If there’s something Switzerland is most loved for, it’s the majestic ranges of Alps that wind their way through the southern and southeastern parts of the country. There are many beautiful places to go to see the Swiss Alps up close, and one of the most popular is the Interlaken area and the subrange, the Bernese Alps. This was also the place my mum and I chose for our day in the Alps during our trip to Switzerland in November 2022.
We set off early from our apartment by Lake Lucerne as it was a two-hour drive to the first place we wanted to see, the beautiful village of Lauterbrunnen. Located deep in a glacier-carved valley with no less than 72 waterfalls cascading down sheer rock walls, Lauterbrunnen is one of the prettiest villages I’ve ever set foot in. It’s no wonder it’s a popular place to visit both in the winter for ski season and in the summer for hiking season. Thankfully, although we visited in the shoulder season, we got lucky and had perfect weather for a hike in the crisp mountain air.
While most hikers choose to take one of the many ski lifts in Lauterbrunnen to begin their hike in the mountains, my mum and I were looking to avoid the high costs of these lifts, and instead chose to hike the three-kilometre long trail between Lauterbrunnen and the higher village of Wengen.
Wengen is a small car-free village that can only be reached by foot, bike or train, so it seemed like the perfect destination for us, as we wanted to experience some of Switzerland’s remote Alpine villages. Wengen turned out just as idyllic and beautiful as we had hoped.
The hike up was tough as it was all uphill, but since we were following an established trail, the hike was never really challenging, and the views of Lauterbrunnen and its sunlit waterfalls made it all the more bearable. It took us around an hour and a half to reach Wengen where we were rewarded with views that made us feel like we were in a picture-perfect postcard. Think wooden huts spread across hilly green pastures with the mighty snow-capped Alps in the backdrop!
We spent some time wandering around Wengen, following a trail that circles the village. It was very quiet and only a few shops were open, but it was obvious that this village is well-visited in the high seasons as it had every outdoor shop imaginable!
The hike back down to Lauterbrunnen was a lot quicker as it was all downhill, but we did get held up by a cute little kittie who wanted lots of cuddles in the afternoon sun.
Back down in Lauterbrunnen, we walked to the car and drove off to Grindelwald, the last Alpine village we wanted to visit.
Golden hour had just begun when we arrived. We headed up to the higher streets of the village to find some beautiful views and make the most of the most beautiful hour of the day. Grindelwald’s beauty is beyond comprehension. Although I enjoyed Wengen more due to its tranquility and slow pace, I have to say that Grindelwald is the most stunning of the three villages we visited due to its location deep within the Bernese Alps.
We then drove down to the village centre, and spent a while wandering through its streets and visiting a few shops, before settling in a true Alpine restaurant for dinner with Hansi Hinterseer’s music playing in the background.
My mum and I spent a week in total in Switzerland and managed to cover a lot of ground during that time. But this day in the Bernese Alps was by far our favourite. There is little that beats small Alpine villages and mountain air!
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