Interlaken and Zermatt, Switzerland

Greetings from Switzerland, home of the timeless classics Swatch Watch, Toblerone, and fondue. We began our Swiss adventure in Interlaken, a small town that is bordered by lakes to the east and west, and by the Bernese Alps to the north and south. The town itself is quaint and very clean, and the surrounding wilderness is gorgeous. Unfortunately, Interlaken is also quite expensive, so we ended up staying in a hostel. It wasn’t too bad, although we had a room right next to the only bathroom on our floor, making it a high-traffic area. And as with almost any hostel, there were a few less than classy individuals staying there who preferred to stay out late, cause trouble, and make a racket into the morning hours. Interestingly, Swiss law mandates that excessive noise is illegal after ten o’clock in the evening and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law (whatever that means). But it was the cheapest option in town, so it was our best option. The hostel also offers a wide assortment of extreme sports and excursions like paragliding, bungee jumping and canyoning. We decided that maybe when we return to the area we’ll try paragliding. We saw so many people toward the tops of the mountains sailing in the sky. It seems like it would be a fantastic way to view the Alps.

Our mission for the first full day in Switzerland was to take in the natural beauty of the Swiss Alps and do a little hiking. Our top destination was the Schilthorn, a peak reaching over 9,700 feet in elevation and providing fantastic views of the surrounding mountains. We started off by travelling to the nearby village of Lauterbrunnen by a small private train and then through Lauterbrunnen Valley by bus. The valley rivals the natural beauty of Yosemite with its towering vertical rock faces and waterfalls. When we reached the south end of the valley and the base of the Schilthorn we found a cable car system based there, whisking passengers up and down the side of the mountain. It was coincidentally about that time we decided the day would include more of the sightseeing side of things and less hiking. We rode the cable car to the top, stopping along the way to explore some of the villages perched on the mountainside and to take in the stunning scenery. From the top we had fantastic views of the Eiger, the Mönch, and the Jungfrau, some of the highest and most impressive peaks in Switzerland, and Europe for that matter. The cable car station at the peak of the Schilthorn also houses a revolving restaurant and several gift shops selling James Bond themed souvenirs. The peak was the setting for the 007 film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” starring George Lazenby. It’s not one that we’ve seen, but then again we haven’t seen many older Bond films. The movie made the Schilthorn peak famous, even though in the movie the station was apparently blown up. There is an observation deck outside that goes all the way around and provides a breathtaking vantage point of the surrounding mountains. Our original plan for the day was to hike to this point, until we realized just how high that really was. In addition, the snow would have done quite a number on us as we were ill prepared for even the slightest snowfall. The only hiking we ended up doing was some walking around in the villages of Gimmelwald and Mürren. On our village walking adventure we came across a field of grazing cows, which is a common site throughout rural parts of Switzerland. The difference with the Swiss cows is that they are musical: all of them have giant bells around their necks of different sizes that chime and ring as they graze. It is quite a harmonious symphony.


The following day we decided to get some real Swiss Alps hiking done. After putting on multiple layers of the shirts, jackets and socks we packed, we took a train to the small town of Grindelwald, which is on the opposite side of the Kleine Scheidegg from Lauterbrunnen, where we were the previous day. Our goal was to hike to Mänlichen, a small peak on the same ridge as the Kleine Scheidegg that reaches 6,761 feet in elevation. We took a private, two person gondola (similar to the cute ones from Disneyland) from Grindelwald halfway up the mountainside, and hiked the rest of the way. This, I assure you, was not at all cheating. The gondola ride was fantastic, however the weather was not. We were still able to get decent views of the surrounding villages, valleys and mountains, all while listening to the grazing cows below. Normally this hike would have provided great views of the Bernese Alps, but because of the weather we weren’t able to see much. To make matters worse, we took a detour we probably shouldn’t have through a swampy area and ended up splattered in mud. By the time we reached the top it was raining with some snow mixed in and both of us were cold, tired, and a bit cranky. We thought it over and reached the conclusion that taking the gondola all the way back down to Grindelwald would also not be cheating. After a long ride back down, reflecting on our day, we decided to pack it in at the hostel and take it easy. Probably the only good thing about a hostel over a hotel is the use of a full kitchen. We stopped by the local grocery store for the goods and made the first “home cooked” meal we’d had since we stayed with the family in Hamburg. Nothing is better after a cold and long day than delicious pasta and garlic bread. We were also fortunate enough to have found a place that offers coin operated washers and dryers. We had not had freshly laundered clothes since Hamburg as well. After dinner, laundry and splitting a Toblerone, we went to bed tired, stuffed and smelling good.


The next morning we left early at headed south to Zermatt, home to the famous Matterhorn. Nestled near the Italian border, Zermatt is a picturesque town just begging for the attention of tourists. Every view of the city would be a perfect postcard. The main streets are lined with shops and expensive restaurants and hotels. We arrived just after noon and quickly realized that between noon and two all of the shops are closed, I suppose for an extended lunch. Therefore our day started out with a bit of window shopping. Not a single gas-powered vehicle was in sight as the city does not allow them. Instead, electric carts and horse-drawn carriages offer the affluent a ride about the town. Often between the newer buildings stand what appears to be dilapidated shacks but are actually original homes and foundations from 18th and 19th centuries. It definitely is an interesting contrast when one is right next to a brand new hotel. Our hotel definitely was not brand new, and in fact had a décor that smacked of the seventies. It made us want to buy turtleneck sweaters and have a fondue date night. We probably would have too if restaurant fondue weren’t so expensive. Even though the hotel was living in the past, it was situated in the perfect spot: right outside the front door was a full view of the Matterhorn. Or at least it would have been were it not for the group of clouds surrounding the top. We waited patiently for the clouds to disperse, but every time it appeared to be happening the winds would pick up and blow the opposite direction, making the top barely visible. While waiting, we struck up a conversation with an older gentleman from Indiana who told us all about his days traveling through Europe as a youth in the sixties. He also diverged into some stories about his army days and when he used to wear an onion on his belt. We enjoyed our talk with him, but when we realized that the clouds were not going anywhere we decided to head back into town. Zermatt nightlife is typical of most places, that being bars. Therefore we decided to pack it in so we could wake up early and go for a quick hike before departing to our next destination. The following morning the clouds were still hanging around during our hike. We had to constantly be watching for when the Matterhorn might be unobstructed so we could get at least one good picture. Finally, during the last hour before we had to catch our train, the clouds dispersed and we were able to get some very nice shots. It was a good thing we were patient, otherwise it would have been disappointing to have traveled so far and not be able to marvel and the full majesty of the Matterhorn.

Coming up: Salzburg and Vienna, Austria

Interlaken:

Zermatt: