Mindful Journeys: In search of Wonder in Switzerland - Explore the Jungfrau Region
From Italy to Switzerland
Ah Switzerland!! Your shockingly beautiful mountains cause me to fall to my knees and weep. No joke, but I am “special” that way. Equally inspiring are the tiny villages peppering these towering alpine valleys, where hard working people have carved out a peaceful way of life. You can go hiking in Switzerland from village to village and see for yourself!
We traveled to Switzerland via northern Italy by train. Make that 4 trains in one day. One of the fun things about traveling around Europe is the ease and speed at which you can move from country to country. We started in the morning in Varenna, Italy on Lake Como, where we took a train to Milan. We then found our train to Brig, Switzerland. Once we arrived in Brig we then took two more trains, transferring in Spiez and Interlaken Ost before finally arriving at our destination of Lauterbrunnen. We were able to book this entire itinerary through the travel agent at the train station in Varenna, which made things much easier. The excitement of changing trains, getting tickets validated, and finding the correct train to board, was something else! We planned it that way because we needed to meet some friends in Lauterbrunnen that evening. In some cases there were just minutes between transfers. On the upside it got us very comfortable with European train travel. Mind you, the majority of these train rides afforded mesmerizing scenery replete with picturesque villages, sparkling lakes and snowy peaks.
Lauterbrunnen
When we arrived in Lauterbrunnen, we were awestruck by the plethora of waterfalls spilling down the cliff sides flanking this vibrant little town. Cradled by a cathedral of showy mountain ridges, Lauterbrunnen feels very festive, with a main street, decorated with Swiss flags and full of cafes, restaurants, outdoor gear shops and various places to stay. We tend to stay at a range of accommodations when we travel, from more budget friendly or mid-range places and then splurging on more special spots too.
For the start of our journey in Switzerland we chose the Valley Hostel. A very family-friendly place our “family-style” room came with a cozy loft for the kids and soft slippers for each guest. After a quick check-in, we headed out to meet our dear friends from Oregon who we had planned to travel with for this Swiss part of our journey. Traveling with another family is on my list of tips for traveling with kids. Let’s face it, kids need other kids….sometimes adults can be boring. Or as my son will say, "Sometimes adults can be fun!" Sheesh. So, we met our friends at Hotel Steinbock for hot coco and delicious fondue, must haves for any Swiss journey. Next up? A good night of rest!
The following day was full of exploration in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Hiking and walking in Switzerland between some of the villages in this Valley is really pretty easy! We visited the car-free tiny towns of Murren and Gimmelwald. To access Murren from Lauterbrunnen, we took the cableway from the north end of town up to Grutschalp, where you catch a narrow gauge mountain train to Murren. Both of these modes of transportation are awesome experiences by them selves! Murren is such a stunningly beautiful little town. If interested in staying here check out this link for lodging. Once in Murren you can enjoy a down hill amble through town, making your way slowly to the town of Gimmelwald, stopping often to marvel at the constant mountain vistas, charming cafes, picture perfect Swiss chalets and pastures full of cows. This walk exposes you to the magnificence of the Jungfrau region in the Bernese Oberland (link). When you picture Switzerland in your mind, this is the place you are envisioning. The walk on pedestrian only paths will take you about 20 minutes, and our group included 6 year olds and 10 year olds.
Gimmelwald
Once in Gimmelwald we stumbled upon Pension Gimmelwald, for lunch. Their dining room opens up to a patio with a mountain backdrop so unbelievable, you will feel like you are in a screensaver.
We immediately inquired about room availability and booked a room for the following evening, as it would be a good starting point for our big trek to the Obersteinberg Hotel, which I will talk more about later in this post. This 100 year old pension is oozing with old world charm. There are a range of room types to suit families, couples or single trekkers, as the area is very popular with back packers.
Back on the dining patio, we enjoyed delicious soup with bread and charcuterie. The kids discovered a little trail from the patio that led through a hillside meadow to an awesome play structure with a speedy tunnel slide! This spot was pretty dreamy for the kiddos. After lunch we caught a cable car, right by the play structure, down to Schtechelberg. Warning, this is a pretty steep cable car ride, so if you are afraid of heights, you may want to close your eyes, however you would miss the incredible views.
Trummelbach Falls
From Schtechelberg we walked along the road to TrummelbachFalls. You must pay to get into the falls and there are many visitors to sharein the experience but it is worth it. You will get to take an elevator insidethe mountain and then follow paths through the mountain to see a waterfall flowingin and out of caves, within the mountain. Once you get back down to the bottom,there is a nice little café for a snack or a treat. From Trummelbach, we walkedall of the way back to Lauterbrunnen. It is a flat beautiful walk but it didget a bit long. As an alternative you can take a bus back from either Schtechelbergor Trummelbach.
