Lake Thun, castles, Lake Brienz, Switzerland (Part 2)

 

So, I've cycled the one side of Lake Thun and now I'm heading to Lake Brienz. Several miles of flat land separate the two lakes with the towns of Unterseen (population 5,600) and Interlaken (population 5,700) filling in the space. 

This area is world famous for paragliding, skydiving, hang gliding, canyoning, skiing and, is a magnet for backpackers. Look at the top of this mountain and you can spot several colored specks. Those are paragliders. A minute earlier I counted over 25 up there (wasn't fast enough getting the camera out). 

I'm in Unterseen and the Aare River flows through the town. 

Old town area of Unterseen. 

The Aare River connects Lake Thun with Lake Brienz.

View of Aare River. See the snow capped mountains in the background? 

The towns of Unterseen and Interlaken are gateways to the mountains and lakes.  

My first view of Lake Brienz. 

The side I'm cycling on is very hilly and forested. The view is of the other side

Giessbach Falls is very famous and normally there'd be a lot more water and lots of foam. Hasn't been much rain this hot summer. 

Right below the falls stands the Grandhotel Giessbach.  Perched on a high cliffside the hotel dates back to 1875. 

If you arrive by train to nearby Brienz, you take a ferry to the hotel's private boat landing then, take a funicular railway (the oldest in Europe) to the hotel. 

I'm getting close to Brienz---that's it in the distance.

Brienz is famous for woodcarving. This roundabout greets visitors. 

I'm back in Unterseen/Interlaken and it's swarming with international tourists. Turn-of-the-century hotel in Interlaken.    

The grandest hotel in Interlaken is the 5-star Hotel Victoria-Jungfrau. But look, next door you can dine at a world-famous Hooters!

Lake Thun, castles, Lake Brienz, Switzerland (Part 1)

I'm in central Switzerland about 25 miles east of Bern (Swiss capital) and the plan is to cycle around Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. Both are long and narrow---roughly 20 miles around the perimeter of each.  This is Lake Thun.
 

Cycling along the road hugging the Lake Thun shoreline I pass a sign saying Schloss Huenegg. Whoa, schloss means castle in English.   

Can't see any castle but there's a park covered in a dense forest. Making my way through the 15-acre park I come across Huenegg Castle.  

Built between 1861-1863 it's now owned by Canton Bern (cantons are similar to states in the USA)

Side view of castle. The 15 acre park is full of exotic trees such as sequoias from California and cypress. 

View to Lake Thun from castle.

Another side view of castle. The whole place can be rented out. It's surrounded by a huge forest making it difficult to snap a phot from a distance.  

I stopped in a village to check out a patisserie and spotted this. Over the years I've filled my water bottles from thousands of fountains. What's so unusual about this one? 

It's coming out of a healthy tree! I'm assuming the tree over a number of years enveloped the water pipe. 

Passing through a village I saw this and wondered what's inside.

Wow, look at this magnificent castle hiding behind the entry way!

Oberhofen Castle dates back to the 1200's.

From every angle the castle is a beaut!

It's 9 AM and the castle doesn't open until 10 AM. I'm not hanging around for an hour. However the park grounds are open. I snapped this through a locked iron gate.

This is the view to the lake from the castle.

The tables and umbrellas belong to a restaurant on the grounds. 

I love the turrent extending over the water. 

Chamonix, France (ski resort)

 

Chamonix, population 9,000, is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts. It's home to mountain biking, hang gliding, paragliding, hiking, trail running, skiing, snow boarding, rafting, mountain climbing and more.

The first ever Olympic Winter Olympics were held here back in 1924.    

The Arveyron River flows right through the center of town.

Why do they have statues of those two dudes on a prime spot in Chamonix's town center and where are they pointing/looking?  

The one of the right is Horace Bénédict de Saussure (1740-1799) --who's credited with coining the word alpinism (same as mountaineering). Saussure was a fascinating guy (inventor, geologist, physicist, meteorologist). His first ascent of Mont Blanc ended in failure.

The guy on the left is Jacques Balmat (1762-1834). In 1786 he became the first person to ascent Mont Blanc---at 15,771 feet it's the highest mountain in Europe.

Not to worry though because Saussure in 1787 was part of the third group to reach the summit of Mont Blanc. 

So, where are they looking? It's Mont Blanc! 

Much of Chamonix's town center is car-free.

Another town center street.

Mont Blanc. That's not green algae in the lake---it's the result of particles in the rocks when water comes down the mountain.  

Town center.

Town center.

Found three patisserie shops that get the two thumbs up from me. 

Chaminox has two rivers flowing through town. This is the Arve River and it's fast-flowing. I stopped on the bridge to snap a photo of a raft passing by and by the time I jumped off my bike the raft had disappeared into the distance.   

Heading to the lift that whisks you up Aiguille du Midi--at 12,605 feet it's one of the tallest mountains in the French Alps. 

This is where you catch the cable car that will take you up Aiguille du Midi, It's the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world. 

Church view.

The tall building on right is Chamonix's town hall. 

View toward Mont Blanc from another ski lift. 

Heading back to Switzerland required cycling over this mountain pass. 

Getting ready for the 10 mile downhill to the Rhone Valley in Switzerland. Note: France also has a Rhone Valley. 

View of the Rhone Valley.

Lake Schiffenen and Murten/Morat, Switzerland

I'm cycling around Lake Schiffenen, a long narrow man-made lake (1963) lined with steep cliffs--similar to a fjord. It's roughly 25 miles round the lake. It's hard to snap photos due to dense forests and clearings are few. I took this directly into the sun thus the sun spots.

I'm on the lookout for three castles in the area but all are privately-owned.

 

Lots of beautiful farmland. These goats are nosey. Coming right up to the fence to check me out after snapping this picture. 

Making a five mile detour from the lake to revisit the walled-in medieval town of Murten/Morat, population 8,000. Was here back in 2018 and it's a tour bus stop.

No plaque to identify the soldier but the fountain dates back to 1814.

Last remaining town gate (Bern gate). Dates back to 1239 though this one was built in 1750. 

Huge clock needs to be wound every 24 hours and the time is still spot on!

A main street through Murten/Morat. The town goes by two names as it's officially bilingual (French/German). 

Murten/Morat town hall. 

The courtyard inside town hall. 

View from Murten/Morat town hall of Lake Morat (or Lake Murten). I cycled round the lake during my 2018 visit. 

Another street within town's walls.

Guard tower.

Medieval walls still enclose Murten/Morat.

Don't know what's the deal with white stuff. Filled my water bottle with ice cold water. 

Another section of wall guarding the town. 

Another street view. 

I'm back to Lake Schiffenen and it's an up and down ride along rolling hills. I spot what looks to be a castle tower off in the distance.

That must be Petit-Vivy Castle. One of the three I'm on the lookout for. 

Found the hidden road leading to castle. Was looking to get closer view but multiple signs announce it's private property. 

Used the zoom feature to capture this view. The backside of Petit-Vivy Castle sits on a high steep bluff overlooking Lake Schiffenen. Dates back to the 13th century and the walls are 11 feet thick!

Had no luck finding the other two castles. 

As mentioned, it's difficult taking photos of Lake Schiffenen because there're no roads running along the lake and much of it is blocked by dense forest. Did find a clearing to snap this.