Interlaken and Lake Brienz--First Stop: Iseltwald
Like I said in my prior post, I love this region of Switzerland. It’s beautiful. Damn beautiful. So beautiful it makes me want to cry. I’ll go ahead and admit it. I was a tad teary-eyed when we started our journey around Lake Brienz because I couldn’t take in the beautiful vistas quickly enough.
Interlaken is a top tourist destination, for sure. However, I didn’t find the city to be overwhelmingly crowded with travelers. I don’t think we heard one American voice during our entire stay in this area. (If you want throngs of Americans, head to Paris in the summer.)
What To Do in Interlaken
- If you have an unlimited amount of funds, by all means, go shopping. The array of retail shops in Interlaken is comparable to any city that draws tourists. The wealthy ones can afford to spend their money at the bevy of high-end jewelry and clothing stores. I do not have an unlimited amount of funds, so, there you go.
- Take a walk. Seriously. Take a walk. This is my advice for every city. Grab a map from the Interlaken tourism office and get lost.
- Stock up on provisions. Be warned, however, that you’re going to have to elbow your way to the chocolate aisle. I’m not joking when I say that I almost had a Grade A meltdown in one grocery store because there were so many people fighting over Toblerone. I may or may not have said a few audible curse words.
- Take a hike, rent a bike, go swimming, go hang gliding (You can do that near Interlaken, you know.). All of that is great, but because we’re not really the outdoorsy type, we chose to take a boat around Lake Brienz.
We took a bus from Wilderswil (Thank you, Hotel Baeren!) to the Interlaken West train station, where we purchased tickets that included a train ride to the Interlaken Ost station as well as our boat tickets. Make sure you get to the station in the morning so that you can maximize your time on the lake. Believe me, you don’t want to skip any stop.
And, Now the Gratuitous Pictures of Our First Stop on Lake Brienz: Iseltwald
Oh, how I adore this little village! It’s not a large town at all, but the gardens and architecture more than make up for size. The boat stops at the Strand Hotel which also has a lovely restaurant with outdoor seating. From the hotel, start walking, walking, and walking around. If you are traveling during the summer months, you’ll find that Iseltwald is dotted with lovely private gardens.
And, can you imagine picking your vegetables while seeing this view?
The longer you explore, the more you'll discover quirky and charming architecture...
Cowbells!
After hiking up and down the hills of Iseltwald, stop by the Strand Hotel for lunch with a view!
You'll want to fill up before your next stop at Giessbach Falls!
Stay tuned for the next stop at Giessbach Falls!
Ciao!
Bridget
