While famous athletes and stars of show business are lounging in the sun in the holiday resort of Gstaad, you are struggling along on your bike. The area is not only known for its traditional cheese shavings and the artistic paper cuttings manually made here since the 19th century. The “Hollywood of the Alps” is also where the rich and beautiful get together. An uphill section follows shortly after Gstaad. Actually, a considerable part of the route to Spiez continues to go up and down. The Lakes Route often crosses the tracks of the Montreux Berner Oberland railway. You might see one of the vintage trains passing and at the same time you can gaze at the incredible mountains and the pretty chalets everywhere. They are surrounded by lush green meadows and genuine Simmental cattle.

The Lakes Route continues through the Swiss storybook landscape to Zweisimmen. Here, in this pretty mountain village is where the Kleine Simme and the Grosse Simme are merging. The source of the Grosse Simme is at Siebenbrunnen, a rock crevice with seven springs at the foot of the Wildstrubel Mountain. So far you have followed the Kleine Simme and now between Zweisimmen and Wimmis you are accompanied by the Simme. Rafting, canoes, inflatable boats – water sports are a great way to enjoy the river along the Stockhorn and Gantrisch ranges, provided that the river is not too tempestuous.

Meanwhile, on land, you see Simmental farms everywhere. The oldest were built in the 16th century. With their extraordinary painted façades, they are among the most beautiful in Europe. Many are decorated with flowers or with entire bouquets. Shortly after Wimmis the Simme flows into the slightly larger Kander near Simmesteg. A pedestrian and bicycle bridge between Wimmis and Spiez crosses underneath the highway and the train tracks and offers a great view of the Kander. A short while later you reach the town of Spiez on deep blue Lake Thun at the end of an eventful day.