Dan

I'm leaving for Switzerland this weekend. My wife and I will be staying in Chateau D'oex and Kandersteg. However, I feel now that I should at least visit, for a day, a town with the really high dramatic scenery. I'm planning on taking the train from Kandersteg. Which of these cities should I visit. If I take the train to Murren or Wengen will I have to transfer to one of the expensive lifts. If I'm not mistaken, a lift isn't necessary for Grindewald. Thank you.

swissmiss

Dan: If you're looking for dramatic mt. scenery, why would you need to leave Kandersteg?? Hike up to Oeschinensee Lake and then on to the Blumlisalphutte, or do the Lotschental Loop or the Wildstrubel Tour. Believe me, the scenery in the mts. above Kandersteg is unbeatable. (and there are cable cars and chairlifts to help get you started!)

Wayne

Yes, you will need a cog railway and/or a cable car to get to Wengen and Murren. Yes, Grindelwald can be accessed without any lifts. But in order to see scenery, you will probably want to take some kind of lifts up into the mountains. I agree with the other poster; stay around Kandersteg and explore from there.

Ingo

Hi Dan,<BR><BR>I see you decided to stay in Chateau d'Oex and Kandersteg, not in Alpbach. I think it is a good choice. Will you stay at Landgasthof Ruedihuus?<BR><BR>Kandersteg provides really high dramatic scenery. I second the above posts.<BR><BR>But of course, it is a must to see the mountains around Grindelwald, Wengen and Muerren if you are in this area. I recommend to visit Wengen and take the cable car to Maennlichen. Hike (very easy) to Kleine Scheidegg and take the mountain railway down via Wengen to Lauterbrunnen. This trip should not be too expensive. I am assuming you will have a Swiss Pass or a Berner Oberland Regionalpass or a Swiss Card, so you are travelling free (with Swiss Pass) to Wengen and get a reduction of 25 % on the regular fares of the cable car and the mountain railway down to Wengen.<BR><BR>So this might cost about 40 Sfr. per Person I think.<BR><BR>Have fun!<BR><BR>Ingo<BR><BR>PS. Weather forecast says summer is coming! Wonderful weather with temperatures up to 30 °C in the plains expected.

Bpb Brown

I think it depends on what you do after you get to Grindelwald, or M&uuml;rren, or Wengen. M&uuml;rren affords great views of the Jungfrau and the M&ouml;nch.<BR>But from Grindelwald there are several places you can go that will give you the opportunity to seek some dramatic views, but you cannot stay in Grindelwald to do it; you must take a gondola ride higher to First, or to Pfingstegg. <BR>Around Kandersteg there is plenty to see. Take the Sesselbahn up to the Oeschinensee or take the cable lift up to the trail that leads to the <BR>Daubensee. It is a nice walk on a clear day and leads to some dramatic views of the Rhone Valey. <BR>From the Oeschienensee, several trails lead as high as you will have the energy to take them. <BR>

Dan

Swissmiss, Wayne and Bob, thank your for your advice. I was beginning to wonder if ny original choice of Kandersteg would offer the dramatic views of the other towns I mentiomed. It sounds like it may if I take the lifts. Ingo, thank you for remembering my Alpbach inquiry. It was very hard for me to narrow my choice of Alps towns to two. I decided on Kandersteg and Chatea d'oex because of my two hotels, Ruedihus and Hostellerie Bon Accueiill. Alpbach looked very nice but I couldn't find lodging as nice as my two choices. I was also very tempted by Fermes de Marie in Megeve France, but the town seemed a little more "jet set" than I was looking for. Almdorf Seinerzeit<BR>in Patergassen,Austria was also tempting.<BR><BR>If the weather is nice maybe I'll go to Wengen. Thanks again for your help.<BR><BR><BR><BR>

amy

We did the route Ingo described (Kleine Scheidigg, etc) and it was the most scenic of our entire week in Switzerland. That said, the area above Kandersteg is stunning (the second most scenic), and you would have much to explore right there.<BR><BR>We stayed in Murren two nights, and while the visit up to the Schilthorn was interesting, I don't remember it as dramatic scenery. And here's why: what makes Swiss scenery powerful is the deep green and flowers in the fields against the snow-peaked mountains and the blue sky. If all you see is peaks, it loses its punch. <BR><BR>Our beautiful long hikes above Kandersteg and between Maennlichen/Kliene Scheidigg straddling seemingly endless field of flowers and green were so stunning because you felt as though you were walking into the white peaks through some sort of magic door.

Bob Brown

Dan, let me say honestly that the view from the top of the Faulhorn is the most dramatic, spectacular mountain vista I have ever seen. I have not been to Nepal, so from that point of view I am a little restricted. On the other hand, I have scrambled to the tops of some of the 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado (climbed with effort not skill) as well as some of the higher viewpoints in Switzerland. <BR>This particular viewpoint gives a 360 degree panorama with the lakes around Interlaken to the north, and the main range of the Berneroberland to the south.<BR>The walk is not bad at all over a well marked trail. No preciptious climbs or scrambling over rough trail with jolting descents from rock to rock.<BR>You can reach the trailhead by taking the First Gondola from Grindelwald. The valley station is about a mile up the main street from the train station, just a little to the left as you walk up the hill to the east. You will see the cars hoisting up towards the cable towers as you approach.<BR>The fare to ride the cars is moderate, and the ride up in itself is spectacular because the awesome north face of the Eiger comes into full view as you rise above tree level. <BR>As you walk up the trail past the Bachalp See, the views start to become more and more spectacular. As you near the top of the Faulhorn, and there is no need to go all the way, you reach a point where you can see both the Thuner See and Brienzer See on either side Interlaken. Then, by turning 180 degrees, the high peaks are in front of you. <BR><BR>Arthritic hip be darned, I am going to get back up there this September if I am at all able to do it. It is worth it. The Daubensee and the Oeschinensee can wait for another day!!<BR>