Bernese Oberland & Valais: Waterfalls and Four-Thousanders

Thun is located where the Aare River leaves Lake Thun at the foot of the Bernese Alps. In the historic city center, you'll find the Obere Hauptgasse with elevated pedestrian walkways and covered wooden bridges over the river. Above the city, Thun Castle towers, a 12th-century fortress built by the Dukes of Zähringen. On the central Rathausplatz, you can admire the architecture of this former trading town.

Interlaken is situated on a plain between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz in the Bernese Oberland. From the viewing platform on the 1322-meter-high Harder Kulm, you can overlook the town and the peaks of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. In the centre, you'll find the Höheweg, where paragliders land on the Höhematte, and cable cars lead to the alpine hiking trails. Due to its flat location in the valley, you can easily explore the surroundings and the shores by bicycle.

Wood carvings adorn the richly decorated facades of Brienz, showcasing the village's centuries-old artisanal tradition. The Brienz Rothorn Bahn pushes red carriages up the mountain with a steam train to the summit, offering views over the turquoise water. Historic steamboats sail along the steep shores of Lake Brienz. At the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum, more than a hundred original buildings from all over Switzerland are on display. In the lively Brunngasse, you can see the craftsmanship reflected in the woodcarving workshops.

Grindelwald is a mountain village in the Bernese Oberland at the foot of the 3,967-meter-high Eiger. The Eiger North Face has a vertical rock face of 1,800 meters, and cable cars lead to the First Cliff Walk at an altitude of 2,168 meters. A train connection takes you to the Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest railway station at 3,454 meters. Hiking trails crisscross the alpine meadows and glaciers of the Bernese Alps.

The Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Bernese Oberland is a deep U-shaped valley with vertical rock faces and 72 waterfalls. In the valley are the 297-meter-high Staubbach Falls and the Trümmelbach Falls, where glacier water forces its way through the interior of the mountain. By cable car, you can reach the 2970-meter-high summit of the Schilthorn for views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, or you can hike to the car-free villages of Mürren and Wengen.

Wooden chalets in Kandersteg stand in the shadow of the Blümlisalp glaciers, towering high above the valley. Above the village, Oeschinensee glistens, a mountain lake where steep rock faces disappear vertically into the blue water. In a nature park, the deep blue Blausee shines among the trees of a fairytale forest. The cable car to Sunnbüel leads to paths over the historic Gemmipass. In this peaceful mountain village, the snow-capped peaks of the Bernese Oberland surround every terrace.

Leukerbad is the largest spa resort in the Alps and is located at an altitude of 1411 meters in the Valais Alps. Natural hot springs feed the Leukerbad Therme, and the historic Gemmi Pass offers access to a high plateau at 2350 meters. You can take the cable car for hikes along the Daubensee at an altitude of 2207 meters.

The Lötschental is a side valley of the Rhône in Valais and is part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can hike along the Lonza river to the Langgletscher or enjoy views of the 3,934-meter-high Bietschhorn. From Wiler, a cable car takes you to Lauchernalp at an altitude of approximately 2,000 meters. In villages such as Blatten, you can see wooden houses and the masks of the Tschäggättä folklore.

The Aletsch Glacier in the Bernese Alps, with a length of 23 kilometers, is the largest glacier in the Alps and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. From the Eggishorn and Bettmerhorn, you can overlook the ice mass and the deep glacial crevasses. Here you can hike along the Märjelensee or through forests of Swiss pines, surrounded by mountain peaks over four thousand meters high. In the nearby car-free mountain villages, you can stay in a high-alpine environment.

The Val d'Hérens in Valais is home to the Pyramides d'Euseigne, earth pillars with stone caps formed by erosion. The Dent Blanche is the highest peak in the valley, with an altitude of 4357 meters. In the village of Evolène, you can admire the wooden houses, and on the surrounding alpine pastures, the black Eringer cows graze.

Sion is dominated by two historic hills, each with its own story. On one stands the fortified Basilique de Valère, featuring an organ from 1435. Across the way lie the ruins of the thirteenth-century Château de Tourbillon, offering views over the valley. You can wander through the medieval streets of the old town and sample white wines from the surrounding vineyards in the wine bars. The charming old town combines historical architecture with the rich flavours of local viticulture.

Les Diablerets is a mountain village at an altitude of 1,160 meters on the border of the canton of Vaud and the Bernese Oberland. From Col du Pillon, you take the cable car to Glacier 3000, where the Peak Walk connects two mountain peaks via a 107-meter-long suspension bridge. Here you can admire four-thousanders such as the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc or take a ride on the Alpine Coaster, a toboggan run at an altitude of 2,971 meters.

Thun is located where the Aare River leaves Lake Thun at the foot of the Bernese Alps. In the historic city center, you'll find the Obere Hauptgasse with elevated pedestrian walkways and covered wooden bridges over the river. Above the city, Thun Castle towers, a 12th-century fortress built by the Dukes of Zähringen. On the central Rathausplatz, you can admire the architecture of this former trading town.