Sander in Switzerland
Sander in Switzerland
The second week of July was a special week, as we traveled to our holiday destination; Switzerland. 'We' means Marion and I (@mariafranciska and @sfennema). For the biggest part of the year, our feeds are spoiled with photos from in and around Amsterdam, so we were very excited to explore Switzerland.
Our apartment was in Hilterfingen, a small place near Thun, at Lake Thun. It was an ideal starting point to drive to all the beautiful places that can be found around Lake Thun itself and in the surrounding valleys.
Some of the places we visited that are highly recommended
are the Oeschinensee, the Aareschlucht and the Engstlichenfall. The Oeschinensee is a beautiful blue/green lake with a stunning mountain rising from the lake surface. In order to reach the lake itself you can take a funicular or walk your way up. An easy walking path starts at the upper station of the funicular, taking you through some fields and woods.
There are a few hiking paths taking you high above the lake. Unfortunately, we were not able to take these paths, as the weather was not that great. A little rain shower at our arrival provided a stunning change in the scenery, though -- fog rose from the woods and took all sound away. After
photographing the lake from every single point, we decided to head back to the funicular, as the forecast was not too bright. As we walked back something special happened: the fog literally rolled in and surrounded us completely.
The Aareschlucht was another stunning piece of Switzerland
beauty. Aareschlucht can be translated as the "canyon of the river Aare", a river that flows into the Brienzersee. Impressive high rock formations rise high above the blue river running through it. A walkway that is partly carved through the rock formations enables you to walk from the start to finish of the canyon. The dimensions and the warm rock and cold water colors turn this point of interest in a really impressive experience.
Last but not least is the Engstlichenfall. This waterfall can be found at the end of a valley, near Adelboden. A short hike from the parking lot takes you to the foot of the waterfall, the water finding its way down over the rocks until it flowsinto a gentle stream babbling into the valley. There was
an undefined path along the waterfall that led to a viewpoint at approximately halfway up the waterfall. This viewpoint gave an amazing overview of the valley down below, while also guaranteeing a wet suit from the damp air.The hike continued along the stream, leading through some pretty fields of flowers with typical Swiss wooden houses.
A highlight that must also be mentioned is the viewpoint on the road that runs along Lake Thun, near the Beatus Höhlen. The abyss into the lake there is pretty steep while the road has a gradual S-shape around the abyss. Wonderful! Most people will just walk by this spot at their hike, but our pre-holiday research resulted in some photographs of this beautiful spot.
Overall, Switzerland is a wonderful country for a summer holiday, although we mainly had autumn weather during our nine days around Lake Thun. Fog, sunshine, little rain showers and overcast; all types of weather suit the landscape well and invite you to do some serious photographing!
words and photos by Sander Fennema