Blausee – the Stunning Blue Lake in Switzerland

**the Lake of an Eternal Love**

The first time I learned about this gorgeous lake was through a friend’s facebook post, I was completely drawn to the beauty of it, it looks unreal and magical.

Blausee, the remarkable crystal-clear and turquoise blue lake, is one of the best-known mountain lakes in Switzerland. It is located in the midst of a 20 hectare large nature park with a landscape formed by a rock slide that led to the creation of the lake.

This striking clear blue lake is located in the Kander Valley at an altitude of 887 meters. It is a nature reserve (Blausee Naturpark) where you can see trout swimming in the clear water. A lovely place near Kandersteg for a walk or a picnic.

The Romantic Legend of Blausee & the Sunken Statue

Once upon a time, a young maiden who gave her heart to a young shepherd was living nearby.

On the bright evenings, when the moonlight was shining down on the dark tree tops of the firs and while it was swiping its silver furrow thru the water, the two of them were wandering the short distance to the lake, got onto a boat and dreamt away some wonderful hours of their young lives.

Then the shepherd was falling down to death over a cliff as he was walking down from the rocks with a load of hay. From that moment on the young maiden was brokenhearted. In the midnight hour she was often sneaking up to the lake, rowing up to the middle and was leaving herself to her pain while she was screaming her mind to the heavens to give her back her love or simply to be at odds because of his horrible fate.

That’s how the child’s senses became slowly distracted. Vainly the parents warned her to give up the nightly visits – a secret force was attracting the unhappy one to the same place where she was once so happy.

One morning one found the boat and the young maiden on the bottom of the lake. But the water which wasn’t much different from the water of other lakes before, suddenly was deep blue: People were saying, it would be because of the tears of the poor young maiden which were escaping from her blue eyes.

The lake definitely stands as a symbol for eternal love.

How to Get There?

It is very easy and convenient to travel around Switzerland. The distance between Zürich and Blausee is about 177 KM, you can either take public transportation or rent a car.

By Train & Bus:
From Zürich, take a train from the main train station Zürich HB to Frutigen, the closer town to Blausee. It is not a direct train, you will have to switch to another train in Bern, you will have sufficient time to walk to another platform. Then, from Frutigen train station, get on the bus #230, in less than 15 minutes, you will reach your stop, Blausee BE. Check the bus schedule for your return transfer in order to maximise the time by the lake.

The total travelling time is approximately 2 hours 10 mins.

You may purchase and check the train schedule & boarding platform from the SBB Website.

By Car Rental:
Driving in Switzerland is very easy & safe, it’s probably an ideal way of exploring the beautiful country at your own pace. If you are travelling in a group of 3 or 4, renting a car would be a good choice, you will also save a lot of money after splitting the cost.

While taking a train is rather expensive in Switzerland, renting a car is very affordable. There are a few locations in Zürich where you can pick up your car, but the cheapest deal would be picking up at the airport. The more days you are renting it, the better the price is. Estimate a daily rental between USD40-USD60 for 3 days rental and above. The price includes basic theft and 3rd party insurance, all taxes and fees, unlimited mileage, etc. You have the option to pay for the Premium Excess Protection for an additional of USD23 per day, which includes Accident Excess Coverage, Car Damage Cover, Damages to wheels/ tires/ rims/ glass/ mirror/ windscreen/ undercarriage.

Driving time from Zürich to Blausee is around 2 hours.

Nature Park Opening Hours

Daily from 0900 – 2100

Entry Fee

0900 – 1700	Mon – Fri	Sat – Sun + Holidays
Adults	CHF 10.00	CHF 12.00
6 to 15 years	CHF 6.00	CHF 8.00
Children up to 5 years	free of charge	free of charge

1700 – 2100	Mon – Fri	Sat – Sun + Holidays
Adults	CHF 8.00	CHF 10.00
6 to 15 years	CHF 4.00	CHF 6.00
Children up to 5 years	free of charge	free of charge

The entrance includes:

Nature park tour
Visit of the organic trout farm
Barbecue area & wood
Playground
Boat ride (until 1700)

What to Do?

Blausee is a place for you to unwind yourself, soak yourself in the beautiful surrounding by taking a walk in the nature park. It is a place you’ll get rejuvenated and inspired.

It is a small lake, you’ll probably see the whole park in about an hour. Many would spend more time there by relaxing at the bench, having a picnic, while admiring the stunning view. There’re also cafe and restaurant by the lake, you can enjoy their signature trout dish, even just enjoying a cup of hot coffee/ tea is another experience there.

