Simmental Attractions

At the west end of Spiez turn off the lakeside road to Thun into road 11 (on left), which climbs, with a fine view of the Niesen (2,367 m/7,766ft), to Spiezwiler (652 m/2,139ft), where the Kandertal road goes off on the left via Mülenen (7km/4mi; funicular up the Niesen) to Kandersteg and Adelboden. Road 11 continues straight ahead and then curves down to enter the valley of the Kander, which it crosses (to the left a view of the Blümisalp, 3,671 m/12,045ft). It then continues through wooded country to Wimmis.

Boltigen (850 m/2,790ft; pop. 1,420) is in a wider part of the Simmental valley, with the precipitous limestone peak of the Mittagfluh (1,890 m/6,201ft) rearing above it. Beyond this, at Reidenbach (840 m/2,756ft), a road goes off on the right over the Jaun pass to Bulle and Lausanne.

A road running east from Lenk climbs with steep bends to the Bühlberg restaurant (6km/4mi; 1,660 m/5,446ft), from which it is an hour's climb to the Hahnenmoos pass (1,957 m/6,421ft).

In the Lower Simmental, the road ascends on a moderate gradient, with a view of the Jungfrau area to the left, to Latterbach (703 m/2,307ft), in the commune of Erlenbach. From here an attractive detour can be made on a narrow road to the left which runs through Oey and then 14km/9mi southwest up the Diemtigtal to the Grimmi-Alp (1,222 m/4,009ft), with far-ranging views, from which the Seehorn (2,283 m/7,491ft; three hours) and the Männifluh (2,654 m/8,708ft; 4.5 hours) can be climbed (fine views from both peaks).

2.5km/2mi northwest of Därstätten in Nidfluh (920 m/3,019ft) is the oldest farmhouse in the Simmental (1642).

A new road (N 6) is planned to run through a tunnel 4km /2mi long into the Valais. Another road leads southeast from Lenk up the Simme valley, past a cableway to Metsch (1,480 m/4,856ft), to Höhenhaus (5km/3mi; 1,103 m/3,619ft), at the head of the valley. From here a footpath (one hour) ascends past the Simme Falls to the huts on the Räzliberg (1,404 m/4,607ft; restaurant), near which the Siebenbrunnen (1,446 m/4,744ft), the main source of the Simme, gushes out of seven clefts in the rock walls of the Fluhhorn (2,139 m/7,018ft).

From Zweisimmen the main road leads to Saanen, while the road to Lenk through the Upper Simmental branches off on the left, running alongside the Grosse Simme to Betelried (960 m/3,150ft), with the 18th C. Schloss Blankenburg (local government offices). It then continues to St Stephan (993 m/3,259ft; 15th C. church), with the Wildstrubel (3,253 m/10,673ft) in the background, and to Matten (1,026 m/3,366ft), at the mouth of the Fermelbach valley. 5km/3mi farther on (views of Wildstrubel) is Lenk.

From Reidenbach the main road goes up through the green Alpine meadows of the Simmental to Weissenbach (846 m/2,776ft), and 2km/1mi beyond this through a narrow passage which separates the Lower from the Upper Simmental. Beyond the crag of Laubeggstalden (ruined castle; waterfall on the Simme) the valley opens out again. The road passes the ruined castle of Mannenberg (1,016 m/3,333ft), on the left.

Weissenburg (776 m/2,546ft). 1.5km/1mi northwest is Weissenburgbad (844 m/2,769ft), a former spa (sulfurous spring, 31 deg C/88 deg F) which no longer operates. From Weissenburg the main road continues steadily uphill through a wooded valley, with villages situated on a terrace higher up on the right.

Above Wimmis on the Burgfluh stands the imposing Weissenburg Castle (14th C.), which now houses the Nieder-Simmental communal offices (on the ground floor a room furnished in Simmental style).

Wimmis (631 m/2,070ft), below the north side of the Niesen, has attractive old wooden houses and a 10th C. church.

Beyond Wimmis the road passes the end of a section of highway and crosses the Simme to join a road coming in from Thun on the right. It then continues alongside an artificial lake, the Simmensee, and through the Port, a narrow passage between the high rock walls of the Burgfluh (990 m/3,248ft) and the Simmenfluh (1,456 m/4,777ft).

From Weissenbach the road comes in to Zweisimmen (954 m/3,130ft; pop. 3,000), the chief place in the Upper Simmental, situated in a wide expanse of meadows at the junction of the Grosse and Kleine Simme. The little town attracts many summer visitors, but is particularly favored by winter sports enthusiasts (30km/19mi of cross-country skiing; toboggan run; indoor tennis courts). It has a fine church with a typical Simmental tower (15th C.; 15th-16th C. stained glass). Cableway (5.1km/3mi, 30minutes) up the Rinderberg. To the west is the Hundsrügg (2,049 m/6,723ft; four hours), with extensive views.