Swiss Excursion Part 3: Exploring Lauterbrunnen
After about a 2 and a half-hour train ride from Lucerne, we arrived in what we would later see as possibly one of the most picturesque places on earth, Lauterbrunnen. I was quite amazed by the beauty of being 7,00 feet above seawater at Mount Pilatus, but taking in the expanse and the grace of Lauterbrunnen is something totally different.
Lauterbrunnen is a small village inside of the canton of Bern (headed there next!) Locals say it translates into the words “many springs” which could very well be true as there are a few springs flowing off f the cliffs into the valleys
We arrived in the dark of night and so we encountered a slight difficulty locating our chateau as GPS was a bit shoddy but once we found it, we were quite ecstatic about it. The chateau was nice with two floors, two bathrooms, a hot tub (hell yea) and a large tv as well as a fire a place.
In the morning, being able to sit outside on the porch of our chateau with a cup of coffee in our hands and listen to and watch the glacier waterfall (literally right across from our chateau) was quite calming and serene, Lauterbrunnen literally looks like a magical place from a movie or storybook. We could also see hang gliders and parachuters leaping off of the mountains above.
Things to do:
Explore Lauterbrunnen’s surrounding areas and main village
It’s a great place to casually walk around and take in the amazing scenery including the many mountains and the wooden Chateaus in the center of the village.
Go see the Lauterbrunnen Church and clock tower up close
Clockwise from top: Lauterbrunnen town center; Lauterbrunnen Church; A view of Lauterbrunnen with a glacier path
Hiking
Take a hike up the stepped walkway of the glacier waterfalls (pictured above) and you’ll end up with an amazing view of below whilst being behind the waterfall. We thought the climb would be higher but it was still a fun experience nonetheless.
Photos clockwise from the top: Mountain Views surrounding Lauterbrunnen; Visitors hiking up to one of the waterfalls; A close up of the glacier waterfall
See the Annual Swiss Cow Parade
If you’re there in the fall, you can experience the annual cow festival. Watching the cows come down the mountains around the alps outfitted with wreaths and bells is pretty mesmerizing.
Hang Gliding in Interlaken
Take a short trip over to Interlaken and go hang gliding. I did this on my birthday and it was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. I’d recommend (name of company). They were funny, very knowledgeable and kept us feeling good throughout the experience
Day-trip to Nearby Towns
Visit the nearby village of Murren. A quiet car-free town, if you travel to the top of Schilthorn by cable car, you’ll be presented with some amazing views of the Alps as well as Lauterbrunnen. If you’re a 007 fan like myself there’s also a very cool 007 themed restaurant that has 360 views of the surrounding mountains
Where to eat:
There are not too many food places around though if you stay in one of the many hotels you may be able to get served some form of Swiss food. Since we stayed in our own Chateau we took a stroll to the Coop supermarket down the road and brought a few things to cook for our stay
Where To Stay:
I’d suggest staying in one of the Chateus on the alpine meadows instead of the hotels as you’ll be dead center in the middle of the village. it’s really that and a sight to see with cows roaming and the waterfalls around you.
