Hotel Wetterhorn – promising break in Hasliberg

Refreshed by the swim in Lake Lungern and the homemade iced tea on the terrace of the Hotel Kaiserstuhl, the discovery tour through the Brünig region goes one stop further. The Lucerne-Interlaken Express takes us to the Brünig Pass together with numerous tourists taking pictures through the reflective train windows. Infected by the photo euphoria, we succeed in taking this snapshot of the red speedster in front of the turquoise shimmering Lake Lungern. A beautiful setting.

At the Brünig-Hasliberg stop, we change to the post bus. Less than 10 minutes later, we are already approaching our destination for the day. But the Postbus driver doesn’t seem to want to obey my pressed stop and speeds past the bus stop without even coming close to slowing down. After a brisk “I pressed stop” intervention on my part and a subsequent abrupt braking action, we are allowed to get out of the car after all.

Rested: at the Hotel Wetterhorn

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the Hotel Wetterhorn has been enthroned in front of the magnificent panorama of the Bernese Alps. If it weren’t for the road to Reuti behind the hotel, it would be a hideaway par excellence. But even so, the Hotel Wetterhorn is the perfect retreat for a few cosy, uncomplicated days in nature. The venerable summer house was given a breath of fresh air about three years ago with extensive renovation work. The result is impressive. The rooms are decorated in a similar style as in the partner hotel Kaiserstuhl. Light basic tones, lots of wood and large windows in the direction of the Wetterhorn and Engelhörner. A wonderful place to slow down and relax.

Drunk: all kinds of hay schnapps

The last rays of sunshine tickle the back of our necks as we toast each other with a hay sour and a free Hasliberger. Both drinks were spiced up with the invention of the house – hay schnapps. In addition, we order an aperitif platter with local products, homemade herb salt and the absolutely tastiest tomato pesto ever. By the way, every Wednesday from 5:00 p.m. there is a sausage & beer event and every Thursday a picnic fun takes place on the Wetterhornwiese. And if you know me, you know by now at the latest that the Hotel Wetterhorn has taken my heart by storm with these offers. Innovative ideas, no 0815 drinks and products picked in the in-house garden or bought from local producers – chapeau!

After the last ray of sunshine of the day has said goodbye behind the Brünig, we sit down on the hotel terrace and feast on a down-to-earth 4-course menu with a view of the red-colored mountain peaks. To start with, we are served a delicious sauerkraut cream soup, followed by the great “Wetterhorn salad” (compliments to the chef for the sauce). The main course is a veal steak with porcini mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes. The evening ends romantically with flickering candlelight, the rising moon and a delicious apple and sour cream cream with cinnamon. The food is served on platters and placed in the middle of the plate for sharing. A nice concept.

As a nightcap, I treat myself to a hay mojito in the bar, which is slowly filling up with local guests around 10 pm. For the time being, the favourite from the hay schnapps drink series remains the hay sour. I have postponed the testing of the Heu-Luz and the pure hay schnapps to another time in consideration of the planned hiking tour.

Hiked: from Käserstatt to Alpen Tower

Well rested, the next day starts with a quick breakfast. We want to take the first gondola from Hasliberg Twing up to Käserstatt. There we follow the ascending hiking trail in the direction of Planplatten. Passing cows, donkeys and horses, we reach Alp Hääggen with a view of the Mägisalp. This is where Hääggenalp cheese is produced and sold directly. So if you don’t mind dragging a loaf uphill, you should definitely stock up on the spicy cheese. The altitude difference to the highest point of the hike, the Alpen Tower at 2,250 m above sea level, stretches out under the blazing sun.

For a beautiful view of the Gauli Glacier, the grosse Scheidegg and the panorama around Lake Brienz, we follow the hiking trail towards Gummenalp at the Alpen Tower and then turn onto the Muggestutz to get to the Mägisalp. All in all, a leisurely round trip that guarantees magnificent views of the Central Swiss and Bernese Alps when the weather is nice.

Hasliberg hiking: Practical information and tips

The route can be found on the map below. The hike from Käserstatt via Planplatten to the Mägisalp is about 10.5 kilometres long, includes an ascent of 600 metres in altitude and a descent of 725 metres in altitude. The pure runtime is around 3.5 hours. Käserstatt can be reached from Hasliberg, Twing with the gondeli. The Mägisalp can also be reached by cable car from Reuti. If you are planning two cable car rides, it is best to buy a day ticket. The 2-zone ticket costs 20 CHF with GA travelcard, the single journey 12 CHF. From Reuti and Twing there are hourly post bus connections to Brünig-Hasliberg train station and Meiringen.

Costs for overnight stay incl. Hasliberger breakfast at the Hotel Wetterhorn: low season from 180 CHF per night/double room, high season from 210 CHF per night/double room. Culturally, too, things are going on here. The autumn programme attracts visitors every Friday with great concerts (including Lina Button, Sina and Fusion Square Garden). The tickets including the 4-course menu cost around 80 to 1oo CHF, depending on the event. Not to be missed!

Other recommended hikes in the region:

• Panorama trail Hasliberg from Reuti to the Brünig Pass
• Gibelweg (from the Gibel there is a great view over Lake Lungern)
• Horizon trail from the Alpentower to the idyllic Engstlensee

You can find the respective route descriptions here: Tour suggestions Hasliberg

Note: My stay in Hasliberg was supported by the Sinn Gastro. Thank you very much for this! As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm.