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A walker's paradise, 1000's of kms of well-marked trails, stunning Alpine flowers, rare birds of prey in the Swiss Alps
Arrive at the 3 star Hotel Alfa Soleil, well known locally for its excellent cuisine and enjoy a welcome drink before dinner which is included all week along with picnics or light restaurant lunches. Below is a suggested itinerary for the week but you are free to pick and choose when and where you walk each day.
This easy-going walk to start your week begins with a spectacular cable car ride (included) up to the Allmenalp, a colourful meadow brimming with rural mountain charm. There are stunning views across the valley to towering cliffs, snow-capped peaks and glaciers. Continue into the pastures of the Alpbach, sheltered by a colossal mountain bowl where marmots 'cohabit' with farmers and their cattle. An afternoon descent of the Alpbach Gorge takes you down to the valley floor for a relaxed stroll along the River Kander to the hotel.
Distance in Km: 11
Distance in Miles: 7
Activity Hours: 5.5
This super walk begins with an exhilarating 20-minute minibus ride (fare included) along a narrow road carved out of the rock wall. The UNESCO-recognised Gasterntal is Kandersteg's 'hidden valley', with snow-fed waterfalls splashing down sheer cliff faces. After an optional, loop-extension further up the valley, you meander down the River Kander, through woods and open meadows to the Waldhaus Nature Reserve - look out for lady slippers, fire lilies and more than 25 varieties of orchid. With the mighty rock walls of the Balmhorn, Tatlishore and the Atels towering high, follow the spectacular Klus Gorge where glacial meltwater rushes down over thunderous waterfalls.
Distance in Km: 13
Distance in Miles: 8
Activity Hours: 6
Widely regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Bernese Oberland, Oeschinensee is one of the most beautiful Alpine lakes in Switzerland. After a short ride up on the gondola lift (included), follow a marvellous mountain path up to the Heuberg Viewpoint and picnic spot. The cobalt blue water of the lake, surrounded by the snow-capped, razor-edged peaks of the Doldenhorn (3,638m) and the Bluemlisalphorn (3,663m) towering 2,000m above, will be a lasting memory. Call in at the mountain chalets at Obberbargli and Underbargli for refreshments and soak up this unforgettable scenery as bell-toting cows munch at the grass in the pastures below, while dainty waterfalls trickle down from the Frunden Glacier.
Distance in Km: 15
Distance in Miles: 9
Activity Hours: 5
A gentle hour's stroll takes you down to the Natural Park of Blausee - the Blue Lake (entry included with short boat ride). Here you can wander through verdant woodland around the little lake, visit the organic trout farm and enjoy a drink on the lake terrace. Cross the valley at Kandergrund and pick up the Nordrampe Bahnwanderweg - a fabulous walking trail that in part follows the impressive railway as it makes huge loops and swirls through tunnels along the side of the mountain. Enjoy panoramic picnic spots and great views up and down the valley as you stroll past the evocative ruins of the Felsenburg tower. Hillside pastures and shady forest then leads you back to your hotel.
Distance in Km: 17
Distance in Miles: 11
Activity Hours: 5
The Sunnbuel cable car (included) whisks you up to nearly 2,000m to begin today's walk. Enjoy refreshments at the renowned Schwarenbach Hotel, where Lenin and Picasso have signed the visitors' book. It's then on to the Daubensee and the famous high Gemmi Pass (2,322m), a major Transalpine route first used by the Celts. The extraordinary panorama of the Valais Alps to the south includes the Weisshorn (4,506m) and the Matterhorn (4,478m).
Distance in Km: 15
Distance in Miles: 9.5
Activity Hours: 6
Today starts with a 25-minute train ride (payable locally) through the Lotschberg mountain rail tunnel (14km long) to Hohtenn. The walk takes you high above a youthful River Rhone, through a landscape of gorges and hidden side valleys - and small hillside villages boasting traditional wooden chalets built on the upper edges of this fertile, vineyard-adorned valley. You follow part of the Lotschberger-Sudrampe railway trail - superb railway engineering, viaducts, tunnels and bridges - but you don't need to be a train buff to enjoy this great little hike.
