The most beautiful European villages and towns. Cozy Bunker Beautiful Swiss Village

Asia

I keep talking about interesting places Switzerland and today my story will be devoted to one mountain village. At first glance, this is a typical Swiss village among the idyllic landscapes of northeastern Switzerland, but a careful eye among the green meadows and grazing cows will notice some strange structures. And if the eye is not only attentive but also curious, then curiosity can lead him to one of the largest underground cities in Switzerland, located right under the village.

Well, now about everything in more detail ...

01. I was returning from another weekend trip to Switzerland and on the way I met another paradise location, which I could not pass by. Since I was in no hurry, I decided to take a little walk with a camera around this picturesque village. Moreover, the weather was very conducive to such a walk.

02. Is it possible to pass by such beauties?

03. First, I decided to take a walk to the edge of the cliff on which the village was located. The views from there promised to be amazing.

04. Provincial Swiss idyll.

05. On this sunny September day, visibility was tens of kilometers around.

06. I can’t even imagine what a feeling of freedom a skydiver soaring among such landscapes and clouds experienced.

07. Seen in the distance mountain peaks with snowy fields.

08. From the cliff you can see the whole valley with numerous settlements, river, roads and railways.

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10. Unfortunately, the edge of the cliff was overgrown with dense vegetation and it was possible to photograph the valley below only through the gaps in the foliage.

11. Right in the middle of the clearing, something resembling a ventilation pipe sticks out.

12. There are a couple more hatches nearby. What is all this doing here, five hundred meters from the village and twenty meters from a sheer cliff? The answer will be found soon.

13. In the meantime, I continue my walk among the idyll surrounding me.

14. Sunlit green meadows, neat houses, and silence, broken only by the ringing of cow bells grazing on the hills. One of the versions of what paradise might look like.

15. Photos speak for themselves.

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17. The ringing of their bells is still in my ears when I look through these photos.

This is how it sounds:

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19. Residential buildings and the area around them are so well maintained that it is hard to believe that this is not a scenery, but an ordinary village lost in the Swiss province.

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21. Beauty!

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24. Subaru's products are in high demand in Switzerland. Nowhere else have I seen so many Subaru cars on the roads as in this mountainous country.

25. Village houses.

26. Fences perform a purely decorative function.

27. Each house is decorated with flowers.

28. There is nothing to comment on here. Everything is visible and so.

29. This could end the post if I did not pay attention to the strange structures that I first took for mini-sheds for hay. Especially since cows were grazing nearby.

30. There were several such structures here.

31. In one of them, part of the back wall was missing and what I saw made me think.

32. But I did not think for a long time, since the next object dispelled all doubts - this village is not simple.

All these sheds were nothing more than artillery pieces, skillfully disguised as agricultural buildings. I never cease to be amazed at how skillfully the Swiss camouflage military installations. In the last post, I wrote about disguised as a village, which I would not have noticed if not for one blunder in disguise.

33. In these "sheds" I would also never have recognized the armored turrets with guns, if not for the lack of disguise on one of them.

34. The plateau on which the village with the military facility is located is above the clouds, which is clearly visible in this frame.

35. If there is artillery, then there must be machine-gun points to cover the guns - I thought and began to peer suspiciously into every house in this village.

36. It didn't take long to search.

37. After the newly acquired knowledge, this shed seemed very suspicious to me, standing a little apart from the rest of the houses in the village.

38. Close inspection confirmed my idea that this was not a barn.

39. Behind the missing camouflage panels, something resembling a pillbox was clearly visible.

40. The pillbox had the shape of a mushroom, in the leg of which there were four machine-gun embrasures located at 90 ° from each other and thus allowing firing at 360 °.

41. Camouflage panels made it possible to see the surrounding area, while they themselves perfectly hid the object.

42. It would not be correct to call this structure a pillbox, since it is nothing more than a combat block of the fortress, connected to a vast underground part by an underground passage.

43. Concrete mushroom.

44. Was here and emergency exit, but it turned out to be immured.

After inspecting this block, I made an attempt to find other blocks that should have been nearby, but my attempt was unsuccessful. They were probably so camouflaged that I did not recognize them on a cursory inspection of the village. The picture from Wikipedia gives a more complete picture of part of the elevated structures of the Furggels fortress, of those located in this village. I marked with red arrows the objects I identified - three cannons and one machine-gun casemate.

