Page 94 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Switzerland

EXPERIENCE Mittelland, Bernese Oberland and Valais

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

9 Burgdorf is a small town in the the right riverbank. The main
street, Hauptgasse, runs par­
north of the Emmental. The
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,
Schlossstrasse 3; www. houses, a Gothic church, and built on the roofs of the arcad­
emmental.ch a 7th­century castle founded ed buildings lining the street,
by the Zähringers. Further up so that pedestrians step down
The Emmental, the long, wide the valley, the quiet village of to enter the shops below. Alleys
valley of the River Emme, has Trubschachen has pottery off Obere (Upper) Haupt gasse
a beautiful landscape of green workshops where colourful lead up to the castle, Schloss
meadowland, grazed by cows. local wares are made and Thun, from which there are
The valley, crisscrossed with offered for sale. impressive views of the town
excellent cycling and hiking The Emmental also has the and the Bernese Oberland.
routes, is dotted with trad­ longest arched wooden bridge Inside the castle’s massive
itional wooden chalets with in Europe. Built in 1839, the turreted keep, which looms
high roofs and eaves that Holzbrücke spans the Emme over Thun, is a museum that
brush the ground. just downstream of the village traces the town’s history. Other
Farming and traditional of Hasle­Rüegsau. rooms in the castle contain
customs are central to the collections of house hold
local culture. This is also where Schaukäserei objects, weapons and uni­
the famous Emmental cheese " \ ⌂ Schaukäsereistrasse forms. Also on the hill is the
is made, most of it by hand. At 6, Affoltern # Apr–Oct: 9am– Stadtkirche, the town’s church.
the Schaukäserei (show dairy) 6pm daily; Nov–Mar: 9am– A short walk east of the castle
in Affoltern, visitors can see 5pm daily ∑ emmentaler- and down to the river leads
every stage in the process of schaukaserei.ch to the Kunstmuseum, which
producing this holey, nutty­ contains a large collection of
tasting cheese. It is on sale in Swiss art.
the dairy’s shop and can be 10 On the left bank of the river
sampled in its restaurant, and in Schadau Park stand a Neo­
in inns up and down the valley. Thun Gothic folly and a pavilion.
Inside the pavilion the
! C4 £ @ n Bahnhof; Wocher Panorama, painted
www.thuntourismus.ch
by Mar quard Wocher in 1814,
Did You Know? The historic market town of records daily life in 19th­
Thun stands at the northern century Thun; it’s the oldest
Switzerland produces end of the Thunersee, on the such panorama in the world.
more than 450 River Aare. Thun’s origins go
varieties of cheese, back to 1191, when Berthold V, Schloss Thun
with Emmental the Duke of Zähringen, built a hill­ " ⌂ Schlossberg 1 # Feb &
most exported. top castle above the river here. Mar: 1–4pm daily; Apr–Oct:
Thun’s Old Town spreads 10am–5pm daily; Nov–Jan:
out beneath the castle, along 1–4pm Sun ∑ schlossthun.ch
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