If you are staying in the Interlaken area of Switzerland you might want to throw the dog in a backpack and take a trip to Aare gorge. At least, that is what we did on day four of our trip in the country. A backpack isn't actually necessary though, as dogs are allowed at the gorge. But our Chihuahua Pomeranian mix is getting a bit old and sometimes he needs a break from walking all those long hours. Places are also less likely to charge us extra for the dog if we carry him on our backs and there is nothing worse then having to pay an extra 10-20 euros for your dog.
After a quick breakfast at the hotel we headed straight for our first stop of the day. We got there pretty much right when it opened, around 8:30 am and at that point there were only two other cars in the parking lot - a good sign that it wouldn't be too busy inside.
The boardwalk path is narrow and you have to move over and make way for people headed in the opposite direction, so seeing the gorge when there are few people around makes for a much more enjoyable experience. It got busier along the path as the day went on.
The walk begins at the opening of the gorge and takes you to a large open green space. Sign posts along the way offer up some interesting information about the construction and maintenance of the site, along with some fun facts about the surrounding area.
For instance, inside the gorge is a still intact WWII bunker that was built to house 185 officers and soldiers. Though it was never actually used, people who visited the bunker at the time reported that it was quite luxurious, housing a fully furnished recreational room and wood lined walls. You can't actually see it on the hike though. What you see is merely a small entrance way in the rock wall across the river. Its more just a fun fact about the area.
The pathway follows the Aare river as it makes its way towards Lake Brienz.
Clear blue water winds its way through the rock, carving a path through the heavy stone walls. Silt, sand and small pebbles carried along with the water grind the walls smooth in some places, in the process of mechanical erosion.
From here the walls come closer and closer together making the walk more and more cavernous
until eventually the path narrows to the point where the walls of the mountain begin to touch.
The roar of the water flowing along side you begins to drown out all of the other sounds in the area and really gives you a sense of just how powerful a force water really is.
A few tunnels along the way take you underground, giving it a bunker-like sort of feel.
A team of jack of all trade engineers work continuously to maintain the metal and wood walkways, most of which have been in use for more than a few decades.
As you may be able to see in the photo below, the dog is having a lot of fun in his backpack. Sometimes I think he feels like a young king being carried on the backs of his servants.
Eventually the path begins to open up again and you find yourself back outside. At the far end of the hike is another entrance/exit point. Here you can choose to turn around and go back the way you came through the gorge or exit and take a 45 minute walk through town and around the mountain. We decided to go back through the gorge.
If you are interested in seeing more of the beautiful country of Switzerland I will be posting about the rest of our trip over the next few days. For the previous post click the link below.
