ROUTE 124.

BERNE TO THUN AND

INTERLAKEN.

To Thun, 19 miles; 1st class, 3.10 frs.; 2d, 2.20 frs.; 3d, 1.55 fr.

From Scherzlingen (Thun) steamers go several times a day to Darlingen, and thence rail is taken to Interlaken.

EAVING Berne, we proceed along the valley of the Aar, which is well cultivated and picturesque. When the weather is clear, we have a view of the Alps throughout the greater part of the journey Near MUNSINGEN we see, on the opposite side of the Lake of Thun, the peak of the Stockhorn and the Niesen. Near Uttigen we cross the Aar, and reach

THUN (19 miles) (Hotels: see "HOTEL LIST"). It is situated upon the Aar, and is one of the pleasantest towns in Switzerland. The Church and Castle are conspicuous objects. The Military College is the institution where the officers of the army of the Swiss Confederation are trained. The Castle of Schadau is a fine modern Gothic structure. From the terrace near the church a beautiful view can be obtained of the lake, with the Alps around it.

The station at the lake, a little way beyond the town (10 minutes), whence the steamers start, is called Scherzligen. Steamers go from here to Darlingen, for INTERLAKEN; fare, 2 frs. and 1 fr. Rail to Interlaken in 10 minutes;

fare, 80 and 40 cents. There is also a carriage-road by the bank of the lake to Interlaken (15 miles).

There is

THE LAKE OF THUN is about 10 miles long. The northern shore abounds in pleasant houses and gardens. On the southern shore the Kander flows through an artificial channel into the lake, and near its entrance and that of the Simmenthal are the Stockhorn and the Niesen. The latter (7,763 ft.) can be easily ascended in 4 to 5 hours on foot. an hotel on the summit, and the view is remarkably fine, comprising the Lakes of Thun and Brienz, the Oberland, and Mont Blanc and the Dent du Midi in the far distance. The panorama of the whole range of the Bernese Alps from the Titlis to the Diablerets is more complete than from any other point of nearly equal height. Beneath the mountain, on a promontory, stands an old castle, said to have been built by Attila.

Some distance along, on the north side of the lake, is the Cave of St Beatus, beneath which a cascade falls into the lake. Passengers by steamer land at Darlingen, about two miles from INTERLAKEN (32 miles from Berne). (For description of Interlaken, see page 453.)

ROUTE 125.

THUN TO LEUK, BY THE GEMMI PASS.

HE distance from Thun to Leukerbad is 46 miles.

Steamboat to SPIEZ on the Lake of Thun (half an hour), whence diligences go twice daily to Kandersteg in 25 hours. 1 horse carriage, 18 francs; 2

horses, 35 francs. we pass several

Leaving Spiez small hamlets,

and reach FRUTIGEN (9 miles), a village of about 3,500 inhabitants. We next pass the Castle of Tellenburg, cross the Kander, and follow its right bank to

KANDERSTEG (18 miles) (Hotel: Bar). From this place the actual ascent of the Gemmi commences, and the remainder of the distance to Leukerbad must be done on horseback or on foot. Horse to the Baths of Leuk, 15 francs to Daube, the summit, 10 francs; guide to Baths, 6 francs. The descent from Daube is very steep. It is usual to walk thence to the Baths. The path ascends through forests to the boundary between the Cantons of Berne and Valais: it then proceeds in zigzags for some distance, affording a fine view of the valley of Gasteren, and emerging upon a tract of pasture land covered with broken pieces of rock, which have been brought down by an avalanche from the heights above, reaches the inn of Schwarenbach, about two miles from which is the Dauben See, a small lake, formed entirely by the melting of the mountain snows. The scenery around is remarkably wild and desolate.

The summit of the Pass is 7,540 ft. above the sea. It is about one hour's journey from the inn of Schwarenbach. The view, extending to the range of the Alps beyond the Rhone, is one of the finest to be seen in Switzerland. The principal peaks seen from this point are those of the Collon, the Pigne d'Arolla, the Dent Blanche, the Dent d'Erin, the Cervin, the Weisshorn (the highest of all), and the Saas Grat.

On commencing the descent we reach a precipice 1,600 ft. in depth and apparently perpendi

cular. The road is cut in zig-zags along its face, and in some places is along a ledge which overhangs the road below.