You will be blown away as soon as you arrive at the lake, it’s like entering a wonderland. For photographers and instagrammers, I am sure you will spend a long time there, every corner is picturesque.

The boat ride, which is included in your ticket is a must. With the glass bottom, you’ll have an absolute clear view of the bottom of the lake, as you sail across it. The old man who rows the boat will tell you the story about the beautiful place.

The lake is still and water is so pure, creating a breathtaking reflection of the surrounding, it’s like a painting!

Lastly, you can visit the organic trout farm and learn how they breed their trouts.

The Blausee hosts the ideal source of life for their trouts. Thanks to the excellent water quality, slow growth of the fish as well as their breeding philosophy, “quality before quantity”, makes the Blausee trout a high-value and pure natural product.

Where to Stay?

Blausee is a perfect place for a half day trip from Zürich, or nearby lovely towns like Kandersteg, Frutigen, Spiez, Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, etc. I’d recommend you combining your visit to Blausee with other attractions nearby. To be honest, Switzerland is so beautiful, you will easily find a place you like.

If you really love Blausee and wish to spend the night by the lake, Hotel & Spa Blausee is located just right next to the beautiful lake.

The Blausee Hotel, Restaurant and Cafe by the lake!

“Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence! ”

– Hal Borland

My Itinerary

Zürich > Blausee > Kandersteg > Täsch > Zermatt

We rented a car online one week before the trip and picking up at Zürich Airport. After having breakfast at our hotel, we departed at 0700 to maximise our time for exploration. Switzerland is definitely one of the best countries in the world to drive. You don’t get heavy traffic at most places, people drive very carefully and the roads are very scenic. The lakes, the mountains & the charming little towns will keep you company the entire drive, it is very pleasant and enjoyable.

Slightly over 0900, and we arrived at the Blausee carpark, just at the perfect time where the nature park opens. Good thing to get there early, we enjoyed the park without many other visitors. It could get very busy after 12pm, be there early to have an even better experience.

For us, we easily spent 2-3 hours in Blausee. It was November when we were there, the temperature was around 5-6 degree. After walking in the park, we had to go to the cafe, get a cup of cappuccino, to stay warm. We took a look at the menu of the restaurant, considering to have our lunch there, trying their signature trout dish, but it was expensive for us. If you have the budget, maybe you should try it out.

Blausee is stunning all year round, no matter which season you go, you will get different colour palettes.

Our next stop was Kandersteg, we were hoping to do the “Mountain Coaster” sliding down the Swiss Alps. Unfortunately, it was closed that day. I was so disappointed, I have always wanted to do it. If you are planning on going for the ride, please check the weather forecast, as it only operates during dry weather, and only during the Summer months (8th May to 24th Oct).

We had our lunch in Kandersteg and bought some food and snacks in the supermarket, then we continued on our journey to Täsch, before getting on the train to Zermatt, where we spent 2 nights.

May 10, 2021May 10, 2021

The Urban Light on La La Land

Urban Light is a large-scale assemblage sculpture by Chris Burden (1946-2015) located at the Wilshire Boulevard entrance to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The 2008 installation consists of restored street lamps from the 1920s and 1930s. Most of them once lit the streets of Southern California.

Urban Light has become a hot instagram spot over the years. This eye-catching artwork, when it is lit at night, becomes so cinematic and full of romance.

There are many places you have to visit when you are in Los Angeles, Urban Light is definitely one of them. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Broad Contemporary Art Museum & Academy Museum of Motion Pictures are just close by, if you love cinema & arts, you should go check them out.

A little tip for you if would like to take pictures with Urban Light without too many people (or nobody) in your frame, go as late as possible, preferably after 2200 or 2300. Trust me, you are going to enjoy the place even more.

“The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.”

– Neil Gaiman

The Story of Urban Light

(source from LACMA)

Urban Light is one of several works by Chris Burden (1946–2015) in LACMA’s collection. Burden, who was born in Boston, Massachusetts, moved to California in 1965. During the early 1970s, Burden’s first mature works were characterised by the idea that the truly important, viable art of the future would not be objects, but that art would be ephemeral and address political, social, environmental, and technological change. The images of Burden that continue to resonate in the public mind are of the artist who had himself shot (Shoot, 1971), locked up (Five Day Locker PIece, 1971), electrocuted (Doorway to Heaven, 1973), cut (Through the Night Softly, 1973), crucified (Trans-fixed, 1974), and advertised on television (4 TV Ads, 1937–77). His work subsequently shifted, focusing on monumental sculptures and large-scale installations, two of which—Urban Light (2008), and Metropolis II (2010)—are currently on view at LACMA.

