Fodor's Expert Review St. Beatus-Höhlen

For a dose of nature blended with history, check out the St. Beatus caves. Their legend goes back to the 6th century, when the missionary St. Beatus arrived on the Thunersee to find the local population terrorized by a dragon that lived in the lake and surrounding grottoes. Exorcised by Beatus, the fleeing dragon fell to his death on the rocks. Today you can see the stalagmites, stalactites, and pools inside, as well as a colorful rendering of Ponzo, the dragon. The on-site cave museum offers scientific and historical information about caves around the world. Though you can explore the caves on your own, 75-minute guided tours leave every 45 minutes throughout the day. Take a jacket, because it's cold inside the caves. You can reach them by taking Bus 21 from either Interlaken train station or by crossing by boat from the Interlaken West station to Sundlaunen, then hiking 20 minutes to the caves.