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LEUKERBAD (46 miles) (Hotels: "HOTEL LIST"). It is situated about 4,600 ft. above the sea, in a valley surrounded by abrupt and lofty precipices. The springs are ten in number, the temperature varying from 117 to 124 degrees Fahr. The principal one- that of St Laurence-is of considerable size at its source, and is one of the hottest. The full regimen for a bather is eight hours a day-four before breakfast, and the remainder before dinner. Patients sit in the bath-house with their heads and hands only above the water, and floating tables supply them with refreshments, chess-boards, books, and other means of relieving the ennui of a protracted bath.

In the neighbourhood of Leukerbad rises the Torrenthorn, 9,760 ft. above the sea. The view from the summit takes in the Alpine range from Mont Blanc to the Simplon.

Above the steep cliffs at the foot of which Leukerbad is situated, is the village of Albinen. The sole means of direct access are ladders, in tiers, by which the people of Albinen descend to the baths and return. The path to these ladders, one mile and a half distant, lies through a wood, along the gorge of the torrent called the Dala.

From Leukerbad there is a carriage road to Leuk, 54 miles from Thun. (Fare by diligence twice a day), to Leuk (Susten)

francs; to Sierre, on the railway, 8 francs. (See page 466). It proceeds through the beautiful gorge of the Dala, by several zig-zags, and crosses the stream over a bridge 420 ft. above the water.

LEUK (Hotel: Couronne) is situated on the right bank of the Rhone, near the point of influx of the Dala. It has a population of about 1,100. It is connected with the Simplon road at SUSTEN (see page 466) by a covered bridge across the Rhone.

ROUTE 126.

SAMADEN TO TIRANO OVER THE BERNINA PASS, AND TO THE BATHS OF BORMIO.

The distance from Samaden to Tirano is 35 miles. Diligence daily in summer in 8 hours. Fare, 12 frs. 30 cents.; coupe, 15 frs. 15 cents.

HE BERNINA PASS is the only carriage route over the Bernina chain of mountains, and is the most frequented line of communication between the Engadine and the Valteline. Samaden, the starting-point and Pontresina, the first town on the route, are described in Route

About two miles after leaving Pontresina, and a little way beyond where the road to the Morteratsch Glacier diverges to the right, we have a magnificent view of that Glacier. Six miles from Pontresina, we pass the Bernina Houses, near the entrance of the Val de Fain. About a mile from the summit, after quitting the woods, we pass three lakes, the Lago Minore, Lago Nero, Lago Bianco. The lastnamed is two miles in length, and is said to furnish excellent fishing. The narrow strip which separates the Lago Nero from the Lago Bianco, is the water

shed between the Black Sea and the Adriatic, the waters of the former finding their way into the river Inn; those of the latter into the Adda. These lakes are frozen from the middle of November to the middle of June. The road turns to the left by the Lago Nero, and we soon reach the Bernina Hospice, where there is a hotel. A little way to the east of the Hospice is the highest point of the BERNINA PASS (7,668 feet). Beyond the summit, we pass through two galleries, and descend in zigzags to the two Inns, La Motta, and, a little beyond, La Rosa. Soon after quitting the last, we have a view of the upper part of the valley of Poschiavino, as far as the village of Poschiavo, 24 miles. This village has some good houses, a Catholic church dating from 1492, and a handsome Protestant church. Soon after leaving this village, we cross the Poschiavino, pass through a picturesque valley, and reach LE PRESE, at the end of the Lago de Poschiavo. It is a wateringplace, with baths situated upon the lake, the establishment affording excellent accommodation for a hundred guests, and is much resorted to by the Milanese and other North Italians. The waters, which contain sulphur, heated by steam. The lake is two miles in length, and abounds in trout. Leaving La Prese, we descend through a rocky defile, passing a series of waterfalls which extend for nearly three miles. Brusio, 30 miles, with its two churches, is passed, and after traversing some plantations of walnuts, we descend to CAMPO COLOGNO, 33 miles, near which we leave Switzerland and go into Italy. The Italian customhouse is close to the old fort Piatta-Mala. One mile farther on, at Madonna-di-Tirano, we

are

reach the valley of the Adda, where our route joins that from Colico to the Stelvio, following which last-named route, one mile farther, we reach TIRANO, 35 miles (Hotel Posta), where there are old mansions of the Palavicini, Visconti, and Salis families.

