Tag: bus

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Thunersee, Switzerland – St. Beatus Höhlen

The Caves Of Saint Beatus

Along the northern banks of the Thunersee, or Lake Thun, about thirty minutes from Interlaken you will find the caves of Saint Beatus. Though not as grand as some of the other caves we have seen, they are still worth visiting and at 13.50 Swiss Francs for entry per person, they are fairly reasonable to afford.

Getting There

From Wengen we took the Wengneralpenbahn to Lauterbrunnen and then the Berner Oberlandbahn from there to Interlaken Ost.

Once we arrived in Interlaken Ost, there was a short walk to the other side of town, Interlaken West train station, to wait for Bus 21 which took us directly to the caves of Saint Beatus and later back. Again, we purchased the Oberlander Pass, so there were no charges for this ride which is normally around 9 Swiss Francs for a round trip.

Interlaken

Since our bus was leaving from the other side of town, we had plenty of time to wander through the town and bit and enjoy some of its charm. The river Aare runs between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz here and the parks along it are understandably decorated to make it the perfect backdrop for photographs.

Saint Beatus Höhlen

When you arrive at Saint Beatus Höhlen, or caves, you are welcomed with a large waterfall. This swift moving water which comes from the upper watershed area and quickly moves through the rocks towards it destination in Lake Thun, is responsible for carving out the long necklace of caves that you are able to hike.

It is damp, wet and a bit chilly in the caves so bring something a little warm. The overall duration of the walk through the caves is about forty minutes or so, depending on how much time you stop to take photographs.

When you finally exit the caves there is a nice refreshment stand where you may purchase food and drinks, at the customary inflated prices.

Restaurants

Upon our return to Wengen we had dinner reservations at the Lecker Asia Restaurant, our break from the local cuisine.

Lecker Asia Restaurant

Lecker in German means tasty and the food here is definitely tasty. A good break from the fusion of French and German cuisines that we have been eating all week. It is a small restaurant with limited seating, so reservations is a must, since it does get full quickly during dinner time.

All the food was very good and spiced to your taste, without any unnecessary salt or MSG to worry about. Even though we were seven people with one baby and one toddler, they were still able to accommodate us.

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Bled, Slovenia – A Blue Karawanken Gem

At the base of the Southern Limestone Alps[1]They are additionally known as the Julian Alps., or Karawanken Mountains, sits the small town and lake of Bled . It is almost a must see place to go on a day trip from Ljubljana, especially if you have enough time. Since we have the time, we usually overbook our stays at places that are totally unknown to us. For Ljubljana specifically, and Slovenia in general, we were happy that we did, since it afforded us a day trip  such as the one to Bled. Slovenia really is a great place to visit!

Bled – entrance from parking lot – panorama

Lake Bled – Getting There

To get to the lake you must travel northwest from Ljubljana, there is the E61 that can be taken by car or bus. The trip normally takes forty-five minutes by car, and up to an hour and a quarter by bus, but can take longer if there is an accident or construction on the highway. Upon the suggestion of the information booth by the Triple Bridge we took the bus, even though we now think the train may be faster. The bus is packed, so if you are worried about Covid-19, and you should, you should be prepared to wear you FFp2 mask.

It should be noted, the bus takes two different routes going to and coming from the lake, each taking about the same time. There is of course the train, which may actually take less time gong to and fromm Bled, but then you have about a twenty or so minute walk from the town of Bled Train Station to the lake. The bus on the other hand goes all the way to the lake, even though we chose to get off at the Blen Union station.

Lake Bled – The Trail

Bled – Assumption of Mary Church on Slovenia’s only island

There is an excellent trail that totally circumnavigates the lake, going through several tourist beach and cafe points, any one of which you can take a pause  in your walk to get refreshed.

Here is a slideshow of our great afternoon walking the lake shore trail, enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery.

Restaurants

Hotel Starkl Restaurant

Around  12:30 or so we stopped about  three quarters of the way, going anti-clockwise around the lake, at the restaurant Hotel Starkl. It is best to get to any European tourist restaurant thirty to forty-five minutes in advance, because at one o’clock they fill up quickly. Here we purchased simple salads and enough wine and water to enjoy the fabulous weather.

References

References
↑1 They are additionally known as the Julian Alps.
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Trieste, Italy – Faro Della Vittoria and More

The Rest of Trieste

Before our time here was over, we still had several remaining places throughout Trieste in which to visit. Mainly the waterfront further down along the marina, a few piazzas, the XX September and the Victoria Lighthouse.

XX September

A beautiful avenue on which to shop, eat or just walk on a hot day (it is covered with trees, so there is plenty of shade). We found time to visit this street a few times, since the train and bus stations we use were more or less inline with it. See restaurants section for more information on possible places to eat.

If you are looking for something off-beat to eat, fast food or eclectic stores to shop, this is the street.

The Marina

There are several things to note at the marina, as well as the very large cruise ships that come into port on the weekends to visit. Though the Aquarium is closed for renovation, there are still shops and restaurants along this waterfront in which to enjoy.

The Muzio de Tommasini Park

Located very near the Piazza Oberdan is the park Muzio de Tommasini. A beautiful park with several bronze sculptors visitors can enjoy, awaits you here.

The Faro Della Vittoria Lighthouse

In order to reach the Faro della Vittoria lighthouse, you either have to drive, or take a taxi or bus, there is no train service to it.

Buses 42 and 44, from Piazza Oberdan, can take you here in twenty minutes for a modest fee of about one euro sixty. We purchased the all-day ticket for three euros each, which was actually cheaper, since it covered both going there and our return.

At over sixty meters in height, the lighthouse is one of the tallest in the world. Inside there is a small museum and the circular stairway that ascends to the first viewing deck, about fifty steps. Though we arrived during the weekend, the upper part of the lighthouse was no longer open.

Restaurants

Bella de Napoli

A small restaurant on XX September that serves Neapolitan fare is Bella Napoli. We stopped for lunch and had a very good meal for under forty euros.