One more of these objects (second from the bottom) can be seen in 21 photos - this is a shed in the background, in which it is difficult to suspect a military facility, nevertheless there is an emergency entrance to the fortress. For those who may be in these places, I give the coordinates of the village: 46 ° 58 "53.6" N 9 ° 30 "24.3" E.

45. All these objects are just the tip of the iceberg - a huge underground city, part of which is located under this village. I set out to find the entrance to this huge underworld and I easily succeeded - the entrance was right next to the road leading to this village about five hundred meters from the village. It turned out that there is a working restaurant in the underground part of the fortress and excursions are conducted around the fortress.

46. The doors were hospitably open and I stepped inside.

47. The dimensions of the postern leading underground struck me immediately. Its width and height were sufficient for the passage of an army truck.

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49. Poterna leads to Big hall, the entrance to which is guarded by a guard casemate with a machine-gun embrasure.

50. The dimensions of the hall are impressive. Especially considering the fact that it was all carved into the rock. I saw something similar only in Balaklava in.

51. It is obvious that this hall is intended for unloading vehicles that delivered to underground city ammunition, ammunition and provisions.

52. This is evidenced by the turning circle for turning army trucks.

54. Fork.

55. The postern, leaving to the left, leads to the restaurant and to the lower level of the fortress, the path to the right is locked with a castle, there is the upper level of the fortress.

56. Whether the upper level is abandoned, or it can only be visited as part of an excursion, I don’t know.

57. On the way there is a lock of two massive armored doors. I believe it was built already in the post-war period as part of the improvement of the anti-nuclear defense of the fortress.

58. Having passed another hundred meters, I stumble upon another gateway of two ordinary armored doors. On the left, you can see a branch from the main poster, going into darkness. The sign on the fence prohibits the passage there.

59. Having passed the next armored doors, I find myself in the residential part of the fortress. By this time, I had already walked at least half a kilometer underground, and the road did not end.

60. There was a post office in every Swiss fortress, Festung Furggels is no exception.

61. Labyrinths of the supply zone.

62. To the left behind the washbasin is a restaurant, which is an ordinary soldier's canteen, in which the soldiers living in the fortress during its army past ate. Judging by the appearance of the dining room, nothing has been changed in it since the war, leaving everything as it was.

63. Approaching the restaurant worker, I asked if it was possible to get on a tour of the fortress. The answer did not please me - excursions are possible only with a guide in a clear certain time and you must first send an application by email. I was an hour late for the tour that day. I asked why it is impossible to see the fortress yourself, as is customary in many other similar museum sites in Switzerland? The answer was this - the fortress is huge and the danger of getting lost in its labyrinths is high.

64. Fortress Furggels is one of the largest underground facilities of the Swiss Redoubt - a defensive line created during World War II.

65. Unfortunately, I did not manage to get on the tour that day, but I firmly decided that I would definitely return here. So this is not the last post about this impressive object.

66. Road to the exit.

On the way, I took a short video clip:

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69. Such secrets are hidden in the Swiss hinterland, which can sometimes be stumbled upon quite by accident.

70. I have a lot to tell about underground Switzerland, so fans of underground mysteries will find many more interesting exclusives in this blog.

Switzerland… What do you associate this country with? Watches, jars, cheeses and chocolates, Alpine cows, emerald meadows and mountains. Switzerland is "expensive" and "very expensive". I have always wanted to visit Zurich. What does the city look like, into which money flows from all over the world? Zurich. This strict name beckoned. Sparkling showcases of branded watches were immediately presented, the price tag of which was simply indecent to exhibit. Boutiques filled with the most delicious chocolate, where each candy is a work of art. Handsome men in white shirts and strict suits with expensive briefcases in the same expensive, perfectly polished shoes ... Everything should be perfect in this city. Expensive and perfect. What else? Somehow my imagination calmed down on this. All the same, the meeting with Zurich was still something illusory.

