Travel to Brienz, Switzerland with Annie West






I was going to write today about my trip to Switzerland, which I used to gather location details for my new book. My intention was to talk about trips up cog railways and cablecars, visits to castles and to panoramic vistas over alpine meadows. The trouble was, there’s too much to show and tell, if I want to do justice to any one place. So instead, I’m narrowing my focus to give you a little snapshot of Brienz, a small, quiet town in the middle of Switzerland – a place I used as my base for a week. It’s not a place you’ve probably heard of, but it’s a terrific base for exploring.
Brienz sits on the edge of Lake Brienz (of course!) in the Bernese Oberland. It’s in the vicinity of Interlaken and is a great stopping off point to visit Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and to see the Eiger, the Jungfrau and a host of other amazing peaks. From here it’s a short trip to the Reichenbach Falls where Sherlock Holmes is famously supposed to have met his end. There’s also the wonderful, wonderful Ballenberg open air museum of traditional Swiss buildings which have been saved and transported from all over the country, and which it takes a good day to explore.
But rather than focus on what’s around Brienz, here’s a taste of the little town itself. The view at the top of this post is Brienz from above, taken from partway up the Rothorn (Brienz’s own mountain).
Here’s a narrow street in the oldest part of town where homes are old and built in the traditional style using lots of wood. 

Speaking of wood, Brienz is famous for its wood carving and even has a wood carving school. There are carvings everywhere, including signs. I particularly like these life-sized locals having a chat by the lake. 

Brienz has a lovely church high on a knoll overlooking the lake. I met some walkers there out for a long day’s hike from church to church along the lake. 


If you can’t be bothered walking, take the cog railway up the Rothorn mountain. This view is from near the beginning of the trip, just on the outskirts of town. 


And if you go higher you enter a different world. This photo was taken in mountain cloud, amongst small huts and houses that are generally used in summer. 


I hope this glimpse of Brienz has whetted your appetite. My stay there was almost by chance. I chose it for the places I could get to from there, little realising what a lovely place it was to come back to each night. Now I’d like to visit again.

Have you ever visited somewhere by chance, perhaps on the way to your planned destination, and found a gem?

If you’re interested, my new release, which is set in a castle in the Swiss Alps is called ‘Revelations of a Secret Princess’.  


A princess in disguise
To find her precious daughter, stolen from her at birth, Princess Carolina will do anything. Including masquerading as a nanny! Jake Maynard, her daughter’s uncle, is all that’s standing in the way of the reunion Caro has yearned for. If only her body got the message he’s the enemy…

Caro knows this powerful billionaire won’t give up the only family he has left. Yet after years of emotional numbness, Jake is reawakening her! He shows Caro a life filled with passion, not protocol, but what will happen when Jake discovers her true identity?

I share photos from my research trips via my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/anniewest.author and with my newsletter subscribers - if you’re interested in joining you can do so at https://tinyurl.com/ya56pe7c Stay tuned later this year for my photos of Cyprus!


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About Annie West


Australian Annie West loves writing passionate, intense romances and not just because it gives her a chance to ignore housework! She is a USA Today Bestselling author, published in 25 languages. Annie writes contemporary stories about charismatic heroes and strong heroines. She loves being in contact with readers as far apart as Brisbane, Bremen and Bermuda. When not writing and avoiding housework she can be found walking, enjoying good food and good company, travelling and reading. She’s currently writing a book she hopes will be her 40th Harlequin Presents novel.

Connect with Annie via:

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Or sign up for her occasional newsletter with book updates, behind the scenes information and giveaways: https://tinyurl.com/ya56pe7c



23 comments:

  1. A wood carving school! That is a wonderful skill.

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    1. Jacqui, I could have filled a couple of pages with photos of the wood carvings. They're wonderful! :)

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  2. Nice to learn a bit about Switzerland from Annie, and the book sounds good.

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    1. Christine, Switzerland was wonderful, if pricey. I'm so glad you like the sound of the book.

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  3. I've seen other pictures of Switzerland and it always looks so nice. I loved the pictures you shared.

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    1. Like anywhere, the photos look better when the sun shines, Mary. I'm glad you enjoyed these.

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  4. Gasp... I'd love to go to Switzerland!

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    1. I was so excited to go and then, despite a few days of cloud and rain, we got some brilliant weather too.

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    2. That always helps - nothing like natural sunlight to enhance the holiday snaps, either!

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  5. What a beautiful place! I haven't been to Switzerland since I was twelve, but I'd love to go back. It was beautiful and the cheeses were to die for!

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    1. Kate, the cheese is. And the chocolate...! I hope you manage to get back there again.

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  6. It looks so beautiful there. I had never heard of Brienz prior to reading this post, but Switzerland is definitely on my list of countries I've love to visit some day.

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    1. Suzanne, Brienz isn't a huge tourist hotspot. That's part of its charm! I hope you make it to Switzerland one day. It's definitely worth a visit.

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  7. When I learned more about my family history I became more interested in Switzerland, especially the Bern and Emmental areas. This sounds like a wonderful trip.

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    1. Jeanie, it was terrific! It sounds like you're having an interesting time discovering your family history.

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  8. I have never been there but this is beautiful place.

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  9. This looks like a beautiful place to visit. I hope to make it to Switzerland one day. :)
    ~Jess

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  10. Sounds like a wonderful place to visit and a wonderful read.

    Hello, Nas:)

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  11. Gorgeous post. Thanks.

    Greetings from London.

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