The caves of St. Beat are located a few kilometres from the city of Interlaken. They can be reached by car or shuttle bus. The ascent to the caves starts from the car park. The road to them winds through a picturesque forest, passing beautiful waterfalls fed by springs from the caves. There are wooden bridges over the waterfalls, which allows you to admire the turbulent cascades up close and take spectacular photos. In front of the entrance to the caves there is a children's playground, and nearby there is a restaurant serving local cuisine. However, it is interesting not because of the chef's skills, but because of the unique views that open from its windows. Fans of geology can visit the Cave Museum, which has an excellent collection of minerals.
The caves are named after the holy hermit Beata, who lived here for some time. A tour of the caves even shows his cell. Before he came to this area, a dragon lived in the caves formed many centuries ago in the Niederhorn mountain. It was St Beatus who banished the beast and, according to another version, befriended it. The image of the dragon is replicated everywhere here: the underground river in the caves is travelled on a boat made in the shape of a dragon, before entering the caves guests are greeted by his image, and in the souvenir shop plush dragons are sold.
The length of the Beatus caves is great. More than 14 kilometres of underground tunnels have been explored so far, but a kilometre long section is open to the public. All the unique stalactites and stalagmites are well lit. Under the spotlights, which give a lot of light, life has even begun to emerge - small ferns can be seen here.
