We drove sullenly through
Brienz, dead to the seductions of its bewildering array of Swiss carvings and the clamorous HOO-hooing of its cuckoo clocks, and had not entirely recovered our spirits when we rattled across a bridge over the rushing blue river and entered the pretty town of Interlaken.
Interlaken, also known as the adventure sports capital of Switzerland is located in between Lake
Brienz and Lake Thun.
The starting point for many mountain excursions, Interlaken is nestled between the lakes of Thun and
Brienz. The boulevard running between the Interlaken West and East stations has many restaurants, boutiques and hotels.
For the first time, a train from the
Brienz Rothorn Bahn (BRB) mountain railway in Switzerland is travelling 900 miles to meet up with its sister locomotives on Snowdon.
For those who like to pump up the adrenaline, Jet Boat Interlaken, Switzerland's first commercial jet boat, offers a spectacular ride on the turquoise waters of Lake
Brienz.
Back on those ever-reliable Swiss rails, we caught the historic train from Wilderswil up to Schynige Platte and wandered around the alpine garden, then hiked to a ledge at the top where there are views of Interlaken and lakes Thun and
Brienz.
Above lakes Thun and
Brienz and beneath the bewildering heights of the Eiger mountain, a network of winter walking trails is now maintained.
However, it has now been established that all such carvings were the sole province of the Swiss, the industry originating in the picturesque town of
Brienz, a pretty lakeside town near Interlaken.
Feast your eyes on pockets of alpine beauty along the way while roaming through quaint villages, and soak up the sights of Lake
Brienz and Lake Thun that shimmer with beautiful turquoise and emerald hues.
If you're in the mood for more great views it's worth taking a short trip to
Brienz to catch one of their famous steam trains.
| The Parkhotel du Sauvage and, right, Marion the
Brienz Rothorn Bahn