It won't be true if I tell you that I only thought about Zurich, I'm not that practical a girl. Alpine landscapes, which I have long loved in absentia, have become an even greater incentive to speed up the meeting with this country. And although there were slightly different plans for this year, fate, as always, makes adjustments and offers its own options, and sometimes pleasant surprises. So everything matched up perfectly. That Switzerland decided: you will be with me here and now, and the rest of the countries can wait. I did not resist, and our dreams should come true at least a little.

Our journey started from Italy. Flying to Milan turned out to be a much more affordable option in all respects than to Switzerland. I haven't been to Milan yet, which means meeting new people. Italian city is an added bonus. And from Milan to Switzerland is within easy reach, well, mentally I was already preparing for scenic road at the same time thinking how to carve out at least a couple of hours for shopping. This is Milan! Without this ritual, staying in the fashionable capital simply will not be counted.

In Milan, we did not linger, as we planned to spend time in Italy on the way back. Since the flight home was guess where? That's right, from all the same Malpensa. Therefore, I will kindly omit the Italian part of the voyage, with your permission, this time.

I close my eyes and I still have these pictures in front of my eyes, they can’t be interrupted by anything, they don’t go from my head ... Never before have I seen such emerald grass, such juicy, as if someone had spilled bright green paint, fields. These smooth curves of hills, turning into coniferous forests, slender sweeping fir-trees all flickered and flickered outside the window ... and then they appeared. The mountains. They were so different: some were tall with sharp peaks, others smaller, covered with dense forests, others with snow-covered caps. Summer. The sun floods everything around with its rays, a bright blue sky with curly fluffy clouds, green meadows and ... snow. Snow. It's high up in the mountains. How unusual it is, how beautiful it is.

Swiss landscapes literally cut into your memory and begin to occupy the edge of your heart, over time this edge is getting bigger and bigger. And you already love these places. And you immediately understand that this is not fleeting, not falling in love. Everything is serious. And forever. And then these magical pictures come to life and begin to fill in with details: cozy chocolate houses, neatly scattered across the fields, as if some kid scattered his toys; lakes ... Their bottom is definitely dotted with malachites and emeralds, otherwise, where else could such a fantastic color come from. Outside the window, violent mountain rivers with huge boulders flash, waterfalls fall in powerful streams down from sheer cliffs. One slide is replaced by another, but at such a speed! At first, you do not have time to turn your head. To the right is one beauty, to the left is completely different, and if you turn back ... Then your brain no longer has time to download all this information. It is not known how many hundreds of shades of green (after what I saw in Switzerland, I now believe that there are exactly so many of them!) You managed to capture your eyes in a couple of hours of driving.

You stop at a gas station, or have a bite to eat, and there are also mountains, mountains! And there is no escape and nowhere to go. Just think, who is running away from such beauty, abnormal. Yes. But to see so much beauty in a couple of hours is also not normal. In general, I had an overdose. It turns out that this happens. Therefore, I would not advise you to go to Switzerland unprepared, especially if you are a person who is impressionable and not indifferent to natural beauties. And you need to prepare like this: travel to other countries and very beautiful places(preferably, where there are the same Alps, or others beautiful mountains), the eyes should get used gradually. I can’t say that I’m a young lady completely inexperienced in this matter, but still I got a little drunk from what I saw. So much for "drunk without wine."

In describing the impressions of natural beauties, I completely forgot about Liechtenstein. This is honestly a completely uninteresting place. If you drive past it, you won't lose anything. We were very close and could not help but check in this tiny state (you need to replenish the list of the number of countries - just kidding).

How else to prepare for a meeting with Switzerland? It is desirable to visit earlier in France and Germany. Otherwise, there may be so much different information to perceive that your brain will give you “to much” and ask you to reboot. Switzerland is unique country that took too much from their neighbors. Certainly, neighbouring countries often influence each other to some extent. But to be so... So, it is quite realistic to visit three countries at once without leaving one country: Germany, France and Italy. You ask, but what about the “unique” and inimitable Switzerland itself? The question is not easy. It's like the whole of Switzerland. Probably to a greater extent it is still the same Germany, but with its own characteristics. The Swiss, probably, would be wildly offended by me for such reflections. They are like any mountain people - proud and independent. Well, excuse me, I didn’t come up with the idea to appoint a German-speaking city as the capital. BUT official languages there are four in general in the country: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Moreover, the Swiss, of course, is not obliged to know them all, just one or two is enough. More often, the Swiss speak the language spoken by the population of the canton (region) in which they live. English, as elsewhere in modern world in developed countries, owns a significant part of the population, mostly the younger generation.

