Mount Gurten - Bern

We decided to keep it local this weekend: a hike up nearby Mt. Gurten.  It was a beautiful day for it.  Besides, the summit wasn't too high up.  In fact, we can see the mountain top from our balcony window.  My work colleague, Marco, told me about a nice hiking path we could take.  He said Mt. Gurten is a popular spot among the Bernese (that's what they call the locals here), who walk or take the tram ride up the mountain with their families when the weather is nice.   

We strolled South along the river Aare for about 15 minutes before climbing the river bank up to the small village of Wabern.  There is a tram that runs between Wabern and the summit of Mt. Gurten every 30 minutes (see video), but we felt ambitious and decided to hike up the mountain.  There were lots of steps and beautiful views along the way.  We also came across a mountain bike path, where we were nearly taken out by a couple of cyclists barreling down the mountain (see video).    

Once we reached the  the top of the 864-Meter "mountain," we ate lunch and enjoyed views over the countryside and the capital of Bern (See video).  Satiated and still a little tired from the 2+ hour hike, we decided to lie down in a nearby meadow and bask in the sun.  It reminded me a little bit of Sheep's Meadow in Central Park, but without all the people.  

After a brief nap, we headed back down the mountain.  Needless to say, the walk down was much more enjoyable.  :)  We passed a quaint little cottage surrounded by grazing cows on the way down -- it was almost too perfect.  I was half expecting Julie Andrews to come running around the corner with bunch of rug rats in tow singing "The hills are alive...."  But it wasn't to be; only cows and an occasional hiker.  Maybe next time...