WELCOME TO LAUTERBRUNNEN
After a 5 hour bus ride through some extraordinary landscapes, we arrived in Lauterbrunnen. The name itself translates into "many fountains" which is a HUGE understatement. Lauterbrunnen is home to around 70 waterfalls, and the lush alpine meadows give way to the majestic, sloping rock walls, which form the most breathtaking valley you've ever seen. Hiking and biking trails abound, with views of the infamous Eiger, Jungfrau and Monk Peaks up high, and the spattering of Swiss chalets on the valley floor.
URSULA'S FONDUE AT THE HOTEL OBERLAND
Upon arrival in Lauterbrunnen, our bus driver, Peter, drove us around the town before stopping at the lovely, quaint, friendly Hotel Oberland. We were welcomed by the owner, Ursula, with a fondue party! It was wonderful and so is she (we even got her recipe). Born and bred in Lauterbrunnen, she is the expert on what to do and see in this region and is always ready to help you with your day planning. The hotel atmosphere is cozy, and a warm and comfy respite when you've been hiking the alps all day!
Our room was on the top floor with spectacular views from anywhere you stood! Lying in bed I could see four waterfalls! The restaurant serves up real Swiss Rösti, a potato dish, available seven different ways, and their pizza and pastas are heavenly (must be the cheese!) |
HIKING THE ALPS
We rose early on our first morning in Switzerland and set out to hike the alps. While we feel we're in pretty good shape, and we live at a mile high, we didn't want to overexert ourselves too much. Our long but easy hike was one that both Cary and Ursula recommended. We walked to the train station and took the gondola up to Grutschalp. From there we walked through the most breathtaking scenery ever. It was foggy and the Jungfrau, Eiger and Monk were playing hide and seek with us. But, WOW! We visited a cute little town called Winteregg, where you can hop on a train if you're tired of walking, or visit the Bergrestaurant where you can eat your Rösti accompanied by Swiss Folk music. We had a snack in the village of Mürren, which is home to several quaint hotels, restaurants and little shops. After our brief visit to Mürren, we headed on to Gimmelwald. This is a TINY little farming town with no car access. The only way in is by cable car or by foot. If you want to stay here, an option is the Mountain Hostel, which must have the best views of any hostel in the world! Guess what we found there? A biergarten. At first we thought it was a mirage! But, the biergarten and restaurant at the Pension Gimmelwald had great food and magnificent views. So we had some soup and beer, and vowed to return to Gimmelwald for a longer stay next time, then headed down to the Schilthornbahn cable car station for a ride back to the Stechelberg. From here, we walked across the valley, along the Weisse Lütschine river, back to Lauterbrunnen.