Today was the best as far as our point-to-point rides have gone! It was a beautiful day that included riding around three alpine lakes and over a mountain pass. Interlaken and Lucerne are both very well-known towns, but the best of Switzerland may very well be the in between.
We set off along the very hilly side of Lake Brienze after our first breakfast (yes, this is normal). We stopped at the historic Grandhotel Giessbach to take in the waterfall and cup of coffee. We met a Swiss man who spent a year biking around the world. Biking China is a whole other league than our little Euro velo tour.

We got second breakfast in Meiringen and headed up a very gravely mountain pass. We were rewarded with high alpine meadows and excellent views of a glaciers in the high Alps. The downhill was crazy! Caitlin’s rim got so hot from braking that it blew out the tube. But thankfully she was coming to a stop when it happened, and we could see a cafe and walked it in to fix during lunch.

The second lake we passed felt very rural and secluded. It was clearly where the Swiss went to get away and hike without all the tourists. 

Then we we were on the much bigger lake of Nidwalden that drains into the Ruesd river at Lucern. It was much more built up. A stretch felt like Swiss Malibu, with some very fancy modern houses and historic mansions thrown into the mix.

Lucern itself is much bigger than we expected. The old city center is gorgeous and very cool to see. A lot of the Medieval architecture and fortifications have been preserved. Only one more day of riding in Switzerland until we cross into Germany.