St. Beatus Caves With Stunning Entrance
Saint Beatus Caves in Interlaken, Switzerland is one of the
most popular tourist attractions of the region. The caves have one of the most
impressive entrance amongst the caves around the World. Besides the legend of
St. Beatus, its major attraction is its idyllic surroundings with lush green
plants and streaming waterfalls - a treat for the eyes of the nature lovers.
The cave system, which lies beneath the town of Beatenberg
near Interlaken, overlooks the Lake Thun and penetrates deep into the Niederhorn
Alpine massif. As per the legend, Saint Beatus, a 6th century Scottish or Irish
monk, defeated a dragon who lived in the caves and established a hermitage in
the caves. Soon it became a place of pilgrimage. The chapel however was
closed and cave entrance walled up in 1528, when Bern adopted the Protestant
Reformation.
At some later date the caves were opened again and about one
km area inside it was lighted to allow the tourists to explore it and see the
well lit stalagmites, stalactites and underground lakes. Besides the grave of
St. Beatus and a replica of his cell, the monastery site now also
houses a restaurant and gift shop for the convenience of tourists.
Image from Wikimedia Commons is by Kevin Hadley
A 360 degree view in Google Photo Sphere
Image from Wikimedia Commons is by Fafner
Image from Panoramio is by Николай Максимович
Image from Flickr is by fjmmblue
Image from Wikimedia Commons is by Versatile85
Image from Flickr is by Curious Expeditions
Image from Wikimedia Commons is by Kevin Hadley
Stunning View of Lake Thun from the entrance to the caves.
Image from Panoramio is by Leif Rostgaard Niels…
Image from Flickr is by Jon watts
View location in Google Earth / Google Maps
Main source of info: German Wikipedia (English Translation)
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