In honor of Urban Light, we are sharing an excerpt of a public conversation about the sculpture between LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director Michael Govan and Burden, hosted at LACMA in December 2008.

Govan: Let’s talk about the making of Urban Light.

Burden: Well, this wasn’t something I planned to do. One day I was walking around at the Rose Bowl Flea Market with my friend Paul Schimmel and his son, Max, and Max came running over and said, “Oh, you should check these out, Chris.” I went over and I saw two of these antique lamps spread in parts. The man who was selling them, Jeff Levine, said, “Oh yeah, they’re genuine. They’re from the ’20s. You can buy them both. I’ll give you a real good price and I’ll deliver them.” So he brought them out and I said, “Do you have any more?” He said, “Yeah, I got four more like that.” I said, “Well, okay, I’ll buy those too.” Over the course of a year I bought about 70 that he had in his backyard, all in this state of component parts. I lugged them all up to my place in Topanga. But he was saving some of the really big ones and he didn’t want to sell to me. So I asked him, “Do other people collect these lamps too?”

Jeff had been collecting them for about 20 years, and he would go to the city when they were knocking them down. The city didn’t really care about them—most of them got taken to the landfill and thrown away—but he would go through all the broken parts. If there were 20 busted-up lamps he could salvage enough parts to make, maybe, three lamps. And he single-handedly moved all the stuff around. He’d gotten tired of being their caretaker. So when I asked him if other people collected them, because I wanted to buy more, he confessed he had another 85 stored.

We went through the whole process of having them sandblasted, powder-coated, replacing all the hardware with stainless steel or copper. Jeff loved these lamps, so when he said to me, “I knew you would come someday,” I took that as a compliment, because he had made this huge collection and he really didn’t want to sell them off in twos or threes to homeowners to have in their driveways. He was hoping that somebody would show up to keep his collection intact, and I was the guy. Through him I met a small group of lamp aficionados, who’ve all known each other for 20 or 30 years, and swap parts.

One of the most beautiful lamps is called the Broadway Rose. There’s an artichoke in the finial, and also rosebuds. These lamps have a very interesting history. Their finials are very, very long, and for the first several years they were installed downtown. There are six of them in Urban Light and 11 of them left in Los Angeles. The reason for the long finials was that they predated the filament, the incandescent light bulb. They were carbon arc lights; a carbon arc has two carbon rods that are spaced slightly apart. You add a high voltage and there’s a huge spark. So the wick trimmer had to come every two or three days and crank the rod up to keep the right gap. So when you see streetlights with finials, those are all vestiges of a functioning finial, which initially these were.

Installation of Urban Light at LACMA, 2008

Govan: I remember being incredibly amazed by them and knowing that they had to be in Los Angeles, because, in so many ways, they were the representation of the whole county, with each city responsible for designing its own lamps. Each lamp, then, was an expression of that city’s design; they were public art. And, of course, they’ve now created this image through their density. You always knew they needed to be densely arranged, right?

Burden: Yeah, and you needed a repetition of form, too. It’s kind of like lining up toy soldiers—you know, where you get little columns of them. And I think the repetition works.

Govan: When we looked at this space in front of the museum, it was an instant eureka moment, because these lamps had been assembled into architecture; they have this feeling of a Roman colonnade or some kind of ancient structure. While they’re from the ’20s and they’re modern, they still give this feeling of walking through an ancient temple. And immediately it seemed to me this was the perfect image for a museum in Los Angeles, because all of those East Coast museums, even as far west as Chicago, have their Greco-Roman temple façades; that’s the sign that you’re walking into a museum—you see the temple façade. But, of course, this is a kind of faux temple. It’s an interesting reversal because those Greco-Roman temple façades on East Coast museums are really faux; they’re neoclassical. And here you’ve assembled an honest-to-goodness Los Angeles temple made of local materials, in our time.

Now Urban Light has become this incredible landmark in Los Angeles. People are out there every day taking photos of it. And in this new age of media and technology, these images of the lamps are going out all over the world and representing Los Angeles. You’ll see people getting out of their cars to capture it, lovers taking pictures under the lamps at night. People have been fascinated by the details.

