We started the second day of our trip in Switzerland nice and early. After breakfast at the hotel around 8:30 am we headed straight for Gruyere.
Gruyere
The small town of Gruyere is set a little way up in the mountains. It is surrounded by rolling fields and small villages that are scattered throughout the landscape.
Though we were quite taken by the scenery of the area the most memorable part of our experience were the cow bells. Walking up the path through the old city gates with the music of 100 cow bells playing like wind chimes in the background, is a memory that I will never forget. It was actually one of the highlights of the entire trip.
Upon entering the old city we came to a large square lined with souvenir shops, cafes and restaurants. Online the town is described by some as very touristy while others described it as quaint and traditional. In my opinion both descriptions are pretty accurate.
When we first arrived in Gruyere it was early in the day and there weren't many people in town. By the time we left though, around 11:30, the large parking lot at the bottom of the hill was completely full and more and more people were making their way up the path to the small village.
The town to us felt very quaint and charming up until the point we left but with so many people there later in the day I can see how it can begin to feel like just another tourist trap. If you are going to visit Gruyere I would suggest arriving early to avoid the heavy foot traffic.
The village itself is quite small, but it still has a lot to offer. Along with the shops and cafes are two unique museums, an interesting bar and a small castle that sits on top of the hill. There is also hiking in the area and a cheese factory in the next town over that gives tours if you arrive early enough in the morning.
We spent about two hours in town before heading out and in that time we felt like we had seen everything that we needed to see.
HR Giger Museum
One interesting and unexpected feature of Gruyere is the HR Giger museum. HR Giger is a Swiss artist who's work was featured in and made famous by Riddley Scott's sci-fi horror film Alien.
The futuristic sci-fi nature of Giger's work is definitely an unexpected contrast to the traditional architecture and feel of the small town.
We didn't actually go into the museum because we had our dog with us, but we did stop in for a drink at the Giger bar, which was a unique experience in itself.
As you can see in the photos, the bar is no ordinary pub and is certainly worth a pop in. For me, 10:30 am is a bit early for a beer but I was on vacation - stop judging me!
Before heading off to Bern we bought a small cow bell in town to hang on our Christmas tree. Cow bells along with Swiss army knives seemed to be the main tourist souvenirs for the country, you can find both in pretty much any town you go to.
Bern
Bern is the capital of Switzerland and I will admit that I wasn't all that taken by it when we first arrived there. Its a large city and my wife and I are starting to realize more and more that we prefer a small town over a large metropolis.
Also, we do very little shopping so the many small shops in the old town were a bit lost on us.
The longer we stayed in town though the more it grew on us and looking back we were both very happy that we stopped there for a night. The city has a large clock tower and numerous fountains scattered throughout, each with their own unique design. My favorite one featured an evil looking man that scarfing down handfuls of babies. Its was a bit morbid but maybe I like that sort of thing.
The two photos above are of the parliament building and the one below is of a look out point located behind the main cathedral.
For us the shining star of Bern though is the Aare river. It snakes its way and wraps itself around the old part of town. The Aare is clear blue and has the appearance of a slow moving lazy river that looked so refreshing on a hot day.
Swimming in the Aare seemed to be a common activity in town for the locals. We saw dozens of people, young and old of various ages, swimming or taking part in a variety of water activities. Many carried inflatable bags that act as a flotation device as well as a means to keep your shoes and shirt dry while swimming.
Swimming in the Aare in Bern was something that we wished we could have done but we were unprepared for it and couldn't make it work on such short notice. We didn't have swim wear or a means to store our shoes and shirts and all that sort of stuff. We also had the dog with us and he can only stay in the hotel alone for a few short hours while we eat super at night. It just wasn't in the cards.
If there is ever a next time we will be sure to take a swim in the River in Bern.
The coolest activity that we witnessed people doing was bouldering the buildings that butted up against the water. That was something I had never seen before and was quite impressed by the ingenuity of it. We also stopped to watch people jump off bridges and ledges. The entertainment on the water was nearly endless.
We spent the better part of one day in Bern and a night in a hotel before heading off to our next location.
Next stop Thun and Harder Kulm. Thanks for Reading
If you are interested in seeing more of the beautiful country of Switzerland I will be posting about the rest of our trip over the next few days. For the previous post click the link below.