16 Days Europe Vacation Package Day 9 Interlaken – Bern - Titisee – Heidelberg

16 Days Europe Tour – White Christmas Day 9  Interlaken – Bern - Titisee – Heidelberg

The impressive Lindner Grand Hotel Beau Rivage

After breakfast at our wonderful Lindner Grand Hotel Beau Rivage Interlaken, we departed for Bern instead of Schaffhausen.  Due to the weather, it would have taken us more than 4 hours to reach Schaffhausen and that would leave us only 15 minutes to view the majestic Rhine fall.

Snowflakes snow crystals

Car almost fully covered with snow

Our tour manager, Ricky Tiang, posing in the garden of  Linder Grand Hotel Beau Rivage

As such, our tour manager from Chan Brothers recommended that we visit Bern, the capital of Switzerland, a UNESCO World Heritage site for the most well preserved medieval city. 

 Check out Bern Tourist Information for more information and pictures of our visit to Bern medieval city.

The city of Bern was founded in the 12th century and grew to into a rich trading centre.  In 1848 Bern was chosen as the permanent capital of the modern Swiss state, a position it proudly holds to this current day.

Close up of the Moses fountain

  One of the many fountains in and around Bern.

15th century astronomical clock

Another Bern tourist attraction and one of the most recognisable features of this city is the Zytglogge clock tower.   

Another interesting place to visit in Bern is Einstein House, the apartment where Einstein used to rent.

Einstein House

On the way to Titisee, we stopped for a toilet stop at this place which had cute little decorations hanging from the ceiling, as can be seen in the next few pictures below.

Next we departed for Titisee where we drove through the Black Forest, the largest forest in Germany. We enjoyed a pork knuckle and sausage lunch with an original Black Forest cake, which most of us found too sweet and too much alcohol, at Restaurant Zur Muhle, which is owned by the Drubba’s.  We also visited the Black Forest cuckoo clock factory at Drubba’s and was given a short introduction to the world of cuckoo clocks.

Lunch at Restaurant Zur Muhle

Cuckoo Clock factory

On the way to Drubba's Restaurant Zur Muhle

Frozen Lake Titisee during winter

Notice the barrier lest someone unknowingly walks onto the frozen lake

Christmas season in Titisee

After a late lunch, it took us more than 3 hours to reach Heidelberg for a Chinese dinner at China Restaurant Asia.

China-Restaurant Asia in Heidelberg

Braised vegetables

Cauliflower with seafood

Tofu

Steamed fish

Belly pork

Vegetable soup

Simple decor

 Have to admit that the Chinese food in Heidelberg is far better than the one we had on our very first day of our Europe vacation package.

After dinner, we took a short walk where managed to see the ruins of Heidelberg Castle in Germany from a distance.  As it was already dark, we could not get a clear picture.

The Heidelberg Castle on a cold winter night

Upon strolling along the Heidelberg Old Bridge, we came across the Heidelberg Bridge Monkey where tourists love to have their photographs taken by sticking their heads inside the monkey's mask.

A very common pose...  :)

We finally arrived at our accommodation for the night, Hotel NH Weinheim, Germany.

Hotel NH Weinheim

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Bern Tourist Attraction

Whilst on our Europe vacation package, we were fortunate to visit the old city of Bern which was not on our itinerary.  We did a walking tour of Bern and managed to cover some interesting sights.

The city of Bern was founded in the 12th century and grew to into a rich trading centre.  In 1848 Bern was chosen as the permanent capital of the modern Swiss state, a position it proudly holds to this current day.

Stadttheater Bern - one of the must see places in Bern

 According to wikipedia, the city of Bern proper begins with its founding by Duke Berchtold V of Zahringen in 1191.  Local legend has it that the duke vowed to name the city after the first animal he met on the hunt, which turned out to be a bear.  Both the name of the city and its heraldic beast, come from this legend.

Medieval Town

Bears have a long association with the town, which has had a bear pit since the end of the 15th century.  This is a popular Bern tourist attraction.

Bern bear pit

This bear pit is just by the Aare river in an open park.  A very popular Bern tourist attraction.

Easily spotted by the bear pit

Story of the Bear Pit

One of the bridges

Reminiscent of a medieval town

Overlooking the river

The Old City of Bern is also the medieval city centre of Bern, Switzerland.  Having retained its medieval character, the Old City is home to Switzerland's tallest cathedral as well as other churches, bridges and a large collection of Renaissance fountains.

If you walk around the medieval town of Bern, Switzerland's capital, you will come across a series of eleven 16th century fountains with colourful figures which are considered landmarks of Bern.  If you do not see any fountains, you have not been to Bern.

Some pictures of the fountains which are part of the Bern tourist attractions.

Close up of the Moses fountain

Moses fountain

Simson fountain covered snow

A medieval Bern fountain - Ogre Fountain

Ogre Fountain

Zahringer (or Bear) Fountain, Bern

Another Bern tourist attraction and one of the most recognisable features of this city, the Bern clock tower is known as the Zytglogge tower.  This landmark medieval tower was built in the 13th century and used to be a prison as well as a guard house.  Found in the old city of Bern, look out for the 15th century astronomical clock.

Zytglogge, the landmark medieval clock tower in Bern

Artwork at the Zytglogge Clock Tower

Zytglogge
Bern Clock Tower

Bucherer - to collect our souvenir spoon

Another clock tower

Founder of Bern statue

Sights along our walking tour of Bern

Neogothic style Church of St Peter - another Bern tourist attraction

Beautiful view

A medieval beast

Near where the Christmas market was held

Lovely...

Colourful souvenirs

A stall at the Christmas market in Bern

Munster of Bern, a Gothic cathedral

The Munster of Bern is the tallest cathedral in Switzerland.

Einstein House

Bern tourist attraction:- Einstein House
This is the apartment where Einstein lived from 1903 to 1905 in Bern.  It is now a museum.  This was  where Einstein wrote his first theory on special relativity.

Dungeon

An apartment

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