Chris, you said that you saw the lamps as a statement about what constitutes a sophisticated society—“safe after dark and beautiful to behold”—which I thought was an incredible statement. And I started thinking about that in relation to the history of all your work. People have written so much about your early performances. They’ve even called them “cold and without morality,” for instance, in response to having yourself shot for Shoot. But I actually had the exact opposite reading, that somehow all of your work has something to do with a sense of responsibility. Whether it’s you, as an artist, investigating those phenomena or thinking about the urban environment, there is some sense of what societal responsibility is. It seems to me that maybe your work has this arc that has held it all together. Do you feel that there is something beneath all of this that you can put your own finger on?

Burden: Well, I often think it’s about imagining something, something you might reject as being out of hand, initially, and then trying to look at the other side of the coin and seeing what that might be. I think there are often two ways to look at something.

Some FACTS about this amazing artwork:

(source from Los Angeles Times)

Just how many lights are there?

“Urban Light” has 202 street lamps. The total number of bulbs is 309 because some lampposts have two globes.

Who decides when the lights go on and off?

“Urban Light” goes on every day at dusk and blinks off every day at dawn, guided by an astronomical timer that automatically adjusts to local sunrise and sunset. It hasn’t missed a single night since it was installed on Feb. 8, 2008.

Are all the lights the same?

There are 16 different lamppost designs in the installation. The globes atop each lamppost vary in shape and size — round, acorn and cone. The acorn-shaped globes are not made anymore, so LACMA scours the city and stockpiles them in case one needs to be replaced.

The lights come from neighborhoods mostly in Southern California. In 2008, in a public conversation with Burden, LACMA Director Michael Govan talked about how the lampposts were distinctively of Los Angeles:

“I remember being incredibly amazed by them and knowing that they had to be in Los Angeles,” he said. “Because, in so many ways, they were the representation of the whole county, with each city responsible for designing its own lamps. Each lamp, then, was an expression of that city’s design; they were public art. And of course they’ve now created this image through their density.”

What propelled “Urban Light” to such stardom?

Social media. Images of “Urban Light” have flooded Facebook and Instagram — luminescent lovers embracing, selfie stick-wielding tourists hugging its posts, yoga poses, perplexed pets.

The hashtag #urbanlight has been posted more than 34,000 times on Instagram. And then there are the people who get the artwork’s name wrong and use the hashtag #urbanlights — that appears more than 87,000 times.

Who started the phenomenon?

The first person known to take a selfie at “Urban Light,” four days after it opened, was Diana Felszeghy. She posted her picture on Flickr.

And then, eventually, Hollywood came calling?

Exactly. The artwork has appeared in several films, including “No Strings Attached” and “Valentine’s Day.” It was in an episode of “Modern Family” and has been in TV commercials too, including one for Guinness beer.

Natalie Portman plays Emma and Ashton Kutcher is Adam in the movie “No Strings Attached.” (Dale Robinette / Paramount Pictures)

What are some of the craziest things visitors have done at “Urban Light?”

“People do séances there,” says Mark Gilberg, formerly director of the museum’s conservation center. “They light fires and do crystal worshipping there. Just go over there at midnight. People wanna climb it.”

Gilberg has even seen people strip naked and take selfies. “Like, why?” he asks.

Though it’s not rented as an official wedding site, many couples have exchanged vows in front of “Urban Light” — and captured the moment in photos.

As part of the artwork’s anniversary, LACMA commissioned Siri Kaur to shoot portraits of people who marked personal milestones at the installation and shared their photos on social media. Kaur’s portraits, which provide a where-are-they-now update, are on view in the Art Catalogues Bookstore of the museum’s Ahmanson Building.

How many conservators does it take to change a light bulb?

Two. A couple of people spent five days on scissor lifts and boom lifts to replace the incandescent light bulbs with LEDs.

How much did all those LEDs cost?

A little more than $26,000.

Why switch to LEDs, besides the obvious environmental advantages?

The switch to LEDs, which are entirely solar-powered, amounts to a 90% power savings for the museum, but beyond the environmental considerations was the issue of safety.

The incandescent bulbs were extremely hot — upwards of 350 watts, compared with LEDs that are a maximum 27 watts. Also, their protective globes aren’t water-tight. A cold rainstorm can prompt 10 to 15 bulbs to blow out, says Gilberg.

Replacing those blown-out bulbs was time-consuming, he says. Some of the rows between lampposts are only 2 feet wide, making ladders impractical. Repairs had to be made using a scissor lift. “And the ones that burn out happened always to be in the center — Murphy’s law!” Gilberg says.

