We set out on our recent adventure with little information about the significance of our choice of destination. What we discovered was a whole new world in Lauterbrunnen, a village town in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The town, set in the picturesque setting is hub to those wishing to explore surrounding regions of the Swiss Alps.
Magnificant, breath-taking, awesome were adjectives my little band of holiday makers uttered during our 2 nights in the town village. Even my little three year old said it was “unbelievable”!
It is autumn already and the changing colors of the leaves, the fresh, refreshing alpine air and the scenic view was worth every penny I spent in Lauterbrunnen. We are from the tropics, long white sandy beaches and sunshine is the imagery we have of anything exotic. But the Swiss Alps has a different kind of appeal and it will rank as one of the most memorable moments of my life.
While researching a place to go for a break, we settled on the choices Paris, Venice or somewhere in Switzerland. Paris and Venice were both too expensive at such short notice so we settled for somewhere in Switzerland and the obvious choice was the Swiss Alps. But where in the Alps? I spent a fair bit of time to research on the internet and Lauterbrunnen was a random choice based on the very positive reviews we read about the Hotel Staubbach.
Two attractions in Lauterbrunnen caught my attention. The Trummelbach Falls, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, because I simply adore waterfalls and the alpine village of Murren. Nestled at 1650m above sea level and its promise of no traffic, it seemed like the perfect place to visit while in Lauterbrunnen. We were also looking forward to riding in the BLM mountain railway from Lauterbrunnen to Murren.
So our adventure began Monday 3rd, 3:45pm when we hit the highway heading towards Bern. Armed with GPS we sped along the highway and as we passed Lausanne, I got that Frodo/Sam moment flash through my mind again, “…this is the furthest we have gone from the Shire!” We were treated to the usual scenic landscape of the Swiss country side but as soon as Interlaken came into view, we felt a jolt of awe that left me gaping at the stunning scenary that lay before our eyes. We skirted the town of Interlaken and then drove into Wilderswil, a lovely town right at the enterance of the mountain ranges that towered above us. A sense of calm swept over me as we cruised through the valley, it seemed like we had suddenly entered into a different world. The cows were grazing idly in the pastures and the whole architecture had changed dramatically. Another 30 minutes of driving brought us to the town of Lauterbrunnen, a small climb up a small hill brought us to the train station then past that we were suddenly greeted with the awesome view of the snow capped mountains with the Staubbach Falls gracefully sending the fresh alpine water hurtling towards “middle” earth. At that moment my wife remarked, “It reminds me of Lord of the Rings”. Little did I know that she had touched onto a little known fact that Lauterbrunnen inspired J. R. R. Tolkien’s sketches and watercolours of the fictitious valley of Rivendell in Lord of the Rings. We drove slowly until we reached the end of the town where we found our hotel, the Hotel Staubbach.
Inside we were greeted by a friendly, bubbly Australian called Nicole who quickly verified our booking and then showed us the keys to our room. The room was on the 3rd floor with a 180 degree view of the valley, the Staubbach Falls on one end to the majestic rise of the mountains on the other extreme. We stood there in awe – I had never imagined that one day I would be standing in view of some of the world’s finest creation. It was getting late so we hurriedly dressed up in warm clothes and then headed out for a quick walk around the town. With only a single main street it was easy. We checked the train station, then walked to the Lauterbrunnenbahn, which is the station for the cable car, where we checked the prices for the ride. After that we began the slow walk back to the hotel as the sun set and darkness descended on the first day of our Swiss Alpine adventure. We slept soundly throughout the night.
The next morning, we were treated to a mini buffet style breakfast at the hotel. Cereals, croissants, buns, freshly baked bread, egg and meat (ham was definitely one) were served with an assortment of hot drinks, apple and orange juice. Then it was time to head up into the mountains. My daughter kept on reminding me, “Daddy, are we going to see Heidi’s house? And Peter? And the goats? And grandfather?” Without dampening the mood I agreed with her as we set out.
Our first stop was to board the cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp. From Grutschalp, the BLM mountain railway offers a 30 minute mountain ride with spectacular glimpses of the towering mountains: Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. The train ride ends on the outskirts of Murren and for good reason because to enjoy the beauty of this mountain town, walking is the best option.
Our walk soon transpired into a hunt for lunch. Bypassing some of the more upscale looking hotels we settled for Stagerstubli, an eatery which had “horse steak” as its dish of the day! Luckily the menu offered a lot more variety and the food was exquisite! Coupled with the mountain air, I even thought my fizzy Coca Cola tasted much better. I had Swiss chicken breast with herbal butter, the butter being my lone daring act of the day!
After the late lunch we walked to the end of the town where we once again boarded a cable car from Murren to Gimmelwald, then took the connection from Gimmelwald to Stechelberg. The descent was scary, I must admit I was really having regrets about opting for that route. In Stechelberg, we took the bus to Trummelbach to visit the Trummelbach Falls, the highlight of my day. From the top of the mountain, 10 series of glacier-waterfalls wind their way down to the valley pouring out about 20,000 litres of water per second. The sound is not deafening but the climb up to the top is scary, cold and wet! With an adventurous 3 year old in tow this is not a tour for the faint hearted. I strongly recommend clinging on tightly to your precious little ones. We opted to take the lift up to fall number 6, climbed to top then descended using the stairs that winded down the mountain visiting falls 5 to 1 which we initially missed. Many years ago, I insisted on going to see the falls near my father’s village – there were three; imagine 10, most of which were hidden from view inside caves and mountain crevices. It was an eerie experience but thoroughly enjoyable. Tuesday 17:52, we took the bus back to Stechelberg then the cable car back up to Murren.
One final surprise was to find a whole team of fully dressed martial artists running through Murren as we were making the slow walk back to the BLM train station. One of those stopped by to pose for the camera, much to my delight. We soaked in the mountain air again and then boarded a waiting train back to Grutschalp which was where we descended back to Lauterbrunnen.
The adventure would not be complete without dinner! At the Hotel Staubbach we reviewed their list of recommended diners and chose Restaurant Steinbock because it seemed more laid back. I did not regret the choice, the soup was super – I had Onion Soup with cheese crouton! I wondered what the crouton was and it was 2 slices of bread topped with great Swiss cheese lightly nestled on top of the onion soup below. It was great! For the main course, I decided not to be adventurous and settled for the Spaghetti Bolognaise.
Next day was Wednesday, we had breakfast as usual then checked out of Hotel Staubbach. I have no hesitation recommending this hotel should anyone chose Lauterbrunnen as their next destination. We took a quick trip to the Staubbach Falls and then decided it was time to leave. We left Lauterbrunnen at 12:16pm and began the slow drive back. I wanted the experience to last so I made sure I drove as slowly as possible until we hit the highway and began our mad rush back to Geneva.
Life’s simple pleasures are often found in the most innocent discoveries. For us 2 nights in Lauterbrunnen at the Hotel Staubbach topped every other great memories we have made in this beautiful country.
I agree a 100%!
A nicely described adventure!