Valentinas Travels

Did you know that in Switzerland, we have something that we call "Switzerland's Gran Canyon"? Well... "Switzerland's miniature Gran Canyon" would probably be more appropriate, as it is much smaller (1200 wide, 160 m deep) but still impressive. It is called Creux du van and is located in the Val-de-travers-valley, at the border between two cantons (Neuchatel and Waadt).  This weekend I had the chance to explore it with two good friends and I can highly recommend this hike!  We started our trip in Noiraigue, a little village that you can easily reach by train. We then started our ascent, which was quite steep but offered some sneak-peaks of the amphitheatre-shaped Creux du van and the surroundings... We finally reached the rocky cirque. The view was amazing!  We then had a picknick with this fantastic view and started our descent soon after. This was - off course - steep as well and we were all happy to sit down...

When I travel for work, I always try to combine work and leisure. Anyway: I could never stay in a city without exploring it. This week, I had a new opportunity as I had  to stay in the Swiss town of Solothurn for some nights. I had passed it by train several times before but had never set foot. Too bad! I was surprised how beautiful and interesting this town is! Here is a little insight.  Solothurn is a town with approximately 16'000 inhabitants and is also called Switzerland's most beautiful Baroque city. I'm still not sure how to describe it - it reminded me of so many different places all over Europe:  a little bit of Venice, a touch of Paris, a hint of Italy and a lot of Switzerland. I guess that's how Solothurn's recipe could be written.  My sightseeing tour after work started at the river. The first thing I saw: A book-exchange-shelf. Solothurn already got me!     At the other side of the river: The St.Ursen-cathedral, built ...

Last weekend, I did a wonderful trip with some good friends of mine. Once again, we explored the region of the Bernese Highlands , one of my favourite regions in Switzerland. We were lucky and had perfect weather.  We started in Bönigen and walked along Lake Brienz for quite a while... ... crossed colorful grasslands...   ... old, traditional chalets...     ... arrived in Iseltwald...     ... found a house that we wouldn't mind living in...    ... and then finally reached the well-known  Giessbach waterfall , one of the most impressive waterfalls I have seen so far.        Right next to the waterfall there is the Grandhotel Giessbach, a very luxurious hotel opened in 1879. Inside, I felt like I had travelled back in time. And outside, I was fascinated by the view.          We then started our descent... ......