Page 93 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Switzerland

EXPERIENCE Mittelland, Bernese Oberland and Valais

The old market town of
Thun, with its glorious lake
and mountain backdrop

The stunning Jura
mountains dotted with 9 Burgdorf is a small town in the the right riverbank. The main
high alpine meadows north of the Emmental. The street, Hauptgasse, runs par­
The Emmental old part of the town stands on allel to the river, and is split
top of a hill. It has arcaded into two levels. The walkway is
! C3 £ @ n Langnau,
high. It is situated 10 km bishops of Basel until the west of the Ring, stands the Schlossstrasse 3; www. houses, a Gothic church, and built on the roofs of the arcad­
(6 miles) north of Solothurn. 19th century. Biel/Bienne’s Rathaus, the Gothic town hall, emmental.ch a 7th­century castle founded ed buildings lining the street,
It is accessible by road or rail principal industry is watch­ which dates from the 1530s. by the Zähringers. Further up so that pedestrians step down
to Oberdorf, from where you making and its factories It is fronted by a Fountain of The Emmental, the long, wide the valley, the quiet village of to enter the shops below. Alleys
can either hike to the summit produce some of the world’s Justice. The late 16th­century valley of the River Emme, has Trubschachen has pottery off Obere (Upper) Haupt gasse
or take a telecabine (closed leading brands, such as Omega Zeughaus, or arsenal, nearby a beautiful landscape of green workshops where colourful lead up to the castle, Schloss
on Monday and Tuesday). and Rolex. It is Switzerland’s is now used as a theatre. meadowland, grazed by cows. local wares are made and Thun, from which there are
On the ridge is the newly largest bilingual town: three­ In two adjacent buildings, The valley, crisscrossed with offered for sale. impressive views of the town
renovated hotel Kurhaus fifths of its inhabitants speak Schwab and Neuhaus, the excellent cycling and hiking The Emmental also has the and the Bernese Oberland.
Weissen stein, with a restau­ French, and the rest German. Neues Museum Biel imagines routes, is dotted with trad­ longest arched wooden bridge Inside the castle’s massive
rant. This is a good base for The town is set on the 19th­century bour geois life itional wooden chalets with in Europe. Built in 1839, the turreted keep, which looms
hiking, rock climbing and para­ shores of the Bielersee (or Lac with displays of domestic high roofs and eaves that Holzbrücke spans the Emme over Thun, is a museum that
gliding in summer, and for de Bienne) at the point where interiors. Other sections are brush the ground. just downstream of the village traces the town’s history. Other
sledging in winter. Among the the River Schüss (or Suze) flows devoted to industry, archae­ Farming and traditional of Hasle­Rüegsau. rooms in the castle contain
area’s other attractions are a into it. Set on a hill, the Old ology, and 19th­ and early customs are central to the collections of house hold
botanical garden and the Town has narrow cobbled 20th­century paintings by local culture. This is also where Schaukäserei objects, weapons and uni­
Nidleloch, a limestone cave. streets and deco rative foun­ local artists. Further down the famous Emmental cheese " \ ⌂ Schaukäsereistrasse forms. Also on the hill is the
tains. Its nucleus is a square Seevorstadt the dynamic is made, most of it by hand. At 6, Affoltern # Apr–Oct: 9am– Stadtkirche, the town’s church.
known as the Ring, which is Centre Pasquart stages a the Schaukäserei (show dairy) 6pm daily; Nov–Mar: 9am– A short walk east of the castle
8 surrounded by fine arcaded pro gramme of changing in Affoltern, visitors can see 5pm daily ∑ emmentaler- and down to the river leads
to the Kunstmuseum, which
exhibitions of contemporary
schaukaserei.ch
every stage in the process of
houses. One of them is the
Biel/Bienne house of the guild of foresters. art and photography. producing this holey, nutty­ contains a large collection of
This beautiful building has a There are boat trips on the tasting cheese. It is on sale in Swiss art.
! C3 £ @ g 16th­century circular turret lake, including services to the dairy’s shop and can be On the left bank of the river
n Bözingenfeld/Champ; 10
www.biel-seeland.ch topped by an onion dome. Solothurn, medieval Twann sampled in its restaurant, and Thun in Schadau Park stand a Neo­
Also on the square is the 15th­ and pretty La Neuveville. in inns up and down the valley. Gothic folly and a pavilion.
Biel, known as Bienne in century church of St Benedict, ! C4 £ @ n Bahnhof; Inside the pavilion the
French, is the second­largest with impressive late­Gothic Neues Museum Biel www.thuntourismus.ch Wocher Panorama, painted
town in the canton of Bern. stained­glass windows. " ⌂ Seevorstadt 52 by Mar quard Wocher in 1814,
Founded in the 13th century, At the intersection of # 11am–5pm Tue–Sun Did You Know? The historic market town of records daily life in 19th­
it was ruled by the prince­ Burggasse and Rathausgasse, ∑ nmbiel.ch Thun stands at the northern century Thun; it’s the oldest
Switzerland produces end of the Thunersee, on the such panorama in the world.
Centre Pasquart more than 450 River Aare. Thun’s origins go
Some of the most spectacular views of " ⌂ Seevorstadt/Faubourg varieties of cheese, back to 1191, when Berthold V, Schloss Thun
the Mittelland can be enjoyed from the du Lac 71–73 # Noon–6pm with Emmental the Duke of Zähringen, built a hill­ " ⌂ Schlossberg 1 # Feb &
summit of the Weissenstein, a ridge of Wed & Fri, noon–8pm Thu, most exported. top castle above the river here. Mar: 1–4pm daily; Apr–Oct:
11am–6pm Sat & Sun
Thun’s Old Town spreads
10am–5pm daily; Nov–Jan:
the Jura that rises like a rampart. ∑ pasquart.ch out beneath the castle, along 1–4pm Sun ∑ schlossthun.ch
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