Either the landscapes you saw did their job, or Zurich is not so expensive. The city left a calm, even impression. I will not delve into the Zurich rpg in detail now. Otherwise, my story runs the risk of becoming a book story. So let's go over the tops.

We had a day in Zurich. This is quite enough to see the city. walk along historical center, climb to observation deck and then go down to the lake. You can ride on a boat. There is also time for lunch. For example, sit on the terrace of a cozy cafe in the heart of Zurich, on the one hand - the Savoy Hotel, on the other - the street of the famous Swiss banks. Summer, good sunny weather, European city, delicious sausages, nice company. What else is needed for happiness? Well, except for a Swiss bank account. Rather, a lip-rolling machine.

By the way, about the kitchen. Switzerland does not have its own cuisine as such. You might object, but what about the famous fondue? This unpretentious shepherd's meal can hardly be considered a full-fledged separate kitchen. They also have a couple of strange dishes there, for example, rosti - known to us as potato pancakes. And all sorts of variations of potatoes and cheese. The main secret of a delicious dish for the Swiss is simple - add cheese. In potatoes, pasta, vegetables, sausages. They also love sausages here. Another hello to Germany. I don't know how close Swiss sausages are to the original, but we liked it. The main thing is nothing to do with our sausages.

Many people are probably wondering what a hearty lunch in expensive Switzerland cost us. Lunch on average cost us 40-50 francs for two, but this is without wine. Fondue - about 30 francs.

Accommodation prices in Zurich itself are exorbitant, booking a hotel six months in advance is not our forte. So we decided to stay in Regensdorf. You can't call our hotel cheap either, but we really liked it. Modern stylish design, and what delicious breakfasts there! Our best hotel for the whole trip. The location is convenient, you can see the surroundings. It is interesting to look into a non-tourist city, to find out what and how ordinary Swiss people live. You know, they live well there. We liked the province.

What you will definitely save on in Switzerland is on the water. In cities, drinking fountains are literally on every corner; you can take the purest water from alpine sources with you. We have this kind of water worth decent money. In my opinion, Italians and French neighbors can stir up a good business. Maybe they stir up on the sly border control. In hotels, the tap also flows drinking water. The rooms even have a sign, they took care of the tourists. After all, drinking tap water in most countries is a crime for your body.

In continuation of the water theme: we could not miss a place well known to many - the Rhine Falls. At first I thought these were the same waterfalls from my favorite book about Sherlock Holmes. It turned out they weren't. But the waterfalls did not become less beautiful from this. In addition, they are the most powerful in Europe, not counting the Icelandic ones.

We decided not to limit ourselves to waterfalls alone and stopped in Schaffhausen. This town is located almost on the border with Germany, and the German flavor cannot be taken away from it. Schaffhausen - fabulous, cute. Walking along its streets is a pleasure, every now and then you hang out at one house, another, third ... The city is very photogenic. We did not meet crowds of tourists here, which allowed us to immerse ourselves in its pleasant atmosphere even more. If you are in these parts, don't miss it. For me it was a small trip to Germany, to look into new country at least one eye is always interesting.

Then we went to Basel. Many people skip it, the city is not spoiled by the attention of tourists, and it seems to me that this is not entirely fair. I'd rather skip Bern, even though it's the capital of Switzerland.

And maybe it's good that there are few tourists there? Immerse yourself in the life of a real Swiss city, which can be both businesslike and fast, and even a little noisy (it's hard to believe, but yes!), And at the same time, historical, beautiful and very cozy.

The main decoration of Basel - Cathedral and the town hall. They cannot be missed. The town hall even got into the ratings of the most beautiful in Europe.

