Canton of BernThe canton of Bern or Berne (Kanton Bern; Chantun Berna; canton de Berne; Canton Berna) is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. Its capital city, Bern, is also the de facto capital of Switzerland. The bear is the heraldic symbol of the canton, displayed on a red-yellow background. Comprising ten districts, Bern is the second-largest canton by both surface area and population. Located in west-central Switzerland, it is surrounded by eleven cantons. It borders the canton of Jura and the canton of Solothurn to the north.
InterlakenInterlaken (ˈɪntərlakŋ̍; lit.: between lakes) is a Swiss town and municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern. It is an important and well-known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss Alps, and the main transport gateway to the mountains and lakes of that region. The town is located on flat alluvial land called Bödeli between two lakes, Brienz to the east and Thun to the west, and alongside the river Aare, which flows between them.
GrindelwaldGrindelwald is a village and municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Berne. In addition to the village of Grindelwald, the municipality also includes the settlements of Alpiglen, Burglauenen, Grund, Itramen, Mühlebach, Schwendi, Tschingelberg and Wargistal. Grindelwald village is located at above sea level. Mentioned for the first time in 1146, it has become an important tourist destination of both Switzerland and the Alps since the golden age of alpinism in the 19th century.
JungfrauThe Jungfrau (, ˈjʊŋˌfʁaʊ̯, "maiden, virgin"), at is one of the main summits of the Bernese Alps, located between the northern canton of Bern and the southern canton of Valais, halfway between Interlaken and Fiesch. Together with the Eiger and Mönch, the Jungfrau forms a massive wall of mountains overlooking the Bernese Oberland and the Swiss Plateau, one of the most distinctive sights of the Swiss Alps. The summit was first reached on August 3, 1811, by the Meyer brothers of Aarau and two chamois hunters from Valais.
WilderswilWilderswil is a village and a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Wilderswil belongs to the Small Agglomeration Interlaken with 23,300 inhabitants (2014). The village of Wilderswil is situated at the southern border of the Bödeli, the tongue of land between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz in the Bernese Oberland region. It lies at the entrance to the mountain valleys containing the Lütschine river and its tributary the Saxetenbach, and is some south of Interlaken, the main town of the Bödeli.
GsteigwilerGsteigwiler is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Gsteigwiler belongs to the Small Agglomeration Interlaken with 23,300 inhabitants (2014). Gsteigwiler is first mentioned in 1333 as Wiler. The village first appears during the Middle Ages when it was owned by local nobles. In 1310 they donated the village to Interlaken Abbey. It remained in the hands of the Abbey until Bern accepted the Protestant Reformation and secularized the Abbey in 1528.
WengenWengen (ˈvɛŋən) is a mountain village in the Bernese Oberland of central Switzerland. Located in the canton of Bern at an elevation of above sea level, it is part of the Jungfrauregion and has approximately 1,300 year-round residents, which swells to 5,000 during summer and to 10,000 in the winter. Wengen hosts the classic Lauberhorn ski races of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in January. Wengen was first mentioned in official documents in 1268, and the origin of the name is unknown.
MürrenMürren is a traditional Walser mountain village in the Bernese Highlands of Switzerland, at an elevation of above sea level and it cannot be reached by public road. It is also one of the popular tourist spots in Switzerland, and summer and winter are the seasons when Mürren becomes busy with tourists. The village features a view of the three towering mountains Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Mürren has a year-round population of 450, but has 2,000 hotel beds. Mürren has its own school and two churches, one Reformed and one Roman Catholic.
Swiss AlpsThe Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps (Schweizer Alpen, Alpes suisses, Alpi svizzere, Alps svizras), represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss Plateau and the Swiss portion of the Jura Mountains, one of its three main physiographic regions. The Swiss Alps extend over both the Western Alps and the Eastern Alps, encompassing an area sometimes called Central Alps.
KanderstegKandersteg is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located along the valley of the River Kander, west of the Jungfrau massif. It is noted for its spectacular mountain scenery and sylvan alpine landscapes. Tourism is a very significant part of its economic life today. It offers outdoor activities year-round, with hiking trails and mountain climbing as well as downhill and cross-country skiing.
