A trip to the Schynige Platter needs two things - time and good weather. The historic, cogwheel train moves slowly from Wilderswil up a winding rail, taking steeper and higher, like a roller coaster that only goes up - at 12 km per hour, it takes a while. Once you've passed the four forest levels - linden, beech, silver fir and spruce, got past the only stop on the way at Breitlauenen and made it through the Grätli Tunnel, you finally see what you came here for:
Nor do the views stop when you get to your final destination, at the Schynige Platte. The Eiger, Mönch and the Jungfrau offer themselves from every possible angle, never out of sight and on a clear day, more majestic than can ever be imagined.
Mountains aside, another reason to visit the Schynige Platte is the Alpine Garden. Unlike other botanical gardens, there are no greenhouses here, grow lights or fancy contraptions. It's a purely natural garden, with 600 labelled species growing in their natural enviornment, high above the tree line. It's also a truely seasonal garden, wholly reliant on the irratic alpine weather, so there can be as much three weeks difference in the blooming times on the flowers. It is a fragile environment, with many of the species now rare and many more under threat of extinction.
Take the time to walk through the garden, (it's an easy walk, on well-prepared paths, and if you rush, won't take more than an hour) and contemplate this beautiful place.
And yes, before you ask, they do have Edelweiss.
Nor do the views stop when you get to your final destination, at the Schynige Platte. The Eiger, Mönch and the Jungfrau offer themselves from every possible angle, never out of sight and on a clear day, more majestic than can ever be imagined.
Mountains aside, another reason to visit the Schynige Platte is the Alpine Garden. Unlike other botanical gardens, there are no greenhouses here, grow lights or fancy contraptions. It's a purely natural garden, with 600 labelled species growing in their natural enviornment, high above the tree line. It's also a truely seasonal garden, wholly reliant on the irratic alpine weather, so there can be as much three weeks difference in the blooming times on the flowers. It is a fragile environment, with many of the species now rare and many more under threat of extinction.
Take the time to walk through the garden, (it's an easy walk, on well-prepared paths, and if you rush, won't take more than an hour) and contemplate this beautiful place.
No comments:
Post a Comment