Permanent Tourist

The Seenachtsfest took place last weekend in Spiez, so Jo and I headed up with our friend Beat to the vineyards near our home, where there is a commanding view across the castle, lake and surrounding mountains.

The festival first took place at 7 p.m. on 15th August 1925, when “three widely audible grenades” (source) sounded the start of festivities at 7 p.m.. This year, a slightly smaller crowd than expected, who each paid a Fr. 15 entry fee to the harbour, were swelled by the usual small groups of locals who prefer to make their own entertainment around the dark terraces amongst the vines. The assembled crowds – along with Beat and myself with tripod-mounted cameras at the ready – were all in prime positions well in advance of the fireworks; scheduled for 10 p.m., they were delayed by ten minutes to avoid clashing with an important scene in the lakeside open-air theatre in the next major town along the lake: Thun, which hosts the Seenachtsfest in annual alternation with Spiez.