We start our hike a few hundred metres below the summit of Niesen (2’362 m), at the Schwandegg station. We got there by overground train from the village of Mülenen. From here, the route leads along green mountain slopes, through streams, forests and alpine meadows, to the town of Frutigen.
There is no shortage of magnificent mountain and valley views along the entire route. And in the vicinity of the Unterniesen station you can see the lakes Thunersee and Brienzersee.
The pyramid-shaped mountain
I have already written about Mount Niesen in another post (Spring walk at Lake Thunersee). It resembles a pyramid in shape with a snow-covered top. It makes a sensational impression, especially when the mountain is reflected in the blue Lake Thun. Unfortunately, this can only be seen from a distance. And the best viewpoint is on the other side of the lake.
An overground railway leads to the top of Niesen, which started with tourists on 15 July 1910. Its appearance doesn’t seem to have changed much since then. After all, the retro style is timeless. They could have oiled it up a bit, though, as it creaks and creaks quite noticeably during the ride.
A run up the stairs to the top of Niesen
In addition to the Niesenbahn cable car, a staircase with 11,674 steps also leads to the summit. These stairs are only opened during the annual Niesen run – Treppenlauf. The run is only 3.5 km long, but with an incline of more than 60 per cent and an altitude difference of 1’669 m, it is not the easiest of runs. And it was first organised in 1990.
Conditions on the route
As for the route, apart from a few minor climbs, it leads all the way downhill. The paths are quite narrow in some sections and can be slippery, thanks to the numerous mountain streams in the area. The ground isn’t the easiest either, which, when descending more than a thousand metres downhill, takes its toll. So be careful and watch your step.
Finally, a tip for motorists: there is a car park at the overground railway station. The train ride from Frutigen back to Mülenen, on the other hand, takes just 7 minutes. The downside is that the train runs quite infrequently by Swiss standards.
