Switzerland Bern

Grindelwald is home to Jungfraubahn, a mountain railway up the Jungfrau mountain, listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance. The land around the Kleine Scheidegg is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites. Grindelwald village is located in the Bernese Alps. Long famed as a winter tourist destination with slopes for beginners, intermediates and the challenges of the Eiger glacier for the experienced, there are activities for the non-skiers, from tobogganing to groomed winter hiking tracks. It is the usual starting point for ascents of the Eiger and the Wetterhorn. Today, Grindelwald is also a popular summer activity resort with many miles of hiking trails across the Alps.

The town is principally a base from which to explore the surrounding areas. Among the main attractions are the mountains of the Jungfrau region. While the peaks of these mountains are accessible only to mountaineers, a sequence of connecting mountain railways gives access to the Jungfraujoch, a coll between the Jungfrau and the Monch, the highest point in Europe reachable by train. Jungfrau Park, an amusement park, is situated south of Interlaken. Interlaken has a large selection of hotels, and is also a destination for backpackers. It has numerous backpacker-friendly hostels and companies providing guided services in skydiving, canyoning, hang gliding, paragliding, and skiing.

Bern is the capital and the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. Bern's city centre is largely medieval and is recognised by UNESCO as a Cultural World Heritage Site. Its most famous sight is the Zytglogge, a medieval clock tower with moving puppets. It also has a 15C Gothic cathedral and a 15C town hall. Thanks to 6km of arcades, the town boasts 1 of the longest covered shopping promenades in Europe. Since 16C, the city has a bear pit to house its heraldic animals. The Federal Palace, built 1857-1902 can also be visited. The Rose Garden is a Rosarium on a hill, converted into a park from a former cemetery. There are Renaissance allegorical statues on public fountains in the Old Town.

Thun is 30 km south of Bern, and the city center is located on the River Aare, just downstream of the point where that river flows out of Lake Thun, and encompasses both banks of the river and an island between. Besides tourism, machine and precision instrument engineering, the largest garrison in the country, the food industry, armaments and publishing are of economic importance to Thun. The main sights include Thun Castle and history museum, the 16C Rathaus, Lake Thun and the view of the Bernese Alps, the Wocher Panorama, the Kunstmuseum Thun, the Schloss Schadau, and the Panzermuseum Thun.

Lauterbrunnen is a village and a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The municipality comprises the major Lauterbrunnen Valley (German: Lauterbrunnental), the Soustal, the Sefinental, the upper Lauterbrunnen Valley with Untersteinberg including several glaciers, such as the Tschingelfirn and the Rottalgletscher, many Alpine meadows and peaks, such as Schilthorn, Bietenhorn, Schwarzmönch, and Silberhorn, and finally the villages Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg, and Isenfluh, and several hamlets. The population of the village Lauterbrunnen is less than that of Wengen, but larger than that of the others.

Gstaad is known as a major ski resort and a popular destination amongst the high society and the international jet set. Situated in the Berner Oberland, Gstaad is home to one of the largest ski areas in the Alps. The middle of the village features a picturesque promenade bounded by numerous shops, restaurants, art galleries, and hotels. Designer labels have stores in Gstaad, while many smaller boutiques stock labels. Known for its walking and hiking trails of varying degrees of difficulty, the mountain air and ambiance attracts guests year round from around the world. Gstaad is also known for its ski and cross-country slopes and winter hiking trails.

Brienz is located on the northern shore of Lake Brienz in the Bernese Oberlandregion of Switzerland. Points of interest in Brienz include a lake promenade along the village and the lake shore. Visitors can Ride the Brienz Rothorn Bahn, a steam train up the Brienzer Rothorn and visit the Ballenberg open air museum. Brienz is also home to Giessbach Falls with the Giessbachbahn funicular, the oldest funicular in Europe. The abandoned medieval and early modern alpine village of Axalp and the Giessbach Hotel Complex are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance. The urbanized village of Brienz and the Hotel Giessbach are both part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

Murren is a traditional Walser mountain village and is unreachable by public road. Tourism is popular through the summer and winter; the village features a view of the three towering mountains. Muren is home to many km of ski runs and several ski lifts, as well as off-piste skiing. Within the village there is a large sports center with a wide range of facilities. There is a large skating rink and a curling rink that in the summer is used as a tennis court. The ice rink is turned into a mini-golf course during the summer. In the summer there are also tennis courts near to the sportschalet. There are quite a few hotels in Murren.

Spiez is a town and municipality in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss canton of Bern. Spiez is located on the south shore of Lake Thun, stretching along a ridge that separates the lake front from the Kander river that runs parallel and to the south. The medieval castle in the town dates from the 15th and 16th Centuries. Visitors can visit the grand halls within the castle, including the Baroque Banquet Hall built in 1614. The Bürg archeological site with prehistoric and medieval settlement ruins, the Swiss Reformed castle church, Spiez Castleand the Weinbauernhof are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance.

Wengen is a village in the Bernese Oberland in the canton of Bern, located in central Switzerland. Since 1930, the world famous Lauberhorn ski races have been held in Wengen. In addition to being one of the technically most challenging downhill races, the Lauberhorn is the longest race in the FIS World Cup circuit and arguably the most scenic. The top racers complete the 4.455 km run in about 2.5 minutes and the top speeds reached at Haneggschuss are the highest on the circuit, approaching 160 km/h. Wengen is also the home of The Downhill Only Club, one of the oldest British alpine ski clubs, founded there in 1925.