South of Spiez, the Niesen stands sentinel over the peaceful Kander valley, a narrow finger pointing the way south to the wall of high peaks around the mighty Blümlisalp massif (which rises to 3663m). Nestling at the very end of the sharply ascending valley, hard up against the mountains in the most idyllic of locations, is the laid-back resort of Kandersteg, terminus for the Lötschbergtunnel. Further south, beyond the point where trains disappear into the valley wall on their way to Italy, are the remote and little-visited Üschinen and Gastern valleys, which offer hikers fantastic opportunities to get out in the wild.