May 7, 2021July 4, 2021

An Easy Hike to the Hollywood Sign

Hollywood, the symbol of the American entertainment industry, and it’s also a global tourist symbol of Los Angeles itself. Having a picture taken with the Hollywood Sign seems like a must-do for visitors visiting the city. Well, it does feel cool telling your friends: “I have been to Hollywood!”, and show them your picture.

The Hollywood Sign hike is one of those iconic hikes that you need to do at least once in your life. It’s a very popular and scenic hike, you will get to enjoy the beautiful nature of Griffith Park on the way to the sign (to be precise, you’ll actually get behind and above the letters), it is one of the largest urban parks in America.

Mount Lee, with the altitude of 521 meters, is where the Hollywood Sign situated. Up there, you’ll get a spectacular view of City of Angels!

My Trail

The best and the closest one could get to the sign is definitely by hiking, while driving within Griffith Park can be quite a hassle looking for a parking, and the roads are narrow.

There are a few trails with different levels of difficulty and distance to choose from. This is the easy one I believe everyone will enjoy, it is a great rugged urban hike you do in the morning before going for your brunch.

“ Wonder View Trail Head > Wisdom Tree > Hollywood Sign > Garden of Oz > Beachwood Market “

Distance: 6.5 km
Duration: 3 hours
Elevation Gain: 245M
Difficulty: 2/5
View: 5/5

How to Get There & Return:

1. Take UBER/Lyft to Wonder View Trail Head on Wonder View Dr.

2. Your hike begins!

3. You will finish your hike at Beachwood Market, there’re buses on N Beachwood Dr going to Hollywood/ Vine Metro Station.

Hike Overview:

From the Wonder View Trail Head, you are already on the altitude of 326M, follow the sign to Burbank Peak, it takes slightly over 1 km to Wisdom Tree with about 100M ascent. Wisdom Tree is a unique & lone-standing tree, up there you’ll get a sweeping view of Los Angeles.

“ Life is too short to wait and plan for an epic adventure, the best one is often unplanned! ”

– Raynard Jackle

Since this is an easy path, start your hike as early as possible to avoid crowd, you’ll get to enjoy the serenity up there, having the whole spot to yourself.

The unobstructed view of Los Angeles and the Hollywood Reservoir!

Another 1 km from Wisdom Tree and you’ll arrive at the Hollywood Sign, the closest you could get to these iconic letters. Now you can scream: ” I have made it to the Hollywood!!!” (D O O W Y L L O H)

The lone-standing Wisdom Tree on Burbank Peak!

There’re benches up there, take as much time as you wish to enjoy the spectacular view and fresh air before leaving. I have seen the Hollywood Sign before from far twice, from Griffith Observatory and Hollywood Walk of Fame. But to be that close, standing above and behind the letters, I felt so overwhelming!

The final 4.5 kms is relaxing, as you will slowly descend to Beachwood Market. On the way, you will be passing by the residences, you’ll see a lot of beautiful houses, do respect the privacy of people living in the area and not causing any sort of disturbance to them.

I have heard stories of people doing something stupid and get themselves into troubles, it’s totally not worth it to take any risk.

Even though this trail is a short and easy one, don’t forget to bring plenty of drinking water and sunscreen. On a clear sunny day, it is important to keep ourselves hydrated and protected from the sun.

Next time, I would love to try other longer trails when I am back in Los Angeles. Have you ever done any interesting trail in the city?

Click HERE to check out other authorized trails to the Hollywood Sign!

Can I Touch the Hollywood Sign?

Unfortunately, for your safety, the safety of the plants and wildlife of Griffith Park, and for the safety of the Sign, you cannot. The closest you can get to the Hollywood Sign is up and above it and that location is accessible by several hikes within Griffith Park. The overlook of the Sign offers a unique view of the Sign and incredible views of Los Angeles that can span from the ocean to downtown LA and beyond on a clear day.

The Sign has over 13 cameras including motion sensors, infrared cameras, and loudspeakers protecting it and is monitored 24/7 by the LAPD.

The Opening Hours

The Sign sits within Griffith Park and operates with the same hours. Griffith Park is open from sunrise to sunset.

Are Drones Allowed at the Sign?

Drones are not allowed at the Sign, nor in all of Griffith Park as per Los Angeles Rec & Parks Ordinance No. 176,929.

the Lake of an Eternal Love