On Spiez Hill

The Alpine town of Spiez and its adjoining village Faulensee have been my home for 25 years. It’s a beautiful spot, with views of the mountains all around, and the main town features a particularly attractive piece of wooded hillside — the Spiezberg — which overlooks both the town and Lake Thun. I’ve been photographing here since taking some long exposures with my first proper digital SLR camera late in 2004.

Although the path and the benches here are fairly busy on a sunny day, only comparatively few tourists make it this far. Most of them stick to the lakeside restaurants, the park and the sports facilities, or content themselves with taking snapshots with their phones from the terrace opposite the train station. I certainly have nothing against the people who come here to enjoy the region I call home, but it’s nice not to have to be in a melée with them when I’m taking an important, peaceful lunchtime break from work. Add in the various paths to and throughout the 1.5 square kilometre woods on top of the hill and through the vineyards, and it’s easy to see why this is one of my favourite places to go and decompress.

I moved back to work in Spiez when I joined Say Hello in 2019. It was a great decision to no longer commute up and down the motorway every day to Bern. Working in offices in the city meant that I didn’t really have the opportunity to enjoy the countryside much during my breaks—the best I could do was a little square of rose garden outside the local school, which, whilst pleasant enough, was a far cry from the kind of peace I get in Spiez.

Having a little dedicated office nearby means that even when I get drawn into focusing on work quite heavily, I’m often prompted to walk up onto the hill and above the vineyards to stretch my legs and get some much-needed exercise. As a middle-aged man, I have come to understand how important this is. Although I can’t go hiking every day or every week I realise that even the comparatively short couple of kilometres to the lake and back is better than nothing. 

I’ve taken a lot of time this summer and autumn to walk the familiar paths and although they’re routes I’ve walked countless times—particularly given that we used to live nearby—the views and moods change according to the weather. In summer, the ranks of green vines lead down to the castle and the sounds of families splashing in the lake and lido. The warm weather and beautiful sounds of birds and bees all around remind me why I have chosen to live here for so many years. 

In autumn, the leaves change and the beech, oak, sycamore and Norwegian maple trees all change to various shades of yellow. The vines turn orange and provide a beautiful spectacle, before the first snows dust the tops of the Niesen, which stands tall above the town and which dominates the view.

An alternative route up a steep path near my office means that even if time is short, like today, I get the chance for a 15 to 20 minute walk which is suitably strenuous. Having an iPhone with me means that I take a lot of photos of the various views and every now and again I remember to take my proper camera with me.

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of these views and the nature here. It’s when walking along these paths or sitting on one of the benches looking out across the water that I count myself lucky to have been able to live here for so many years.  Long may that continue.