Located southwest of Lucerne, Bern would be about a 70-minute drive if you didn’t stop.  But, what’s the fun in that?  There is so much to see in Switzerland, and Overseas Adventure Travel plans tours to include visiting small towns as well as cities.  I love the character and charm of small towns, so I looked forward to the day.

We had just eaten breakfast, but the first stop was at the Hug Familie Bakery where we were able to sample all the baked cookies and crackers they sell and purchase them at outlet prices.  I knew I was in trouble when I sampled the first chocolate-covered biscuits I saw when we walked in.  I should have skipped breakfast. Those first biscuits were so good that we didn’t hesitate to buy one of these packages.  And, then I kept sampling.  The empty insulated chocolate bag I brought with me from home was filling up fast…

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

The town of Willisau was our next stop for a walking tour of the main street and cemetery.  This town oozed with charm, especially all of the colorful flags!  It’s no wonder the entire town is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

If you are wondering why on earth our walking tour would include a cemetery, just look at these gorgeous plots!  Nowhere have I seen such beauty and pride in modern cemetery plots, but our tour leader, Susy, told us they are like this throughout Switzerland.  I came across an interesting blog post about Swiss cemetaries here.

Next, we visited the tiny town of Luthern with it’s even tinier chapel.  The walk along the river to our destination was lovely, even though it was raining.  Surprisingly, the chapel was quite modern with beautiful stained glass windows and lit fused glass panels.

For lunch, the nine of us on the Switzerland pre-extension and Susy ate a cozy, traditional Swiss neighborhood restaurant full of old-world charm. 

Imagine my surprise when I went to the WC (a.k.a. restroom) and saw these photos vertically strung on a metal cord and attached by magnets in each stall:

When word got back to the table, there was a mass exodus to go see what all the laughter was about.  The men’s room had them as well.

Following lunch, we visited a cheesemaker; however, they weren’t making cheese that day.  We did enjoy watching the lady make cheese “roses” with her nifty tool, though.  I also took the opportunity to check out a few interesting buildings nearby.  But then I discovered the baby goats and spread the word.  It was hard for Susy to pull us away; they were adorable!

In all, the places we visited before check-in time at our Bern hotel were quite enjoyable.  We got a good look (and taste!) of typical Swiss small-town life!

Coming up next:  SWITZERLAND & NORTHERN ITALY #4: BEAUTIFUL BERN