MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial Trip report an American in Switzerland for 12 days
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Grüezi! Willkommen to My Swiss Trip Report!
Danke schön for all the help on MySwissAlps.com for the planning of my dream trip to Switzerland.
Travel Dates – Late August (8/22) through Labor Day [US] (9/3). 12-day trip with the following itinerary:
1. Arrival (8AM) | Flughafen Zurich to Berner Oberland (Wengen) | Interlaken Stroll and Harder Kulm
2. Berner Oberland (Morning: Lauterbrunnen Valley | Staubbach and Trümmelbach Falls) [Clouds/Rain]
3. Old City of Berne (Altstadt-Marktgasse-Zytglogge-Bundeshaus-Münster-Rosengarten) [Clouds/Rain]
4. Berner Oberland (Morning: Gimmelwald | Afternoon: Mürren-Mountain View Hike-Schilthorn Sunset)
5. Berner Oberland (First-Bachalpsee | Hotel Bellevue Wengen Rest and Relaxation) [Clouds/Rain]
6. Berner Oberland (Morning: Jungfrau-Top of Europe | Afternoon: Kleine Scheidegg and Männlichen)
7. Berner Oberland (Morning: Eggishorn-Great Aletsch Glacier | Afternoon: Glacier Express | To Zermatt)
8. Matterhorn (Morning: Gornergratbahn and Panorama | Riffelsee-Riffelberg | Afternoon: Furi-Blatten)
9. Matterhorn (Glacier Paradise | Zermatt-Matterhorn Museum-Souvenir Shopping) [Clouds/Rain]
10. Lake Geneva (Morning: To Montreux | Chateau de Chillon | Afternoon: Lavaux Vineyards | To Lucerne)
11. Lucerne (Morning: Lake Cruise | Afternoon: Altstadt-Chapel Bridge-Lion Monument) [Clouds/Rain]
12. Departure (12PM) | Flughafen Zurich [ZRH] to Washington Dulles [IAD]
Dropped Due to Weather or Timing (Bold): First-Bachalpsee Hike, Glacier Express, Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, Lavaux Vineyard Terrace Hike, Lake Lucerne Cruise
One of my life goals is to visit all the major alpine regions. I have already been to the Austrian Alps
(Salzkammergut Lakes District and the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse) and the Italian Dolomites, plus a brief jaunt into Berchtesgaden in Bavaria. I love the food, culture, and breathtaking scenery of the Alps!
I have wanted to take this trip to Switzerland for over a decade, but other places (read: cheaper) have always won out in my travel planning. I prepared myself beforehand for the sticker shock, from all that I read, but I did not particularly find the prices to be as bad as I thought they would be while traveling throughout the country, at least for lodging, though to be fair, I did stay in single rooms. Food and beer prices were a bit outrageous, though, but I had factored that into my budget and had more than half of my dinners as half-boards. I did find Zermatt to be more expensive than the Berner Oberland, but in all, it could have been more surprising.
As for traveling within the country, I got the Swiss Travel Pass, which through my research, was not quite the better value for me compared to the Half-Fare Card, by 65 CHF. However, I liked the thought of going ticketless on the trains with the Swiss Travel Pass and decided it was worth the extra cost for the convenience, so I wouldn’t be fumbling around with the ticket kiosks at each bahnhof.
I got the 15-day swiss travel pass at 485 CHF (Second Class), which allowed me to jump on the trains and just go, and I could apply a 50% discount on all the mountain lifts and rails (except Jungfraujoch). Total transportation was 752 CHF with the Swiss Travel Pass; it would have been 685 CHF if I used the Half-Fare Card. Do the research. It took some time to put together the spreadsheet (on http://www.MySwissAlps.com), accounting for all rail connections and cables cars, but it helps with the overall trip planning and itinerary. I would say, however, if the difference was more than $100, I probably would have gone with the Swiss Half-Fare Card.
Now the food! I ate so much cheese and chocolate. I am not kidding. Imagine a reasonable amount, and then double that. From this personal experience, I now know there is a limit to how much cheese one can eat! Haha. I had two fondues and the second one was absolutely for gluttony and I only realized after that it probably wasn’t worth the ordeal and price. The raclette I had was underwhelming, which was disappointing to say the least as it was one of the meals I was looking most forward to while traveling. I had this image in my head that I would see the server slowly scrape the gooey cheese onto my plate, but in reality, it had already been scraped off when it was served. I was not thrilled, but I didn’t enjoy the taste (and smell) either. The käse (cheese) and speck plates at the alpine huts were fantastic though! For chocolate, I went to Sprüngli at the Zurich Airport, Läderach in Bern, and Lindt at the Top of Europe, but I also got some cheaper chocolate (Callier and Toblerone) at Migros. If it weren’t for all the hiking over several kilometers each day, I probably would have gained 5 kilos over the trip!