You can walk along the Rhine, admire the views of the opposite bank, you can climb the stairs to the top, to a cozy area. Not even possible, but necessary. Narrow streets are full of flowers, neat houses, shutters, cute details, so much charm. Quiet, calm, only rare passers-by on the streets. And one more pleasant moment, as I said, the city is non-tourist. Therefore, there are no crowds of Chinese in Basel, as well as souvenir shops. For some reason, the Swiss believe that only the Chinese need souvenirs. Well, or only the Chinese have money for magnets of 10 francs ...

You should definitely visit Lucerne. In my humble opinion, this is the most beautiful city in Switzerland. If the Swiss chocolatiers tried to create their own masterpiece, in the case of Lucerne they succeeded. The city is like candy! Although history clearly indicates to us that it appeared much earlier than the most delicious chocolate in the world.

Magnificent architecture surrounded by no less beautiful nature - harmony fills the air of Lucerne more abruptly than the most fragrant and exquisite perfumes. Take a walk along the lake, admiring the scenery, feed the swans (although the latter is not very welcome here), go to the old Kapellbrücke chapel bridge, look into the snow-white ornate Jesuit church. Such a rich decoration of the cathedral is rather an exception in Switzerland. Lucerne excelled here as well.

Get to know the architecture of the city. Beautiful buildings, painted houses, balconies, antique clocks, monograms and forged signs - as if he was in the scenery for Andersen's fairy tales. You can spend several days in Lucerne with pleasure, although the pleasure is not at all cheap. But you can not limit yourself to one city, Mount Pilatus is nearby, Lakes Thun and Brienz are also not far away. In Switzerland, everything is close, given the size of the country. But the number of beauties per square meter just rolls over, to have time to see everything in one visit is an impossible task.

We finally moved closer to the mountains. We enjoyed the landscapes of the Alps in Lauterbrunnen, admired one of the most famous and highest mountains in Switzerland - the beautiful Jungfrau, looked into the resort aristocratic Interlaken, and stopped in cozy Spiez.

Spitz - perfect place for a romantic weekend. Yachts under snow-white sails sway on the waves, neat houses, from the balconies of which there are stunning views of the mountain peaks and the blue of the lake. A glass of good wine. Silence and bliss. To complete the perfect romantic image, only the castle and knights are missing.

Switzerland is one big picture. There are magnificent mountain views from border to border with picturesque villages in the valleys. It is a paradise for hikers in summer and skiers in winter. Best to visit small towns Switzerland, which are the gateway to this alpine paradise.

Soglio is a small Swiss village with stunning scenery. In summer, wildflowers bloom on the hills, while the horizon is filled with snow-capped mountains. The main attraction is the church of San Lorenzo with a bell tower that rises above the village. Stroll through the narrow cobbled streets to the Palazzo Solis, where you will be enchanted by the Mediterranean atmosphere and giant sequoias. This tiny village will allow you to be on your own, especially if you are hiking along the Berghell trail or through the chestnut forest.

Morcote is similar to other small picturesque towns in Switzerland. But still, this amazing place stands out from others. Located on the shores of Lake Lugano, Morcote was named the most beautiful city in Switzerland. And for good reason: the town is famous for its architecture and medieval arcade. It contains 16th-century houses and the 13th-century church of Santa Maria del Sasso. Worth a visit too botanical park and the Art Museum.

Wengen, located in central Switzerland, has only 1,300 inhabitants. But in the summer it increases to 5 thousand people due to hiking enthusiasts who walk along the trails for kilometers every day. And in winter, this figure increases to 10 thousand, because Wengen - popular place for cross country skiing. The town has historic houses dating back to the Belle Epoque. If you go to Wengen by train, you can see climbers trying to climb the north side of Mount Eiger.

If you're a James Bond fan, then you're familiar with the cable car and revolving restaurant at the top of the Schilthorn. They are shown in the film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", which was filmed in Mürren. From anywhere in this amazing city offers stunning views of mighty mountains such as the Eiger and Jungfrau, as well as flower-filled meadows.

Grindelwald and Gellert Grindelwald share the same name, but that's where the similarities end. Gellert Grindelwald is a dark character in the Harry Potter series, and Grindelwald is picturesque city in the Bernese Alps. The surroundings here are just fantastic. You can admire the northern slope of Mount Eiger. From the 18th century until the discovery of the largest ski resort in the Jungfrau region, Gridelwald was the main tourist destination. There are many good hiking opportunities in the summer, including the Eiger trails.

