Introduction

St. Peter’s Island isn’t an island any more, strictly speaking. Since the opening of the canal that links Lake Biel to Lake Neuchâtel and the Aare River canal, the water level in Lake Biel has gone down far enough to uncover a thin strip of land that now links the island to the village of Erlach on the shore of Lake Biel.

There isn’t really anything much on the island, save for a farm and the old cloister that has been converted to a hotel and is now a member of the Swiss Historic Hotels. You visit St. Peter’s Island if you’re looking for peace and tranquility.

The boat drops me off on the north side of the island. From the jetty to the hotel it’s a walk of about seven minutes through the forest.

The Hotel

The Klosterhotel St. Petersinsel is a three-star property. Check-in is only open until 18h30, when the reception closes.

There is a large courtyard in the hotel, which is also where the restaurant is situated. Some of the rooms overlook the courtyard. It’s not very noisy though, and the restaurant closes fairly early. Last orders are at 19h30.

There is a covered veranda on the first floor that links the two wings of the main building. The veranda is only for use by hotel guests. There are complimentary drinks and snacks available on the veranda throughout the day.

The Room

I’m in room 5, which overlooks the courtyard. In total, the hotel only has fifteen rooms. The decoration inside the room is simple but nice and well maintained. Obviously, their options were limited when they converted the cloister to a hotel, as the building is listed and changes to the foundations are prohibited.

The room has a small niche to hang some clothes. There are also two bottles of water and two apples in a basket sitting in one corner of the niche.

The room is fairly small. The bed is a good size, though, and comfortable enough. I think my only complaint is that it’s rather warm. There’s no air conditioning and there are only thin curtains to block out the sun. However, once the sun sets and I open the windows, the room quickly starts to cool down.

The toilet and shower are situated behind the bed, and are concealed behind the headboard. The shower has excellent pressure and is a welcome relief from the summer heat. The cosmetics are by some no-name brand. They smell rather generic, but not bad at all.

Dining

I had dinner and breakfast at the hotel, with dinner being served outdoors in the courtyard. I had beakfast indoors, mainly because that put me closer to the coffee machine, which is my lifeline in the mornings.

At dinner, the table is simply but nicely decorated. My only complaint is that the chairs are not overly comfortable. I know I’m a big guy, so it could also be that I just don’t fit properly.

To start, we’re served home baked bread with a choice of oil, a lentil and bean paste, and butter from milk by the cows on the island.

For the starter, I have a refreshing and tasty salad.

And for the main course, it’s the filet of pikeperch with mashed potato and grilled vegetables.

And for dessert, I have the chocolate fondant. All in all, the food is very nice. The dishes are nothing unusual or overly fancy, but they make up for it by being very well cooked. The fish, for example, is flaky and has managed to remain moist.

After the meal, I take a leisurely walk around the island, literally. It takes about 35 minutes to make a full circle at a relaxed pace.

The next morning I wake up at dawn, as usual. I still have a few hours to relax, as breakfast only starts at 08h00. So I decide to go for a walk down to the beach near the jetty, where I also make the acquaintance of a rather moody swan. He doesn’t seem to mind my presence, but the moment I open my mouth to talk to him, he starts hissing. I’ve been told in the past that I sometimes talk to much, so I guess it’s hardly surprising an elegant swan should feel the same way too.

But about breakfast. They serve quite an extensive spread, which is really lovely. There’s even a large selection of hot dishes, which is quite unusual, as the Swiss tend to have a more continental style breakfast. There’s also a good variety of cheese. Also at breakfast they make a point of serving local produce, like the apple juice made of fruit from the island’s orchard. The juice is infused with a subtle hint of cinnamon.

The Journey Home

I check out of the hotel just after 10h in morning and slowly make my way down to the jetty. I catch the 10h35 boat to La Neuveville which, as the name suggests, is just on the other side of the language border in the French speaking part of Switzerland. The trip only takes fifteen minutes and it’s a beautiful day to be out on the water.

From La Neuveville, I take a train to Neuchâtel, which is not really on my way home. However, it is home to the Friedrich Dürrenmatt archives. Friedrich Dürrenmatt is probably the most successful and celebrated German language Swiss author and playwright. He achieved international success with the genius Besuch der alten Dame – The Visit which even showed on Broadway. Das Versprechen -The Pledge was even turned into a film directed by Sean Penn and with the fabulous Jack Nicholson in the leading role. The archive is interesting because part of it is in Dürrenmatt’s former private residence. So it allows you to catch a glimpse of the person behind the texts. For example, the picture below is of the toilet in Dürrenmatt’s office. Apparently, he used to refer to the loo as the Sistine Chapel.

Conclusion

My stay at the Klosterhotel was relaxing in the extreme. Seriously, it feels like stepping into another dimension in which the hustle of everyday life simply doesn’t exist. The pace on the island is slow and pleasant. I wouldn’t mind visiting again, perhaps even for a longer stay.

The Dürrenmatt archive is great. I booked a tour, and our guide was very knowledgeable about the author and his work. Granted, Neuchâtel is a bit out of the way. If you can’t visit, I highly recommend you try reading one of Dürrenmatt’s texts. My personal favourite would be Der Verdacht, which is written in the genre of the crime novel but is, at the same time, a powerful and haunting piece of writing about survival, humanity and compassion.