Switzerland's Finest: The Bernese Oberland

Everyone has asked, "what was your favorite part?" The answer is easy. I tell them, the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland.


This view was typical, no matter where we were in the area. This photo was taken in Wengen.

We stayed in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, which is surrounded by gorgeous mountains. It's nicknamed the valley of the waterfalls, because there are some 72 waterfalls in the area. One of them, Staubbach Falls, rains down in the middle of the valley. We had a gorgeous view of the falls from our hotel room.

View of Staubbach falls from our hotel room.

Lauterbrunnen is one of several towns in the valleys surrounding the three towering peaks in this region: The Junfrau, The Eiger, and Monch. The peaks like to hide in the clouds, but we were fortunate to have great weather during out visit. It got sunnier and warmer every day.

 

The Eiger, Monch, and Junfrau trying to hide in the clouds.

We actually spent three days in Lauterbrunnen, which was enough time to do the touristy stuff, but was not nearly enough time to truly enjoy the beauty of this place.

I have nothing to compare it to. The base of the mountains are so massive when compared to the someplace like the U.S. Rockies, and the valleys themselves are so rich and green, filled with wildflowers and waterfalls. It's the perfect contrast to the huge grey peaks towering above the valleys. The valleys are glacial valleys, rather than river valleys, so they too are huge. The depth of the place is impossible to capture on camera. Every slope and every hill adds another layer.

 

Swiss chalet on a lush green mountainside

One of many waterfalls in the Lauterbrunnen Valley

These purple wildflowers were everywhere

 

The massive base of the Junfrau


In Lauterbrunnen, there is no need for a car. You can get a Swiss train pass (there are several region-specific options) that will get you just about anywhere you need to go. But the train pass covers much more than just trains. Some of the villages are only accessible by cable car, which is also included in some of the passes. The cable cars are hilarious and I can't say that I am a fan. About 100 people are packed tightly into this car, and then it moves slowly up the mountain. It's cramped, it smells like B.O, and it borderline makes me feel motion sick, but it's worth it because all of those little villages are incredibly picturesque and unique. They include places like Murren, Wengen, and Grindelwald.

A packed cable car

 Since we didn't use our car, we mostly took the public transit and used our own feet to get around. The hiking in this area is absolutely beautiful and surprisingly easy, when you consider all of the elevation changes. I want to share a lot more about the trails we did in the area, so I will save that for another post...

Taken at the start of the trail we did on our first day in Lauterbrunnen