Our final big excursion was to Giessbach Falls which was about a twenty minute drive along the shore of Brienzersee Lake from our apartment. It was another gorgeous day. The fall foliage was undoubtedly the most beautiful I have ever seen. After two big days of multiple train rides and schedules we decided we were ready for some unstructured wandering. Many of the "major" attractions were closed for the winter or for a break before the big ski season began (great excuse for us to return in the spring!). The large Trummelbach Waterfalls were closed so we decided to give the Giessbach Falls a try. We weren't disappointed and again we encountered fewer than 10 people in our 3 hour wanderings! It was fabulous. There is a grand, old Victorian hotel called Hotel Giessbach that was closed for the winter on the shore of the lake and the falls sit right behind it. It really felt like stepping back in time. Most tourists visit this spot by boat but since the hotel was closed we could park in their little lot and hike to the falls. The girls got to run ahead on the trail without us having to worry and really got to explore. We climbed up quite a trail nearly to the top of the falls and back down - Dayna assured us there was no way she was going to hike that far but once she got into it she couldn't wait to see what was around the next bend in the ascending trail. The view was breathtaking with the aqua blue glacial lake, the colorful trees, blue sky and snow capped mountains. Pictures don't ever capture it. We ended the hike with a picnic and rock hunting in the water at the bottom of the falls. I'm sure the girls and Jay all weighed twice their weight as we left due to the bounty in their pockets!! The water was freezing and amazingly we managed to stay relatively dry.
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