Sail boats roll and excursion steamers leave their wakes on the turquoise waters of Lakes Thun and Brienz. And on the shores, in tributary valleys and on sunny ledges, you'll discover picturesque villages of richly decorated chalets and guest houses in what surely is the embodiment of Swiss-style comfort and serenity or Kleine Scheidegg, Schilthorn, Lauberhorn and Männlichen have skiing on top-flight downhill runs in the higher reaches of the Alps.
There are times when the reality of Switzerland puts postcard idealization to shame, surpassing advertising-image peaks and skies. Those times happen most often in the Berner Oberland, for this rugged region concentrates some of the best features of rural Switzerland: awesome mountain panoramas, massive glaciers, crystalline lakes, gorges and waterfalls, chic ski resorts, dense pine forests, and charming gingerbread chalets.