Distance in Km: 10
Distance in Miles: 6.5
Activity Hours: 5.5
7 nights at Hotel Alfa Soleil6 days walking; averaging 5 hours per
dayAltitude maximum 2322m, average 1100m
All meals are included throughout the trip, including picnic lunches. For
dinner enjoy regional dishes and fine wines in Nico's restaurant.At the
beginning of each set of notes we advise on the lunch situation and suggest
good picnic spots. You can obtain supplies daily from the hotel's picnic
buffet or you can return to the hotel for a light lunch. We suggest you to
carry 1-5 litres water per person, there are often benches for resting and
admiring the views. There are also mountain restaurants with sun-trap
terraces. With such a mixture of language and tradition co-existing in such
a small country, it is no wonder that there are so many regional dishes. In
the Bernese Oberland, Austrian and German influences predominate; gastronomic
local delicacies include geschnetzeltes Kalbsfleisch (veal in a rich cream
sauce), Kandersteger Bratwurst au Mad re-Jus (roast sausage with a Madeira
sauce), Lammbraten gefüllt mit Kraütern (herb roasted lamb) and smoked pork
with sauerkraut, and a selection of colourful salads. Typical desserts
include Caramel-Birne mit Rum-Sabayon (caramelised pear with a rum sabayon)
and Aprikosen-Symphonie (apricot gateau).
7 nights at Hotel Alfa Soleil6 days walking; averaging 5 hours per
dayAltitude maximum 2322m, average 1100m
Activity Level: 3 (Moderate)Average daily distance: 15km (9.3 miles), 5hrs.
No. of days walking: 6Terrain and route: good (though sometimes narrow) paths
with occasional steep climbsThis is a self-guided tour, as such there will
be no group or tour leader and you are free to complete the walks at your own
pace and in whichever order you choose. Please bear in mind that although
this is a self-guided holiday, the atmosphere in the hotel tends to be quite
social and they will sometimes seat guests together at breakfast and dinner.
We have suggested that 8yrs is the minimum age for this trip, but as it is
self-guided and you will be leading your own family we will ultimately leave
this decision up to you.A week's stay here uncovers the very best of the
region: a huge turquoise lake enclosed by towering cliffs, a hidden valley
headed by a glacier, a sheer gorge carved out by glacial meltwaters, an
Alpine pass that has been used since Celtic times and an abundance of
wildflowers. Did we mention the spectacular views? The impressive white peaks
of the 3970m Eiger, Monch, Jungfrau and Matterhorn dominate the skyline with
a plethora of other summits and glaciers close at hand. Amazingly, all of
this is accessible on well-defined paths directly from the hotel (with
excellent signposting) or after a short bus or gondola ride.The walking is of
moderate difficulty and includes mountain walking on good (though sometimes
narrow) paths with occasional steep climbs. NB: Some gondolas/cable cars do
not operate in early/late season when alternative walks will be proposed.
Hotel Alfa SoleilThe Hotel Alfa Soleil is a traditional, cosy and family-run hotel on the edge
of the village (only 5 minutes' walk from the centre) with a wonderful view
over fields to the mountains behind. The restaurant is managed by owner/chef
Nico Seiler, has an excellent reputation, and is rated highly by our
customers so you will enjoy fine dining whilst staying here. There are 35
rooms on three floors; all rooms are en-suite and have a television,
telephone and hairdryer. For the evenings, the hotel has a cosy lounge bar
with a pool table and music desk which is open to both hotel guests and the
general public. There is also a large lounge area for residents with an open
fire where you can relax for a quiet chat or with a book, or to play one of
the hotel's board games.
As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no
leader. The hotelier is on hand to assist you and will meet you at the
beginning of the week to go through the route notes and point out particular
places of interest. Route notes and maps are provided. The route notes
contain an emergency telephone number. In an emergency, the hotelier is
sometimes able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to
charge for this service.
