hour hike near Mürren, because I always feel we must include a hike on our day-trips, but for fear of running out of daylight, we only did a short round tour up to Allmendhubel on the newly created "Flower Trail" (no flowers this time of year, though) for our first views of the famous Berner Trio: Mounts Eiger-Mönch-Jungfrau. 

By that time the cable car was less jam-packed, so that was a good thing. Up at the summit, the building and surrounding view platforms are decked out in 007 trivia: A movie theatre, a walk of fame introducing some of the Swiss skiers who had stunt roles, the revolving restaurant that serves a James Bond breakfast buffet (I immediately got dizzy when I stepped foot on the revolving part) and more, most of which we ignored, except the stunning views across the tops of the mountains....

Our plan on the way back down to Mürren was to stop at the mid-station called Birg, which according to the webcam from the day before had a lovely sunny terrace and bistro serving French Fries and such, which I was looking forward to, but would you know it, they closed exactly this week for the season.... But there's a new gimmick here for the tourists: The "Thrill Walk", a 200-m walkway built onto the steep rock face, with glass-bottomed sections or a metal mesh tube you can crawl through. Not quite finished building yet, at this point you have to walk back the same way, and that can be difficult with all the tourist groups, but still it's an interesting addition.

Instead of returning to Stechelberg in the valley bottom, we walked through Mürren to the little train that runs parallel to the valley but high up, and from there took a different cable car down to Lauterbrunnen. We had planned a second hike in the area the next day, so stayed in an old hotel next to the castle in the lovely city of Thun. That was the "icing on the cake", such a pretty town and the evening so mild for a stroll in the old town. (Photos of Thun next morning can be found HERE). 

So actually, this day ended up consisting of FOUR mini-excursions...

PART I .... 5-km hike to Allmendhubel

Usually there is a funicular you can take from Mürren to the top of this little hill, but they had just closed for fall revision, so we hiked the 330 metera uphill along the newly created "Flower Trail", which we will definitely come back again to do in summer, as they had all kinds of information about plants and herbs and their medicinal properties. It was a short 2-hour round-trip back to the Schilthorn cable car.

In Mürren, here's one of many full loads of Asians already on their way back down from Mount Schilthorn at 11 a.m., heading back to their Bus and the next mountain they have to ascend.

Mount Jungfrau, at 4158m the third highest mountain in the Bernese Oberland, dominates the landscape

Up above is the Schilthorn station called Birg, the one with the Thrill Walk below the station building.

It was a pleasant walk up here to the cauldron-shaped valley below Birg Station

Lots of interesting information to learn about alpine plants and their medicinal purposes. This one: VERY POISONOUS!

A flower park for the kids at the summit station of the funicular, which was in revision as of this week.

Walking back to Mürren beneath the Allmendhubel funicular

PART II .... To the summit of Mount Schilthorn 

The first part of the cableway goes to the mid-station at Birg, where you have to change to a single car that continues to the summit:

Heading up above the cauldron-shaped valley. Slightly to the left is the little peak called Allmendhubel.

Approaching the mid-station Birg with its viewing platform and "Thrill Walk". We changed cable-cars here to head up to the summit of Mount Schilthorn.

Second section passes over a little lake called Grauseeli. You can walk there from either cable-car station.

Approaching the summit: Piz Gloria, a revolving restaurant and James Bond museum.

At the summit, at 2970m above sea level, is the revolving restaurant Piz Gloria and some James Bond trivia, but mostly we came for the view, although unfortunately rather hazy this day. We stayed up here for an hour and then returned to the mid-station "Birg" where we had planned to enjoy coffee on the sunny terrace.

In the background the distinctive North Face of Mount Eiger

Some James Bond Trivia

Along the "Walk of Fame" are quotes by Swiss skiers who participated in chase scenes in the movie. We went out just slightly past the second viewing platform.

On top of Mount Schilthorn

Piz Gloria. The movie company was allowed to film here in 1969 provided they supply financial help to finish building the not-yet-completed building. 

We came especially for the view of the trio of mountains well-known and well-loved in the Bernese Alps: Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. 

Eiger-Mönch-Jungfrau and the Lauterbrunnen Valley way, way below. 

Next load of tourists coming up from Birg Station. On this stretch there is only one cable car and it runs every 15 minutes.

Really. Some people still try to walk here in heels...

PART III ....  The Thrill Walk at Schilthorn Birg 

A 200-m walkway attached to the vertical cliff face, to offer a bit something to the tourists. This will be better when they finish the escalator at the far end, so you don't have to walk back the same way. My favourite part of the walk was the sign that warned you "not to leave the Thrill Walk"... 

Looking up past the little lake called Grauseeli to the summit of Mount Schilthorn

All the people.

Walking the "Thrill Walk"

So who would want to actually "leave" the "Thrill Walk"?

Not much danger, although I guess some people have problems looking down.

Another group of Asian tourists, they come by the busload all day long.

I rather enjoyed this. We timed it badly though, should have come earlier in the day after all, to get more sun.

 

Up on the sunny terrace, the bistro had already closed for the season and all the picnic tables were removed.

Tourist shot!

PART IV ....  Mürren and the Train/Cable-car back to Lauterbrunnen 

And then returning to Mürren, taking a train for 20 minutes northward along this side of the valley, and descending with another cable car to Lauterbrunnen.

Returning to Mürren (on this section are two cable cars, they run every half-hour or more often if there are lots of people.)

Walking through the village of Mürren (15 minutes) to the little train.

The mountains look totally different from down here. This is on the train journey between Mürren and Grütschalp above Lauterbrunnen.  

