VISIT TO EUROPE - SWITZERLAND - WILDERSWIL, SCHYNIGE PLATTE & INTERLAKEN

CHAPPIDI ABHIRATH REDDY
C/O COL GKS REDDY

Secunderabad - 500015



          After touring Netherlands on 23 and 24 Sep 2013, we took off for Basel Euro-Airport from Schiphol Airport Amsterdam on 25 Sep 2013 (FN). Landed at Basel at about 1000h and went by train to Interlaken and from there took a Bus to Wilderswil Village, at the Foothills of  Alps

Switzerland (Helvetica)

         Switzerland (German: Schweiz; French: Suisse [sɥis]; Italian: Svizzera [ˈzvittsera]; Romansh: Svizra  officially the Swiss Confederation (Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica, hence its abbreviation CH), is a federal parliamentary republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western and Central Europe, where it is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning an area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8 million people is concentrated mostly on the Plateau, where the largest cities are to be found. Among them are the two global cities and economic centres of Zürich and Geneva.

         The establishment of the Swiss Confederation is traditionally dated to 1 August 1291, which is celebrated annually as Swiss National Day. It has a long history of armed neutrality—it has not been in a state of war internationally since 1815—and did not join the United Nations until 2002. It pursues, however, an active foreign policy and is frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world. Switzerland is also the birthplace of the Red Cross and home to a large number of international organizations, including the second largest UN office. On the European level, it is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association and is part of the Schengen Area – although it is notably not a member of the European Union, nor the European Economic Area. Switzerland comprises four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and the Romansh-speaking valleys. Therefore the Swiss, although predominantly German-speaking, do not form a nation in the sense of a common ethnic or linguistic identity; rather, the strong sense of identity and community is founded on a common historical background, shared values such as federalism and direct democracy, and Alpine symbolism.

EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg

         EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg is technically located in France, but also overruns into the borders of Germany and Switzerland. EuroAirport International Airport is less than 4 miles (6 km) northwest of Switzerland’s city Basel, 14 miles (22 km) southeast of Mulhouse in France and 43 miles (70 km) south of Freiburg in Germany.

          The airport’s central location between these three different country’s towns is what justifies the unusual name of this airport.

On landing at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg 

At the Swiss Sector of Basel Airport. French and German 

Sectors of the Airport are to the Left

On Arrival at Hotel Baren (Bear), in Widerswil Village, where 

we were to stay for the next three days

Full view of Hotel Baren

A Farm at Wilderswil Village

One of the Inmates of the Farm Seems to be Interested in the new Visitors

An Apple Orchard at Wilderswil Village

A Street in Wilderswil Village, which indicates the Affluence 

and the Level of Development of Swiss Rural Area

A Supermarket in Wilderswil Village

Booking Counter at Wilderswil Village Railway Station

A view of Wilderswil Railway Station

Variety of Cottages in Wilderswil Village

Views of typical cottages at Wilderswil Village

The Rear View of Hotel Baren, where the Restaurant and Bar are located

Schynige Platte

         The Schynige Platte is a Swiss mountain region near Wilderswil where the Schynige Platte Railway ends. It lies at the western end of a prominent ridge in the Bernese Oberland. In good weather conditions the summit offers spectacular views to many surrounding mountains, including Jungfrau, Eiger, Silberhorn, and others. Also, the two lakes of Thunersee and Brienzersee are visible to the North, over 1,500 metres (4,921 ft) lower.

Schynige Platte Bahn (Railway) which starts from Wilderswil, 

as the station is located at the Foothills of Alps

Starting point of Schynige Platte Railway

The Train ahead of us seen climbing up to Schynige Platte

A view of Jung Frau Joch and surrounding peaks 

as seen from Schynige Platte

Another view of Alps from Schynige Platte

A beautiful view of Eiger and surrounding peaks from Schynige Platte

Entrance to the Alpine Garden at Schynige Platte. The Garden is 

famous for the large variety of local flowers. Unfortunately, most 

of the flowers dried up due to onset of winter

Some of the few surviving flowers at Alpine Garden

Beautiful Landscape at Alpine Garden

Another view of the Landscape at Alpine Garden

At Schynige Platte Restaurant

Interlaken City

          Interlaken is a town and municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the Swiss canton of Bern. It is an important and well-known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss Alps, and the main transport gateway to the mountains and lakes of that region.

          The town is located on the Bödeli, between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, and alongside the Aar river that flows between the two lakes. Transport routes to the east and west alongside the lakes are complemented by a route south into the mountains following the Lütschine river.

On arrival at Interlaken Railway Station

Tree Art at Interlaken

A street in Interlaken Old Town

One of the Bridges on River Aar, which flows through Interlaken

A street in Interlaken New Town

A view of Hotel Victoria at Interlaken

Note:- The information about the places visited has been Extracted from Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia