Voyage pittoresque aux lacs de Thoune, Brienz, Lungern et Sarnen, 1827

The name of the town of Thun is derived from the Celtic name "Dunum", which means "fortified hill" or "castle". With its picturesque aspects, Thun rivaled most other large Swiss towns and attracted many travelers. Thun Castle, which we see in the center of this view, was acquired by the Zähringen dynasty in the 12th century. However, they had no intention of living there, as they already had a residence in Burgdorf, but mainly wanted to mark their power over the region and the trade routes.

"Thun lies close to the outlet of Lake Thun on both banks of the Aar. The town is somewhat small, but pleasant, and sometimes adorned with attractive buildings. There is no shortage of inns, taverns, wine and beer taverns; the most notable are the Frey-Hof and the Weisses Kreuz; (the latter is particularly recommended.) Both are very well equipped to receive visitors, and usually have good innkeepers who also provide the necessary boats. [...] With three boatmen, the trip to Neuhaus [near Unterseen] takes three hours in good winds; I have also made this trip in 1 ½ hours; in adverse winds, however, it takes up to five hours. Post or Ordinaire ships leave almost every day; the former on Mondays and Fridays, the latter on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturday afternoons."

Scherzligen was also a popular place because of its location on the Aare and its walking paths. In this view, we can see the bell tower of a church that is an old place of pilgrimage. The first mention of this church in an official document dates back to the year 762, but it is likely that there was already a church on this site around the year 500. Scherzligen church is also known for its cycle of frescoes from the 13th to 16th centuries, which are still visible today.

"As the boats do not sail as far as Thun in summer because of the high water, you either embark on the left bank of the Aar at Hofstetten or on the right at Scherzligen, both a quarter of an hour from Thun. Switzerland contains few views that surpass these two in terms of beauty, perhaps none at all. Hofstetten is the country residence of Mr. Schultheiß von Mülinen, who has transformed the Bächi-Hölzlein belonging to it into an English garden in the most tasteful manner. Opposite is Schadau, belonging to the May family of Bern, at the outflow of the Aar."

The accompanying text advises travelers passing through Schadau to stop in the castle park. Originally built in 1348 on the shores of Lake Thun, the castle was initially a large house and was converted into a manor house in 1638. From 1838, the castle park was redesigned in the English style, and in 1852 the castle was built as we know it today. This engraving shows the castle as a manor house, without its neo-Gothic-style turrets.

"Another beautiful viewpoint is the one from Galgenhübeli, now called Abendhügel, since the adverse gallows have been removed. The view from there, at sunset, is truly magnificent, the mountains towards evening, Niesen and Stockhorn, wrap themselves in a scent of gold and roses that is inimitable. There, too, you can see the very countryside of the region, with the whole forest of fruit trees."

Unterseen is located in the heart of the Bernese Oberland and lies between Lakes Thun and Brienz. Often forgotten by tourists in favor of Interlaken, Unterseen was less visited as there was no access by boat or train. In 1471, a fire completely destroyed the town and it was rebuilt in its present form, with the town hall in the center. This building used to be the center of public life and a place where goods were traded, and it was also possible to spend the night there.

This view of the outflow of the Aare from Lake Brienz has inspired a number of artists who have painted several pictures of it. In the background on the left we see the Brienz mountains (Brienzergrat), while the Zollbrücke bridge over the Aare appears in the foreground.

Before an inn was built in its place in 1888, there was a stately mill under the castle hill of Ringgenberg. It has been documented since 1626, but is probably much older. Most of the grain was imported from Münsingen and Thun. It was transported across Lake Thun to Neuhaus on rowing boats, from there to the Sust (reloading station) in Unterseen by cart and then again on Lake Brienz by boat to Ringgenberg. In 1904/5, the owners converted the inn into today's Hotel Seeburg.

"This view seems to us to be one of the most pleasant and successful in this collection; it depicts the beautiful but austere landscapes of the Alps with the greatest fidelity and is so far removed from any artificial ornamentation in the arrangement, lighting or coloring that one cannot fail to recognize our artist's love for the simple beauties of nature."

Tracht served as the port of Brienz. Tourists came here to admire the rural architecture with its carved wooden houses, listen to the singers as they performed cow rows (for a fee) and admire the craftsmanship of a certain Christian Fischer (1789-1848), who would later establish the famous Brienz woodcarving school.

"Lungern, the largest village in the canton of Unterwalden, offered me nothing remarkable apart from its location on a lake which, although one of the smallest in Switzerland, is certainly one of the most romantic. [...] The mountains on the opposite shore, which one follows on the way to Sarnen, are less high and also offer less variety in their appearance. But the magnificent fir forests and the various trees that shade them also unfold an unusual wealth of vegetation, and the green shows all the shades it can take on over the widest range."

Kaiserstuhl, which belongs to the municipality of Lungern, lies at the northern end of Lake Lungern. In the late 18th century, the municipality planned to deepen this lake and thus gain land. However, the first attempt brought little success: "In 1791, work began on the canal through the limestone cliffs at Kaiserstuhl. The average to the lake basin is 212 fathoms [equivalent to about 380 meters]; the entrance to the mine is 2 fathoms [about 47 meters] below the lake surface, and the canal itself is 6 F. [about 1.8 meters] high and 4 1/2 F. [1.4 meters] wide. But the work was started haphazardly, the right direction was missed, and when at the end of 1797 they were only 31 fathoms [56 meters] away from the lake, none of the contractors knew how to help themselves." The venture was not successful until 1836. In 1919, however, the lake was dammed again for the use of hydropower to generate electricity.

"The landscape character of the main valley of Obwalden, from Alpnach and especially from Sarnen up to the Brünig, is quite unique. No bare rock faces and horns, no loads of snow and ice, no devastation and stone debris, but rounder and gentler contours, an uninterrupted meadow-green, wafting up from the valley over all the mountains; magnificent forests conceal all the angular lines, and houses are scattered everywhere. In this Alpine valley there is a romantic charm and a stillness and tranquillity that inspire gentle melancholy and rapture."