Arrived at the Grütschalp Station, before descending on the cable car, one last view of Eiger-Mönch-Jungfrau. On the distinctive saddle (Jungfraujoch, als known as "Top of Europe") between Mounts Mönch and Jungfrau is the famous observatory called "The Sphinx". Perhaps this was the next stop for the Asian Tour Groups after coming down Mount Schilthorn.

Zoomed view of the observatory at the "Top of Europe"

Evening light in Lauterbrunnen. From here we travel for an hour by train to Thun.

PART V ...  The lovely quaint city of Thun.

The air was mild and warm and there were still lots of people sitting outside in the cafés and on the promenade along the Aar River Canal. Of course it was only 6 p.m. These are all the pretty things we saw on our way to the hotel, a 10-minute walk from the train station.

Our Hotel, Hotel Emmental. We had the room under the roof on the right. It was very pretty.

View from our hotel room in Thun.

(Photos from the second day's outing to Lake Oeschinensee, and additional very nice photos of Thun are HERE). 

Solo Hike from the Brünig Pass to Lungern (via Meiringen)

(Note: This album was created on January 22, 2021)

Saturday October 13, 2018 -- Urs had a previous engagement this day, but it was an exceedingly beautiful fall day, and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to walk in the colorful countryside, so I headed to one of my favourite places: The Brünig Pass (forms the passage between Canton Obwalden in the North and Canton Bern in the South). 

One of the first hikes I did on my own when I came to Switzerland in 2013 was in this area, namely a round loop hike from the scenic town of Lungern via the Brünig Pass, but this time I wanted to walk only the stretch from the Pass back to Lungern, via the St.James Trail this time, which is an alternate route I had not done before (this is also the old mule trail used by the Romans to cross from the North, and also apparently used in pre-historic times). Most of the trail was unfortunately through forested area with less view than the direct trail, and much was already in the shadow of the hills, but I nevertheless had plenty of sunshine and mild weather, and clear views for this excursion.

Since the walk I had planned was only just over 90 minutes of walking, I didn't get out of the train at the Brünig Pass right away on my way into to the region, but rather continued down on the Bernese side to Meiringen in the Haslital Valley, because there was a special church there I wanted to see (St. Michael's Church, 1684, which has a beautiful wooden ceiling). From Meiringen you take a cable car up to the popular recreational region called Hasliberg, from where a bus takes you back to the Brünig Pass.

Traveling on the train southwards from Luzern through the Sarnen Valley toward the Brünig Pass. At this section of the railway line, right after passing the town of Giswil, the train deploys its cogwheels to start the steep climb toward the pass.

Heading along Lake Lungernsee toward the town of Lungern. This is in Canton Obwalden. The tower in the photo is under monument protection (dated to 1389) and is all that is left of the original village church which was swept away by floods in the 1880's.

After passing over the Brünig Pass, we are now in Canton Bern, and heading down into the Haslital Valley.

Arrived in Meiringen, I walk toward the cable car station, and intend to have a look at this historical church on the way.

St. Michael's church in Meiringen is one of the most spectacular churches in the area and is under federal protection. The current baroque church was built in 1684 but there were several churches built here before then.

Stunning woodwork done by a local carpenter in 1684

After leaving the church, I headed to to the cable car

Admiring the lovely Bernese Chalets

This is the cable car in which I rode up the mountainside to Reuti on the Hasliberg Mountain

More lovely chalets

A fantastic view South into the Rychenbach Valley and Mount Wetterhorn. You can even see the peak of Mt. Eiger from here!

Middle of October and it feels like summer!

Zoomed view of the Rosenlaui Glacier on Mt. Wetterhorn

After a 20-minute bus ride from Reuti (bottom right off the map) I set off from the Brünig Pass along the St. James Trail to Lungern. The hike was about 90 minutes (I got off the trail once by accident and had to back-track)

This stone denotes the border of Canton Bern (the bear) and Canton Obwalden on the other side.

St. James Trail is national Trail no.4. The direct route to Lungern is 1 hour (a trail I've done twice before) and the path following Trail no.4 is somewhat longer

The first part of the trail runs along the railway tracks

The train of the "Zentral Bahn" ("Central Switzerland Railway Line") heading from Luzern to Interlaken. It's fun to walk next to the railway track

At this spot I found a nice bench where I had my picnic lunch and enjoyed the sunshine and cowbells

The cows are still in the fields and the grass is still green

From here there are two paths to the town of Lungern. The trail to the right is about 10 minutes quicker to the outskirts of the town. But the trail on the left, part of the St. James Trail, is also the original old Roman trail used to cross the pass from the North.

Archeological findings on this old mule trail indicate that the trail has been in use since pre-historic times.

The "St.James Trail" (or Jakobsweg) through Switzerland is part of the popular "Camino de Santiago", a pilgrimage trail composed of a network of trails (total approx 780 km) all over Europe and culminating at the Spanish town of "Santiago de Compostela". Along the way you can sign up in trail books kept in such boxes.

Along the St.James Trail between Brünig Pass and Lungern

Some curious cows along the way

Arrived in the town of Lungern. This magnificent cathedral is rather "young", having been built as recently as 1891/93 in the neo-gothic style of architecture, and replacing the original late-romantic church which was swept away by floods in the 1880's (there remains only the 1389 tower which is under monument protection)

A rather pretty structure

Another view of the parish church in late afternoon sunlight as I head up to the train station in Lungern.

The just under 6 km hike I did this day is in orange, starting at the Brünig Pass and descending to Lungern. On two other occasions (yellow = 2013 and blue =2014) we did a loop hike starting in Lungern, climbing the hills to the West, and then descending via the Brünig Pass.