The town of Bulle is in the Gruyère region where the cheese took its namesake. Being near the dairies and pastures that produce the famous Gruyère cheese, the significant Gruyère castle, and the nearby Cailler chocolate factory in Broc, has really stolen the thunder from Bulle. Bulle has been inhabited Read more…
Just like the Glaubenbielenpass, the Glaubenbergpass connects the UNESCO Biophere Entlebuch with the Haslital valley. Being between Luzern and Interlaken (as well as on the way to Thun and Bern), it is a popular shortcut for locals. If you get down the southern end of the pass and head to Read more…
Between Thun, Interlaken, and Brienz, Brienz is the littlest of the three siblings. Thun is a major city in the Bernese Oberland Region and Interlaken a traditional resort town, so the hotel proces in nearby Brienz can be a steal if you know where to find the right deals. Small Read more…
There are three Air Force bases still in operation in Switzerland that operate fighter jets on a weekly basis. Of the three, Meiringen Air Base near Brienz is the most well-known for offering public access and weekly events. On a normal day, you can drive across its runway in a Read more…
Instead of going to the Swiss Miniature in Ticino, the Ballenberg Museum is the life size version of a compressed Switzerland. The museum moved over 100 historic and original buildings from all around the country to be displayed in an open-air setting. You are welcome to walk into most of Read more…
With 14 hairpin turns in the first 16 corners on the single-lane serpentine approach to the peak from the Swiss side, the Splügenpass is one of the trickiest Alpine passes in Switzerland…or is it? The pass crosses into Italy over its peak at over 2,100 meters above sea level. The Read more…
Singen (Hohentwiel) has the name of a nearby extinct volcano appended to the town’s full title. This name appears on official documents, train system information, and road signs. Frankfurt (Main) can get confused with Frankfurt (Oder), but Singen shares its name with zero other places at the municipality level so Read more…
After the Château de Chillon, Schloss Lenzburg is the second best castle in Switzerland. Lenzburg is another one if those cities that is named after its castle. The Schloss Lenzburg is just over 500 meters above sea level and looks over the surrounding plains. The oldest parts of the structure Read more…
Surrounded on three sides by Germany, Schaffhausen is just a 20 minute drive away from the German exclave of Weil am Rhein. Perhaps the only time a foreigner has heard of the place would be on an IWC watch, where its headquarters are. If you get there by train, you’ll Read more…
The Simplon Pass in Switzerland is one of the most iconic and accessible driving routes in the Swiss Alps. Being right on the highway it is easily on the way to and from many cities between the French and German speaking parts of Switzerland. I actually stumbled upon this area Read more…