Switzerland: Ain’t No Mountain High, Ain’t No Valley Low in the Bernese Highlands

Stephanie B.
Aug 22, 2017 · 3 min read

The drive from Lucerne to the Bernese Highlands (aka Berner Oberland) is majestic. The area boasts valleys and peaks that are some of the prettiest jewels in all of Switzerland. On our way around the Jungfrau Region, we met the Jungfrau — one of the biggest summits in the Bernese Alps standing at 4,158 meters (13,641 feet) tall. It’s nestled farther back among its sister ridges, and looked like a pain to get to. So we opted to skip the highest peak in all of Europe due to sheer travel- and planning-fatigue.

Instead, we took the lowlands and were rewarded with a nice surprise when our parking lot in Grindelwald had a gorgeous glacial view.

We took the road less traveled by only strolling through the town — a much-needed break for us.

We also found more low-key leisure in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. The valley is nestled between ridges and receives an ample supply of runoff to provided for lush lowlands, rapid streams, and countless waterfalls.

We hiked up Trümmelbach Falls, a series of ten glacier-waterfalls inside a mountain, draining 20,000 liters (5,283 gallons) of water per second! The glacial waters of Trümmelbach Falls gushed through the mountain crevices past viewing platforms spraying nearby tourists on its way down. It was hard not to fall for this dreamy sequence of falls!

For some more rest and relaxation, we spent the next few days on Lake Thun in Spiez. The view from our room was unbelievable!

And, as the weather alternated we found the views offered more than sunshine.

We were so impressed that our Swiss-Chinese host had the best house on the hill. From sun-up to sun-down, the patio views rivaled those of any hotel.

We also had great company in the resident feline: Bond. James Bond.

Don’t let his deadly yet charming scowl fool you, he’s a real softie and one cool cat. We were really surprised to find a Persian cat in Switzerland. Nevertheless, Ash and James bonded over their shared heritage and their mutual love of back rubs.

Via Vida

Life by way of travel.

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Stephanie B.

Written by

Interrupting daily life to travel the world.

Via Vida

Via Vida

Life by way of travel.

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