Virtual Blog - Wednesday - Susten Pass and Brienze Rothorn

Today is going to be a long day - in fact it is only really possible virtually.
We start on the train climbing the classic line through the Gotthard to Goschenen.  This has several reverse curves, much of them in tunnels so that it is difficult to sort out which direction we are going.  We watch out for the church on the hill at Wassen.  Not much chance of missing it as the train actually passes it three times.


It is an impressive ride, much preferable to the 25 minute ride through the new tunnel.  Paul and I took a ride through the new tunnel a couple of years ago.  The reservation clerk asked us if we wanted window seats. We both replied "Yes".  Then Paul asked "Why would we want window seats to go through a tunnel?"

At Goschenen we quickly board the Post Bus which goes over the Susten Pass to Meiringen.
View from the Susten pass with the glacier in the background

There is a stop of about 25 minutes to allow us to get a drink and stretch our legs

Is this the purple loose strife which is hated by many in Canada?
The bus takes us down through a seemingly endless successions of hairpin bends and we arrive amazingly to the minute at Meiringen.  As the bus comes to a stop the passengers applaud the driver for an incredible performance.

From Meiringen we take the train a short distance to Brienze and transfer to the mountain railway to the summit at Brienze Rothorn.

Lake Brienze
As we begin the climb there are good views over Lake Brienze

On the climb


We can look down and see a train following us. This is one of the few railways in Switzerland which is not electrified.

View from the summit is magnificent
It is getting late so I will leave you to make your own way back to Neuchatel.
Tomorrow we visit some more Jura villages

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