Plan for Day 1: Wengen to Bern: 49.8 miles

I've decided to post my notes for each stage here on the blog for reference. Here is the first stage:

Day 1: Wengen to Bern (map included at the end)

This stage starts in the car-free town of Wengen, where my Mom and her husband Vaughn have a Chalet. The first section is a very steep downhill (20% grade) on a hiking/biking path down to Lauterbrunnen. From there, I follow the river down the valley to where it drops into Lake Brienz near Interlaken. I then follow the shoreline of Lake Brienz to where the Aare River starts down towards Lake Thun (the two lakes of Interlaken).

After following the Aare to Lake Thun, I continue for 15 miles along the north shore of Lake Thun from Interlaken to Thun. There are a couple castles along the shore, but they won't be open in the morning. Still probably worth a stop to take some pictures of the castles by the lake.

Once I get to Thun, I cross over the river and head towards Schadau Park, which is where the Aare River starts up again as the outlet of Lake Thun. The plan is to probably have a picnic lunch here after grabbing something at the train station. I then work my way back through town to the right hand side (when facing downstream) of the Aare River. There is a trail along the river for all of the next 20 miles into Bern.

I'm really looking forward to this section, as the trail by the river will change from a paved bike path to an unpaved path to a single-track trail over the course of the trip. There are likely some places where I'll need to walk the bike.

Once I hit Bern, it is a pretty short trip up to the Best Western where I am staying the first night. It is a bit expensive, but I think I want something easy for the first night on the road. After I get settled in the hotel, I'll head out to explore the sights of Bern (Swiss Government, Cathedral, Einstein House, etc).

Below, I've posted the directions I'll carry on the bike and the map I'll have downloaded to my GPS:

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*) Leave Chalet (left)

*) Uphill. Continue left to main street. Turn right.

*) Follow main road. Continue past turnoff on right towards station.
Cross over tracks. Take first right after tracks.

*) Continue for short distance, then turn right downhill towards woods.

*) Continue downhill on steep switchbacks for some distance. Cross
over railroad tracks. Turn left on first road after tracks.

*) Continue to end of road and turn left at T intersection.

*) Cross over tracks again and move down towards river. Turn right
onto bridge over river.

*) Stay on road as it heads first south and then makes a U-turn
towards the north. Continue north past the train station. Continue
north out of town along the river. Continue on road (stay left) at
Zweilutschinen. Road moves away from river on approach to Interlaken.
Go across tributary and take first right onto a residential street.

*) Follow street as it loops to the left. Turn right back onto main
street.

*) Continue on road towards train tracks. If possible, cross over
train tracks on side road when road turns left (*A). Otherwise,
continue left (*B).

*A) Continue straight after tracks. Pass road to the right that goes
over bridge. Take next right towards left back of river.

*B) Continue along as road curves to the right in front of the train
station. Take first right across tracks and back towards the SE.

*B) Continue on road through parking lot to first left towards river.

*) Continue along left bank of river for considerable distance. Pass
airport off to the left. Turn right when road hits T intersection.

*) Turn left before bridge over river.

*) Continue along left bank of river until it ends at the Brienzer
See.

*) Turn around and try to follow the edge of the Brienzer See around
to the NW (*A). Return back on same road if not successfull (*B).

*A) Continue around the Brienzer See until the start of the Aare
River. If possible, continue along the bank of the Aare and
underneath the railroad tracks (*AA). Otherwise, back off slightly
and turn left onto road or path.

*AB) Continue on road/path left and then right before it hits a road.
Turn right.

*AB) Follow the road as it wraps around a house and crosses under the
train tracks. Continue until the road is going along the bank of the
river. Turn left along the river.

*B) Continue on road back to the bridge and turn right (away from the
river).

*B) Take first forward right over the tracks.

*B) Follow the road as it wraps around a house and crosses under the
train tracks. Continue until the road is going along the bank of the
river. Turn left along the river.

*) Continue along left bank. Pass under freeway bridge across river.
Take first forward left after bridge.

*) Take forward right at T intersection.

*) Continue with train station on left. Merge forward right onto main
road at T intersection.

