Interlaken and further to Lucerne

04.09.22
We still catch the train 'Der Lötschberger' at 9.34am to Spiez at Lake Thun. This train is specially designed for the journey through the 14.6km long Lötschberg Tunnel and takes a more scenic route than an SBB train would. The route quickly gains altitude and once again a magnificent mountain landscape unfolds around us, while the Rhone river flows below the train. The Lötschberg Tunnel runs between Kandersteg and Goppenstein, connecting the Valais with the Bernese Oberland. Before entering the tunnel, we see a beautiful valley and the Lötschberg South Ramp.

In Spiez, we change trains and quickly catch a glimpse of Lake Thun before continuing with a connecting train to Interlaken Ost.

After some wandering around, we find a locker and squeeze our bags in there. In no time, a train takes us to Interlaken West in just 4 minutes.

We stroll through some open shops, I find a Swiss railway station clock for my wrist, which was supposed to cost 345 CHF in Zermatt yesterday, in an inconspicuous store that practically gives away everything, for 150 CHF - and I buy it. Jutta loots the outdoor clothing department.

Before we have covered 50m in Interlaken, we have already done a lot of shopping 😀😀.

A little further down Bahnhofstrasse and Höheweg, we treat ourselves to a beautifully crafted ice cream and sit in the park with a view of the Eiger Glacier and the Jungfrau Massif.

After enjoying an iced tea with a view of the Eiger Glacier, we continue along splendid hotel facades of the past towards Interlaken Ost, get something to drink for the journey, and take our seats in our train to Lucerne at 4.04pm, which will take us north along the Brienzer See in just under 2 hours.

Once again, the journey is an experience, and it's a shame that this is our last train ride in Switzerland with our 4-day ticket. Tomorrow we will 'only' be taking a boat ride.

We arrive in Lucerne at 5.55pm on the dot. From the train station, we take the trolleybus for 3 stops to Löwenplatz. The Ibis Styles Hotel is only 30m away on a side street. The view from the window to the adjacent residential building reminds us of Paris or Italy.

The room is good, the bathroom too, and after a few minutes, we are walking to the lakeside. We find a bench, look out over Lake Lucerne to a wonderful mountain panorama, and enjoy a bottle of red wine, Swiss cheese, and ham - and finish with Toblerone 😉.

As the mountains are bathed in the setting sun's red glow, this beautiful day comes to an end. We are in the hotel by 9pm.