It was time to leave the enchanting village of Blatten but there was no time for regrets. More unique beauty awaited us!

We never expected such a view when we booked this hotel and did we ever enjoy it!

Our next "ports of  call" were the town of Brig, the town of Ernen and the Grimsel Pass.

A Bonus Waterfall Along The Way

On the road down the mountain from Blatten we spotted this waterfall. There are so many of these in Switzerland but this one was only about 50 meters from the road. Cold, clean and inviting but no time for a shower!

The Town of Brig

When visiting towns I love to go to the old town squares. The architecture inspires me and I love to go back in time with my mind and marvel at the artistry of a bygone era.

This particular building caught my eye with its turrets and steep roof line.

It was time to head on foot, through the old town and up the hill to Stockalper's Castle. It was built in the 1600's by Kaspar Stockalper. He was called the King of Semplon becasue of his vast wealth and business dominance in the area. At one time he had a total monopoly over the salt trade in that area. 

At the peak of his power he employed 5,00 people even though Brig had a population of only 900!

Stockalper built the the road for the Semplon pass and a canal from Vouvrey to Collombey. After building his monumental "castle" the residents of the surrounding area drove him into exile in Domodossola Italy! 

All of this reminds me of one of my favorite sayings: "Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely!"

This warehouse, residence, castle was built between 1658 and 1678 and has extensive gardens surrounding it.

A piece of the inner courtyard which is now used for concerts and events.

One of the towers as shown from inside the courtyard.

A bridge connected different building of the complex.

It Was Time to Visit The Village of Ernen

This picture pretty town is nestled in the hills of Valais. Image credit

In a recent article we visited the Goms suspension bridge but we didn't have time on that occasion to visit the old village of Ernen. Now we did!

This village is home to the "Tell House" which was built in 1576 and has its facade painted with what are likely the oldest William Tell frescoes. The town was awarded the Wakker prize in 1979 for its preservation of architectural heritage. 

Here you can see the William tell Frescoes. While fades they have lasted for well over 400 years! How long has your last paint job lasted?

Here Are Some Other Structures in Ernen

We Next Decided to Drive up The Grimsel Pass

The Grimsel pass reaches an elevation of  2,164 meters or 7,100 feet and it links the Goms in Valais with Hasli Valley in Bernese Oberland. The first documented use of the pass was in 14th century although it may be that the pass was used in Roman times.

Here are some pictures that we took on our way up the pass. On the other side of the valley you can see the Furka Pass which goes from Gletch in the Canton of Valais to Andermatt in the Canton of Uri.

On the left is the road for the Furka pass and on the right the road for the Grimsel pass.

We were getting closer to the top and were amazed at how my cyclists venture up these mountain roads!

Off in the distance you can see the glacier that is the source of the Rhone River which travesl from here 812 km to the Mediterranean Sea!

The really cool thing about all of what I showed you is the it entails only about 3 hours of driving! There are so many wonderful things to visit within a small area!

I hope that you enjoyed seeing this portion of my holiday.

Until next time, 

 @kus-knee (The Old Dog)

Let's Succeed Together!