All meals are included throughout the trip, including picnic lunches. For
dinner enjoy regional dishes and fine wines in Nico's restaurant.At the
beginning of each set of notes we advise on the lunch situation and suggest
good picnic spots. You can obtain supplies daily from the hotel's picnic
buffet or you can return to the hotel for a light lunch. We suggest you to
carry 1-5 litres water per person, there are often benches for resting and
admiring the views. There are also mountain restaurants with sun-trap
terraces. With such a mixture of language and tradition co-existing in such
a small country, it is no wonder that there are so many regional dishes. In
the Bernese Oberland, Austrian and German influences predominate; gastronomic
local delicacies include geschnetzeltes Kalbsfleisch (veal in a rich cream
sauce), Kandersteger Bratwurst au Mad re-Jus (roast sausage with a Madeira
sauce), Lammbraten gefüllt mit Kraütern (herb roasted lamb) and smoked pork
with sauerkraut, and a selection of colourful salads. Typical desserts
include Caramel-Birne mit Rum-Sabayon (caramelised pear with a rum sabayon)
and Aprikosen-Symphonie (apricot gateau).
Buses, trains and gondolasPublic transport in this area is frequent and
reliable and the route notes advise on times and costs. It’s a good idea to
obtain the Kandersteg Summer information booklet from the hotel or the
tourist office. This gives the timetables of the cable cars and gondolas, the
village bus and the bus to the Gasterntal valley.Your regional travel pass
will be supplied by the hotel on arrival and you should carry it with you as
it entitles you to free travel on most of the regions cable cars, funiculars,
gondolas and local buses.NB In Switzerland 'Sfr’ and 'CHF’ are both used
as abbreviations for the Swiss franc. You may need to walk to the station to
catch a train for the Südrampe walk or to catch the bus to the Gasterntal
valley or to go to INTERLAKEN. There are two routes to the station. If you
want to buy any additional picnic supplies, turn right out of the hotel and
walk up the main road. You pass a baker’s shop and a mini-supermarket. The
Primo supermarket, which is open 7 days a week, is on the other side of the
road after 500m. Shortly after the Primo turn right down Bahnhofstrasse to
arrive at the station. For the alternative route turn left out of the hotel,
walk to the first corner, turn left signed 'Blausee’ and continue to the
river. Cross the bridge, turn left and continue to the station.
For flight inclusive bookings transfers are included from Kandersteg train
station at 16:41 on your arrival day, and back to Kandersteg train station at
10:00 on your departure day. For land only bookings a transfer can be
arranged for a supplement.The air-rail prices for this holiday include our
standard travel arrangements: British Airways Heathrow to Zurich 09:25/12:20,
then rail from Zurich airport to Kandersteg (via Bern) 14:13/16:41 (transfer
to hotel, 5 mins, provided). Return: Kandersteg to Zurich airport (via Bern)
10:13/12:50, then air Zurich to Heathrow 15:45/16:40.In addition, alternative
flights, onward rail to your holiday area, and connecting private transfers
can be arranged from most UK airports. We can also offer the opportunity to
upgrade to a superior service (business/club/first class) with most of our
featured airlines. If you would like to use one of the many 'low cost'
airlines, we can book these on your behalf (£30 admin fee per person
applies).
June through to August have the nicest weather, pleasant for walking. On
average July is the warmest month. The rainy season falls between May and
September, so rain is expected, remember to take your waterproofs. A word of
caution - Switzerland can be hot in high season and so serious walking should
be started early - remember your sun hat and suncream and take plenty of
water with you. Our minimum recommendation is 1.5 litres per person per day.
Please refer to the 'All you need to know guide’.
We always recommend walking boots – in particular we advise against walking
sandals as in some places it is loose and stony underfoot and there may be
sharp stones and tree roots sticking up. It is a good idea to take a
telescopic walking pole or poles which can be collapsed and fastened to the
outside of a rucksack when not needed. A pair of walking poles is
particularly useful on descents and/or at the end of a long day when they can
be used to take the strain off your knees. Also, we find it convenient to
carry maps and notes in a transparent waterproof map holder which hangs round
the neck or over the shoulder.Water bottleDaypackSun hat, sun cream and
sunglassesWarm jumperWaterproofs
Walking poles
All meals including picnic lunches and dinners are included, however you will
need extra if you intend to buy wine at the table each evening or eat out for
lunch on any of the walking days.
Travel insuranceVisasSingle accommodation (available on request - compulsory
supplement)Transfers (if booking a land only package)
Ved skriftlig aksept av vårt tilbud bekrefter du/dere at våre betingelser er både lest og forstått og at evt kansellerings gebyrer kan tilkomme ved en evt. avbestilling av reisen.