Above Biel (10/4/1981)

Sunday, October 4, 1981

The sun woke me up this morning. It was a fairly clear day and you could see those magnificent snow-covered Alps.

View from Personalhaus of Alps

Zooming in on the Alps

Decided to go to Magglingen for the views. Walked down into Biel and along Seevorstadtstrasse, seeing kids and adults collecting chestnuts. Took the 12:30 funicular to Magglingen. Service began here in 1886.
The one way ticket cost 2.80 CHF/$1.40. My Half-Fare Pass was not valid here.

Biel to Magglingen funicular ticket

On the funicular you had a view lined up with the convention center straight down into Biel. Partway up we stopped at Hohfluh to let off some hikers. At the halfway point we passed the descending car. Partway up we stopped again, I am assuming so that the descending car could stop at Hohfluh. I saw a sign indicating this was a “service stop.” Just outside of the Magglingen station, there were no views because of buildings and trees. I went to the terrace surrounding the building of the Bundesamt für Sport und Gymnastik/Federal Bureau of Sport and Gymnastics.

You could not look straight down at Bielersee/Lake Biel because of trees and potted plants on the terrace. You could see the farther half of the lake and most of the city of Biel. There was an unobstructed view of the Alps, but now it was not as clear as earlier.

View Southeast from Magglingen of Biel

View of Biel

View of Lake Biel and Nidau west of Biel

Alps south of Biel

Zooming in on Biel

There were many Southeastern Asian-looking women escorted by (Swiss) men, and they all spoke English. I walked through the grounds of the sports and gymnastics school, passing a classroom window where I could see a dance class taking place. There was a fitness/jogging circuit and modern statues of athletes. I passed a farm and arrived at a point in the middle of nowhere called “End der Welt/End of the World.”

Alps from the End of the World

Then passed soccer fields, an oval track, and an auditorium to end up at the edge of a forest. I couldn’t see the valley on the other side of Magglingen, but I could see the next mountain ridge of the Jura mountains. I walked back along the track that had a strange dense foam-like rubber surface. From the End of the World I crossed a farm to walk towards the Magglingen funicular station. I kept on walking along Hauptstrasse/Main Street to Leubringen. After passing a couple homes and businesses, I was out in the open. Passed cow pastures and had a great view of the Alps.

View from Hauptstrasse

Many other hikers were out for the nice day. The street curved down into the village of Leubringen. Another view down on Biel and across to the Alps.

View from Leubringen of Biel

The kiosk here had postcards only of the Magglingen funicular. I went to take the Evilard-Leubringen funicular (1898) down, purchasing a ticket for 1.40 CHF/70 cents.

Leubringen to Evilard funicular ticket

Since the door of the cable car was closed, I stood and waited. The next people to come pushed a button outside the door to open it!

Evilard-Leubringen funicular

Left at 12:40 and spent half the time underground. Halfway we stopped at the Beaumont station, and 10 minutes later we were in Evilard/Biel.