1936 On the Continent

the snow-clad alpine giants.
    Only a few years ago Gstaad was an unspoiled village; it lies in a fine position at the converging point of the three valleys of Turbach, Lauenen and Gsteig, all of which contain many delightful walks.
Sport
    Switzerland is essentially a land of rivers, and it is very rarely that one finds a district in which there is not, at least, a small brook. Around Gstaad there is some good trout fishing in the numerous small mountain tarns. Everywhere around Gstaad are thickly wooded hills; charming as it is in summer, it is in winter that it is seen at its best. Its unspoiled freshness has gone, for it has become a very popular centre. During the winter is held the “Cours Hippique”; horse jumping is a feature of this event, and many of the crack riders of the Swiss Army enter for it. Ski-kjöring races—in which the ski-er is drawn by a horse—are also included; this sport comes from Norway and was first introduced into Switzerland in 1906. Gstaad offers a very large variety of ski-runs, and there are quite a number of accessible mountains in the neighbourhood, including the Wildhorn, Egli and Hornberg. Skating too is very good, and the largest rink has an area of about two acres. Gstaad can also be reached by train from Spiez, and this is the more direct route from England. Saanenmöser, the next stop, is a small winter sports centre; after it we come to Zweisimmen, the chief town of the Simmen valley. There are many pleasant walks, both long and short, in this neighbourhood, also some easy ascents to the Rinderberg, Hundsrück and Spillgerten. From Zweisimmen there is a railway line to Lenk, where there are sulphur baths. Numerous waterfalls rush down amidst steep cliffs and overhanging glaciers, and the whole scene is dominated by the Wildstruble mountain; the seven torrents tearing down from the Plaine-Morte and Raetzli glaciers have given theSimmen valley its local name of “Siebental” (valley of seven). The energetic walker can reach Sion in the Rhône valley about ten hours after leaving Lenk and would have to cross the Rawyl Pass.
Adelboden
    In the other direction from Zweisimmen the train runs through the Lower Simmen valley. Here the chalets are larger than in other parts of Switzerland, and in Erlenbach, one of the villages in the valley, they are amazingly large. After Erlenbach we cross the Kirel river and come to Oey-Dimtigen, whence there is a branch line to Grimmialp. During the winter the journey has to be made by car or by sledge. Grimmialp is one of the cheaper resorts for winter sports, frequented mostly by Germans, and is suitable for people who do not care for crowds, but require sports only, for which there are good facilities. From Erlenbach we come to Wimmis, where there is a fine tenth-century church. The next station is Spiez, an important railway junction. From here the trans-continental trains continue to Milan. Many years ago, when Rudolphe II, King of Burgundy, lived at Spiez Castle with his queen, it was known as the “Golden Court” and the country around the castle was named the “Golden Air.” In the thirteenth century there lived at the castle Heinrich von Strättligen, a famous troubadour, who sang the praises of the country and some of whose verses are preserved in Heidelberg University. The castle is now open to the public. A pleasant excursion from Spiez is to the Niesen, which is ascended by a cable railway. From the summit there is a wonderful view of the Lake of Thun, the Kander Valley and the great ring of peaks, which includes all the giants of the Oberland and the Alps. Our way must now take us along the main line as far as Frutigen, where the Enstligen Thal joins the Kander Tal.
    At the head of this valley lies Adelboden, a popular winter resort, particularly for curling, which is reached by bus from Frutigen. Adelboden is the highest commune in the Bernese Oberland, and most of the chalets are very old. In the church will be found frescoes depicting the “Last Judgment,” which were painted in 1423. There are some excellent ski-runs, the principal of which is theHahnenmoos field, which is amongst the finest in Switzerland. In spring the Hahnenmoos is a mass of violets and other vernal flowers. On the opposite side of the valley rises the Bonderspitze, on the slopes of which a very fast ski race is run each year. The sight of the ski-ers flying down the mountain side, with clouds of flying snow behind them, is terribly thrilling, and