The next day was a little more leisurely. Since we had a pretty big mountain trek planned for the following day, the kids convinced the grown-ups that we should take cable cars all of the way from Lauterbrunnen back to Pension Gimmelwald, which worked just fine. Another lovely option is Esther's Guesthouse in Gimmelwald. So we enjoyed a lazy day of wandering about Gimmelwald, and hanging around the pension. Lazy days are key to travel with kids. We elected to order the kids a pizza from the Mountain Hostel, just below our spot and then the parents enjoyed a multi-course meal put together by the pension. Highly recommended, if you stay here.
The Obersteinberg Hotel
The next day was a big one and the inspiration for our journey to Switzerland. We had always dreamed of participating in the “hut-to-hut” backpacking experience, where you can hike from one lodging to the next. With the amount of time we had and our young hikers’ abilities, we opted for just a one night stop at the Obersteinberg Mountain Hotel. There are so many huts to hike to throughout Switzerland and all over Europe really. This was simply what we had time for and the region we wanted to explore that seemed well suited for our group of young trekkers. We also give many thanks to the staff at the Valley Hostel, who helped us pick the best route. Starting from Gimmelwald we had a 7 mile trek up to the “hut” for the night and the following day we would hike back out and down to Stechelberg, where we would bus back to Lauterbrunnen. We were really excited about the idea of getting to an accommodation only accessed by foot. The really special part was that we did not have to carry much with us, especially for the kids. All we brought were snacks for the trail, appropriate layers and a few hygiene items. The mountain hut would provide bedding and food.
We are a pretty well seasoned hiking family but a 7-mile hike mostly be up hill, was still a challenge, particularly for the 6 year olds.
We took MANY breaks on the side of the trail, sometimes finding lovely benches with gorgeous views, perfect for snacking on yummy homemade cheese produced in Gimmelwald. We were happy to offer our young trekkers plenty of Swiss chocolate and gummy bears and a moment of rest for some story telling....ok and maybe some whining, quite a bit actually....but we kept going and going and finally WE DID IT!! We made it to the Obersteinberg. After trudging up plenty of switchbacks, carefully crossing a few steep drainages ( a little scary..take it slow), visiting with trail side goats and cows, we slowly made our way. This beautiful lodge provided simple clean rooms, an amazing 4-course meal and scenery that blew our minds. The parents got to sit back and enjoy in a cold lager, mesmerized by the Swiss Alps while the kids were completely entertained by catching crickets, following the many drainages that created little meandering creeks down the mountain side, visiting with the mountain goats, horses and pigs on site and simply watching the waterfalls flow. What. A. Day….
With our bellies full, we made our way back to our rooms. Because there is no electricity, each room is equipped with a little old fashioned candle holder…especially helpful to make your way down the hall to the bathrooms! The next morning, after a hearty breakfast we headed back down the trail, this time it was all down hill. Phew! Throughout this entire journey, the mountains commanded many a mindful moment, to soak it all in and sit in wonder at how teeny tiny we all are. I miss those mountains. It is important not get too wrapped up in sightseeing when you travel, to remember to take plenty of moments to just sit back and take it all in....the wonder and perspective of being in a place different from your own.
Eventually the trail led us right into Schtechelberg, where we caught a bus back to Lauterbrunnen. The Valley Hostel had a storage room for our non-trekking luggage, so we grabbed our stuff and caught the next train to Zurich!!
Zurich
We had a soft landing at the modern Novotel Hotel in Zurich.Mind boggling to have literally come down from the mountains, hopped on acouple of trains and made our way into a big bustling city. We did not havemuch time in Zurich, as our plane back to the states was the next day. TheNovotel was a great choice, near the airport with a free shuttle there, fun andfestive for the kids and quite modern, with a particularly expansive and tastybreakfast buffet before our big day of travel back home.
What an adventure it was!!!! We had been in Italy a few weeks before our 5 day adventure in Switzerland and it was the perfect close to an amazing journey. We will surely return!
You can read about our adventure in Italy here. For more travel tips on travel in Switzerland we are big fans of The Lonely Planet and Rick Steve's guide books.
Be a Mindful Traveler
What does it mean to be a mindful traveler? The practice of mindfulness is all about being present, really living in the moment and soaking in what is in front of you. Perhaps listening deeply to another in a conversation, observing how a place or a life style is both different and/or the same as your own, connecting to people and places in a way that fills us with joy and illuminates the realization that we are all in this together. Truly at the core of all things is the pursuit of happiness. Check out this post about Daily Mindfulness Practice.
At My Peaceful Wild we strive to share our adventures in a way thatencourages others to go out into the world and participate in a style oftravel that is mindful and connects to a place with kindness andcompassion. Of course many have a “bucket list” of travel destinations,myself included. It is a big beautiful world after all! Along with goingplaces to see beautiful landscapes, cities, architecture, let’s worktogether to spread a message of hope, kindness, environmentalstewardship, supporting and celebrating local communities and cultures.Let’s get out there and experience a place as a citizen of the earth on amission to connect to a sense of place. What does it mean to be anOregonian, a Hawaiian, an Italian, a Mexican or a Kenyan? The world isso full of beauty, mystery, language, food, traditions, history, joy andsorrow. As you get out there and experience it, do it mindfully andwith compassion. Now go!
Be well, be kind and make time to get outside and explore!