Nostalgia and views – in and beside the Schynige Platte Railway

At the Breitlauenen station, which offers a wonderful view of Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, the pre-Alpine peaks of Brienzer Rothorn, Augstmatthorn, Hohgant, and Niederhorn, the hiking route branches off from the railway line along the slope into the forest and then leads steadily uphill on a well-developed gravel path. The first third of the route runs in the pleasant shade of mixed forest. In between, there are already beautiful views of Lake Brienz and the flat settlement area between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, the Bödeli. Soon the forest thins out and the path crosses some steep ravines. The view gradually widens to the entire Lauterbrunnen Valley. In the broad terrain basin of Alp Bigelti, one gains altitude parallel to the tracks of the Schynige Platte Railway and finally reaches the destination, Schynige Platte, after one last curve. The panoramic view offered here is overwhelming: towards the east lies the valley of the Schwarzen Lütschine with Grindelwald, to the south the valley of the Weiße Lütschine with Lauterbrunnen in the valley bottom and the small village of Isenfluh on the foreland slope. Between them, behind the green summit of Männlichen, stretches the majestic triad of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau in all their splendor. Ferdinand Hodler immortalized these fascinating perspectives of the grand ice and rock giants in several wonderful paintings.
Author: Jungfraubahnen