In this picturesque valley there are 72 waterfalls that cascade down from the mountains. The most famous of them is Staubbach, which falls from a height of almost 300 meters. This is one of the highest waterfalls in Europe. From the city itself, you can go on an excursion to the Jungfrau region through the valley right up to Mürren. This tiny picturesque village nestled among the mountains inspired many writers, including Goethe. Walking through the valley is a must, although the more adventurous can enjoy parasailing or paragliding.

Zermatt is one of the most famous ski and climbing resorts in Switzerland, located at the foot of the high mountain country - Matterhorn. This is favorite place for those who like glamorous and expensive outdoor recreation. Although the town is located close to the Italian border, most of its inhabitants speak German. You can go hiking or cable car climb the mountains for breathtaking views of the famous Matterhorn.

The Swiss Alps are popular for many reasons, but have you ever considered them as an informational detox destination?

High in the mountains are old villages, where life develops at its own pace (there are no cars on the roads) and is more like a community life.

To get here, you will need to ride several funiculars and walk quite a lot. When you finally get there, forget about the daily hustle and bustle and enjoy a special atmosphere far from stress.

If you have already prepared your suitcase, we have put together a selection of 6 the best places where to go for the right winter.

Braunwald is a real Swiss secret: it is located in the Glarus district in the eastern part of Switzerland, and only 400 inhabitants live here.

AT winter time trails start right at your doorstep. In summer, all routes turn into hiking and trekking trails - you can walk to Schwyz or Uri, and return by bus.

The village has its own bakery, cafe, grocery store, ATM and several restaurants (at hotels).

One of the best places to stay is, however, there are a lot of equally worthy options next to it.

The easiest way to get there is from Zurich (it is only 2 hours away), and then you will need to take one of the longest funiculars and reach your destination at an angle of almost 45 degrees.

The trip will definitely be magical - from the very beginning to the end.

Just above the Lauterbrunnen valley, the one that inspired Tolkien, is the village of Mürren, which offers amazing views of the 3 most famous mountains in the world: Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. Of course, it will be good here in the summer too, but if you come in the winter, you will understand what inspired the British to invent skiing here.

The village has a supermarket, a bakery, a butcher shop and several cafes and hotels. The Stägerstübli is rightfully considered the best of the cafes with its tables outside, where you can find out everything over morning coffee latest news and gossip.

Mürren can be reached both by car and by train.

Before mountain village the easiest way to get there: there are regular trains from the city of Weggis, which is located near Lake Lucerne. Once you arrive, get away from the crowds and head up into the mountains for great views of central Switzerland.

If you want to stay here for the night, then stay at the hotel, which is known for its mineral baths and spa treatments.

Inside the huge old rock, resembling a bowl, is the ski village of Saas-Fee. It has lost a bit of its charm due to the constant flow of visitors, but the nature remains just as impressive: the trails here are ideal for trekking and they offer magnificent views. If you are not indifferent to the spa, then be sure to check out the Ferienart.

It is also worth getting into the highest restaurant in the world - threes!xty - Drehrestaurant & CofFee, not only do they cook great food there and that, magnificent panoramas open up from there, but it also rotates.

Wengen is separated from Mürren by the Lauterbrunnen valley, but this village perhaps offers one of the best routes for long skiing imaginable.

Wengen is slightly better developed than other villages, as it is on the train route that brings tourists from Lauterbrunnen to Klein Scheidegg.

In the summer, thousands of people (a day) come here to climb the peaks. And there is much more entertainment here than anywhere else. And if you're looking for the kind of Switzerland you've seen in pictures before, then you've come to the right place, with great hiking trails and picturesque mountains.

From here you can also walk to Grindelwald.

Zermatt has long been one of the most popular destinations in Switzerland, and this is not surprising: here and cozy streets, and stunning views of the Matterhorn, and excellent skiing. At the same time, the village has managed to retain its charm and glamor, with trendy shops and restaurants adding to the splendor.

One of the best places to stay is a hotel made in the best traditions of the Alps, from where beautiful view to the valley.

Be sure to follow the Riffelsee route and Gornergrat, you can go up there by funicular, and go down on foot.