*) Continue on main road past main road to the right over river.
Continue past slight jog to the left. Take right on first major
street. Should see river (with bridge) in the distance down road.

*) Continue down road to the river. Cross over river on bridge and
immediately turn left along the bank.

*) Continue along right bank as river turns slightly left (south).
Continue past river split and then turn left over bridge.

*) Cross over island and over second bridge. Take first right after
second bridge.

*) Road will hit a major street that crosses over the river (there
might be an underpass). Make your way across the street and over to
the left bank of the river.

*) Continue along with the river on your right until you start to see
the canal on your left. Follow the right bank of the canel. At Y
fork, turn left along right bank of canal.

*) Continue along right bank of canal. Go under freeway bridge. At
some point, cross over island to left bank of river. Continue along
left bank of river until the end.

*) Backtrack along left bank of river until you hit a bridge. If
possible, go over bridge (*A). If not, continue back underneath the
freeway bridge and continue back until canal makes slight turn to the
left. At that point, make rear left turn back down island (*B).

*A) Continue as road arcs to the right. If possible, take a left back
towards the See (*AA). If not, continue underneath freeway and take
first forward left (*AB).

*AA) Continue along edge of Thuner See. Will hit harbor with boats.
At this point, work your way north (away from the See) and find a way
onto the main road going West (left).

*AB) Take first left back towards freeway.

*AB) Follow road as it turns right and becomes a frontage road next to
freeway. Take second forward right turn.

*AB) Turn left onto main road.

*AB) Merge right from main road onto freeway.

*B) Follow road as it turns right and hits left bank of river. Turn
right along left bank.

*B) Turn left onto bridge over river.

*B) Immediately turn right along right bank of river.

*B) Take first forward left.

*B) Take first rear left.

*B) Follow street across one street until it hits freeway and turns
right as a frontage road. Take second forward right after freeway.

*B) Turn left onto main road.

*B) Merge right from main road onto freeway.

*) Follow road all along north shore of Thuner See. Follow signs to
Schloss Oberhofen and Schloss Hunegg.

*) On approach into Thun, road will turn away from the See. Take
first left back towards the See.

*) Take right and end of road.

*) Take first left towards Hunibach Ferry.

*) Turn right at Thuner See and continue along shore. Contiue for
some distance along Thuner See and Aare River until river splits.
Turn left over bridge.

*) Continue over second bridge (covered). Turn left along left shore
of Aare.

*) Make first right turn towards Thun Ferry.

*) Make left turn in front of train station.

*) Continue along left shore of canal until park at start of Aare and
Schloss Schadau.

*) Backtrack along the left shore of the canal back to the train
station. Continue past the train station as the road turns to the
right towards a large traffic circle. Continue across the traffic
circle to the bridge and a across the bridge. Turn left at the first
junction across the bridge.

*) Continue to a large open area and cross over to the far side of the
island between the two bridges. Walk around here and take pictures.
Eventually end up on the other side of the non-covered bridge.

*) Make a left and follow the right bank of the river down to the next
bridge. Continue past the bridge before turning right towards the
Rathausplatz Plaza.

*) Continue out the center of the plaza on the downstream side.
Follow the road past two roads, each with bridges on the left. When
the main road branches to the right, keep left (straight).

*) Continue along the river, keeping to the bank whenever possible.
Merge onto a road as it parallels the river, just before the train
tracks.

*) Cross the train tracks on the road and then stay on the right bank
when the road crosses over the river.

*) Stay on the road/path for several miles, basically all the way to
Bern. There will be some sections that are trail and might need to be
walked. You should be able to stay right on the bank (definitely
between the freeway and the river) the entire distance. Follow signs
for Aareweg or Aareuferweg. On the entrance into Central Bern, just
before the river turns to the right, turn left over a bridge.

*) Continue forward right across the traffic circle. Take a slight
jog to the right uphill until you hit a road heading up to the right.
Turn right.

*) Follow the road as it curves to the left. Take the second left
(first legal left).

*) Continue in front of the Bundeshaus. Hotel Best Western Baeren is
in the next block.

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