Visit to Gurten
Gurten Kulm – 858 meters high and overlooks Bern. From it’s summit you also get a fantastic view of the Jura mountain range and the Bernese Alps.
Food: Most of the time we bring a picnic along, spread out the picnic blanket on a carpet of green grass. Sometimes we bring just a snack to satisfy us and the kids before heading to the fantastic Migros buffet restaurant – complete with inside play area. Another time we brought up some grilling goodies and had a feast beside one of the dozen-or-so grill pits.
Play: This place has just about everything for the kids to have a great time – and there’s something in there for the big kids too … 😀
Want to kick a ball, throw a Frisbee or just run around like a wild animal? – Go right ahead. The rolling lush green grass goes on for quite a ways. But maybe the kids are bored of green, or maybe the parents are too tired to keep running after the little ones – not going to be any problems here – weGallery got mini train rides (2 Fr. per ride) on trains that actually run on steam-powered engines and go “wheeeee-wheeeee”. Then there are car rides (1 Fr. per ride), a huge wooden castle-like climbing maze, a DIY, self-powered, ball hurtling labyrinth (I don’t know how else to explain it – but it has kids and grown-ups mesmerized for hours), a kids splash pool with a pulley-drawn ferry barge (this one is just for kids :D), life-sized checkers, things that make all kinds of noises, and of course ICE CREAM!!! – And if you happen to be up there on a sunny Sunday you’ll get to let the kids loose on the Jungle Expo, or maybe interact with animals brought up for petting and riding such as Lama’s and Donkey’s.
If you still want a better view of your surroundings you can climb up the 25 meter high lookout tower and get an non-obscured full 360° view.
Getting there: Once you arrive at the Gurten Bahn station at the foot of the mountain, you will have to make a choice – either walk up, ride your bike up, or … take the Bahn (train) up. The Bahn is not so much a train as it is a cable car (not a gondola – the swinging thing – but a train car that is pulled up by cables running beneath it).
The walk is very doable and enjoyable, taking you through forests and meadows. I have spotted deer several times on my treks up and down. Another curious sight will be the Highland Cattle, with their long horns and shaggy coats. Just beware, those fences around them are usually electric! 😉