Twenty-eight and a half miles from Tirano, toward the Stelvio road, are the Baths of Bormio. Diligence every day in six hours. Fare, 9 frs. 20 cents. The road ascends from Tirano through vineyards. To the north is the Piz Masuccio 9,240 feet, from which an enormous mass fell in 1807, filling up the bed of the Adda, and converting the valley into a lake. At Mazzo, we cross the Adda, soon afterwards the Roasco, and again cross the Adda beyond Grosio, soon after which we reach Bolladore, (Inn: Posta). Five miles beyond Bolladore, a defile, a mile in length, separates the Valteline from the territory of Bormio. At the entrance to the defile, are the remains of an old fort. At the Ponte-del-Diavolo, Garibaldi had a skirmish on the 26th of June 1859, with the Austrians. Passing two groups of houses, we enter beyond the village of Ceppine, the valley of Bormio, enclosed by wooded mountains, partially covered with snow. Crossing the valley, we soon reach Bormio, a little town at the entrance of the Val Turva, from which village we ascend by the new road, to the new BATHS OF BORMIO (Hotel: New Bath), a handsome building which commands a fine view of the valley and surrounding mountains. Some distance above the new baths are the old baths. Both establishments are well fitted up, and contain reading, concert, and billiard rooms, and restaurants. The waters are pre

scribed in cases of gout and rheumatism, hysteria, and other diseases of women, scrofula and cutaneous diseases.

The famous Stelvio Road, the highest in Europe, 9,170 ft. above the level of the sea, is one of the most remarkable in the world, the summit of the Stelvio Pass is about 12 miles beyond the baths. A column marks the culminating point, and the boundary between Italy and the Tyrol. The Swiss frontier is half a mile to the north of this. Fifty-nine miles from the new baths by the Stelvio Road is Nauders, from which a diligence goes twice a week to BOTZEN, in the Tyrol in 14 hours.

TO COLICO ON LAKE COMO THROUGH THE VALTELINE.

A diligence goes daily from Tirano to Colico in nine hours. Fare, 11 frs. 05 cents. Carriage with one horse to Colico, 25 frs. (Travellers coming from the Engadine by the Bernina Pass need not proceed to Tirano, but may procure conveyances from Madonna-di-Tirano). Leaving Madonna-di-Tirano, we cross the Adda at Trescenda, 4 miles, and passing San-Giacomo and Chiuro, at the mouth of the Val Fontana, we reach Sondrio, 19 miles (Hotel: Posta), the capital of the Valteline. Vines, figs, pomegranates, and other tropical fruits flourish here. Pursuing our way, we pass nothing of special interest before reaching Morbegno, the centre of a silk-producing region, about 12 miles beyond which we join the Splugen Road, and soon reach COLICO, from which place steamers run five times a day to Como, in 3 hours. Fare, 4 frs. 85 cents.

HE railway journey from Bregenz to Bludenz occupies 3 hours. Leaving that place the road goes up the valley of the Klosterthal. Near Bratz, 2 hours, is the cascade of Fallbach. Passing Dalaas, 1 hour, we reach, 3 hours, STUBEN, near which is another cascade. The route now rises rapidly and affords fine views of the valley below. One and a half hour from Stuben we reach the COL of the ARLBERG, 5850 feet, the frontier between the Vorarlberg and the Tyrol. This part of the route is frequently covered with snow even in summer. A little way from the summit is the Hospice of St Christopher with a chapel.

The road now descends in a long winding to the valley of Fervall. St Anton, 1 hour, is in the valley of Stanz. We pass now Fadisen, 1 hour, Petneu, & hour, Schnau,

hour, and reach Flirsch, 11 hour (Inn Post). Near this we see several cascades. We now pass Strengen, 1 hour, near which is the ruined castle of Wiesberg, Pians, 1 hour, and LANDECK, 1 hour (Hotel: Post), the point of meeting of several routes. (For description of that to Meran, see below.) For those travellers preferring to drive to Innsbruck from Landeck, we diligence route. give a description of the old

Landeck is a considerable village; above it is the old fortress of Landeck, now inhabited by poor families. Leaving Landeck the valley, hour, contracts, and the road follows the left bank. At the right, upon a high conical hill, are the ruins of the castle of Kronburg. Mils, 1 hour, is passed when the road ascends rapidly, goes along the edge of a precipice on the bank of the Inn (fine view), and we reach, 1 hour, IMST (Inn: Post).

From this place the road descends slightly, and in 20 minutes we reach Brennbuchl where Frederick Augustus, King of Saxony, died in 1854, from injuries received from the upsetting of his carriage. We now ascend to the foot of Tschurgant, 7,500 feet, and in 20 minutes farther reach Karress. The route now reaches the Inn, and in 2 hours Haimingen. On the right is the Petersberg, with a new castle and the ruins of an ancient one. In hour we reach Silz, with a large monastery and a pretty new church, Telfs, 3 hours, Zire, 3 hours, after which the route descends, affording fine views. We pass, 12 hour, Kranenbitten, and then, crossing a wide plain,