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TRAVERSINER STEG, a wooden stairs bridge, Switzerland
TRAVERSINER STEG II, is a wooden bridge over the wildest part of the Viamala Gorge. Designed by the worldwide renowned engineer and bridge builder Jürg Conzett and built in 2005. The “II” because it is the second bridge – the first, in complete different design, was destroyed by falling rocks a few years before just three years after being built. The Traversiner bridge is part…
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CHRISTMAS market in ARLESHEIM
The Christmas Market in Arlesheim, just outside of Basel, is open ONE day every year. Here in 2019 it will be on Saturday 30 November from 12 – 20:00! On and around the Domplatz (Church Square) there are more than 100 boots selling home crafted quality items and lots of places with delicious food and drinks. One of the major differences of this market it…
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ISCHBODENHÜTTE, mountain restaurant, Switzerland
The ISCHBODENHÜTTE, Ischboden Hut, is located at 1400 meters above sea level, on the Grosse Scheideggstrasse not far from Grindelwald. The beautiful old restaurant/Bergbeiz, with stunning views, over the Grindelwald valley and to the mountains, from the terrace, serves delicious homemade and regionally produced food and service is super friendly. A real gem. The road is not open for private cars (except of course for…
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The KLAUSEN PASS, Switzerland
The KLAUSEN PASS is a very beautiful 1948 meters high Swiss mountain pass, stretching about 46 kilometres from Altdorf (home of the statue and monument of the legend Wilhelm Tell) to Linthal. At the top, there is a small chapel, the Bruder Klaus chapel from 1938. The road is often narrow with no option to enjoy the fantastic views and the numerous waterfalls, but from…
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The AARE GORGE, Switzerland
The AARE GORGE, Aareschlucht, a couple of kilometers from Meiringen, is for many a well-known (worldwide!) gorge, made accessible by hard-working pioneers back in the late 1880s. Safe paths and tunnels, and just a few steps, make the gorge available for most people. The gorge is 1400 meters long, in some places 200 meters deep (high!) and at the most narrow places just one meter…
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A medieval village, SAINT-URSANNE, Switzerland
SAINT-URSANNE, set in a narrow valley by the river Doubs, is a beautiful medieval town in the canton of Jura. Apart from the abbey church, many of the old houses, some from the 14th century, together with the wonderful four-arched sandstone bridge from 1728, gives a fantastic medieval atmosphere in the streets and alleys of this quaint town. A good number of restaurants having outdoor…
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The ÄSCHER mountain restaurant, Switzerland
The ÄSCHER guesthouse on Ebenalp in Alpstein has been among our favourite mountain restaurants ever since we moved to Switzerland. Located 1470 masl. on a plateau, built directly on the mountain – yes, the mountain is partly a wall of the building; the guesthouse has been here since 1884, making it one of the oldest of its kind in Switzerland. The easiest way to reach…
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SONOGNO, village and waterfall, Switzerland
SONOGNO – when driving through the beautiful Verzasca Valley, with its lots of photo stops, Sonogno will be the end station, at least when arriving by car. (There is a parking lot, including places for motor homes just before the village.) Despite the low number of inhabitants, less than a hundred (they even speak their own language!!), this beautiful little 800 years old village lists…
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RIGI! Queen of the Mountains, Switzerland
RIGI, Mount Rigi, Queen of the mountains in Switzerland – nothing less! Rigi Kulm is the highest point, just 1.798 meters above sea level, but it has a 360° panorama view to lots of lakes and an endless number of other mountain peaks, even in the Black Forest in Germany and the Vosges in France! We visited Rigi in the spring when there was still…
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THUN, lovely town be the lake, Switzerland
THUN also has an historic Altstadt, old town, with cobbled streets and beautiful old buildings. One of the old shopping streets have quirky shops and cafés in two storeys. From this street a covered stairway with many, many steps, leads the 30 meters up to the Castle of Thun with tremendous views over Thun, Lake Thun and the Swiss Alps. The castle is more than…