And when I was hiking, I took advantage of the alpine dairies (alpkäserei). I enjoyed the fresh milch and käse! I also rounded out my meals with the requisite schnitzels and strudels, and tried rösti, but shredded hash browns are not foreign to me, so this meal wasn’t particularly exciting. There was also an alpine mac and cheese dish I enjoyed called Älplermagronen. I loved having a cappuccino and eating muesli and a local cheese each morning. Lastly, as a tradition, I ate at McDonald’s once and tried The Prime, which at 16 CHF, was good but expensive.
Beer and Wine: I am a huge hefeweizen fan, so there were plenty of choices throughout my trip, including Jungfraubräu. The only brewery I visited was the Rathaus Brauerei in Lucerne, which I enjoyed the interior and ambience very much, with wurstl, a big pretzel, and weizenbier schaumsuppe (wheat beer soup). I also drank chasselas during my fondue and raclette dinners, and while enjoying the sunsets from my hotel balcony.
Berner Oberland (BO): What a breathtaking alpine retreat! This is your quintessential Swiss outdoor experience. I first fell in love with Switzerland with a photo I saw years ago of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. I knew I wanted to wake up to that vista and watch the alpenglow on the Jungfrau in the evenings. For that specific view, I stayed in Wengen at the Hotel Bellevue. I enjoyed the hotel, and the staff was very well informed on the area, weather, and happenings in Wengen, which is a great village to spend a few nights; it’s on the opposite side of the valley from Mürren. Wengen has quick connections to the valley and Jungfrau side of things, and a more expansive view of the area than Mürren in my opinion. I unfortunately never made it to the Grindelwald valley due to the weather forcing me to be strategic in what I could see and do to get the photos and memories I wanted.
Let’s talk about the weather… About half my stay (in both the Berner Oberland and Switzerland as a whole) was cloudy and/or rainy, and when it was cloudy, it tended to be the low clouds that would cover the peaks. Having followed the Facebook pages of the different areas throughout the summer, and seeing amazing summer shots of the mountains and alpine pastures, it was disheartening to find the weather not cooperating with your ideal vision. No matter how many times someone told me that clouds add a dramatic effect to the mountains, when they’re obscuring the peaks, then the point is moot if you are specifically there to see the mountain panoramas (Reminder: I am geographer). Anyway, I digress. It was repeatedly said to me throughout my visit that it was probably the worst weather Switzerland had over the entire summer because of the heat wave that gave way to many sunny days in the month prior. The mountain peaks did receive their first dusting of snow, though it melted within a few hours. On the two sunny days, I did get the clear views I wanted of Lauterbrunnen Valley and the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau from Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg, as well as the vista from the Top of Europe and Schilthorn. I just didn’t want to spend a chunk of my time running around to make sure I got the photo.
If you could prepare for the mountain weather in advance, and had 2-3 sunny days in the Berner Oberland:
Day 1: Up the Jungfrau Railway to the Top of Europe (11,782 feet) on the Good Morning ticket, see the sights for a few hours on top, walking on and inside the glacier, then take the train back down to Kleine Scheidegg for lunch (loved the gulaschsuppe) and met a lovely English woman to whom I spoke with for over an hour. Then walk around to see the Wetterhorn and the Eiger north face, and hike to Wengenalp (1 hour), passing countless cows. Take the train to Wengen, stroll through the village, and take the cable car up to Männlichen for the views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, which are better in the afternoon with the sun angle. And more cows! I have to tell you, when the travel brochures speak of the fragrant swiss air, they’re not talking about chocolate and pine trees. They must be talking about the cows. Haha! Anyway, you can take the last cable car down to Wengen at 5:30pm, or you can hike the Panoramaweg (2 hours) to Kleine Scheidegg with breathtaking views the entire way. It’s an easy trail and the last train from Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen is at 7:30pm. I know there’s backtracking here, but I am being strategic with the sun angle to maximize the best views. It was worth the exhaustion and literally a Top 5 day in my life. #SwissBliss #AlpineSerenity
Day 2: Take the Stechelberg Cable Car up to Mürren, and then hike 30 minutes back down to Gimmelwald, walk around the cliff-hanging village for your traditional alpine chalets and way of life. Have lunch at Pension Gimmelwald (hearty soup and cheese plate). Then take the cable car back up to Mürren, stroll through the village, and take the Mürren mountain railway to the Grütschalp station. You are not going to take the cable car down, however. You are going hike back towards Murren on the Mountain View Trail, with an amazing panorama of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau the entire way. Stop at Bergrestaurant Winteregg for a beer. This gets you to about 4pm(ish). Take the train back to Mürren, walk to the cable car station and head up to the top of the Schilthorn (9,740 feet) with the Piz Gloria restaurant and amazing views of the Bernese Alps. I skipped both the Birg Thrill Walk, which looked like fun (but I was short on time), and Bond World. I didn’t care for the whole 007 theme. It was a bit much for one movie. I returned to Murren after spending just over two hours on top and had fondue at Hotel Alpina at sunset (8pm) with a great mountain panorama.
Day 3: Make this the iffier day weatherwise than your Jungfrau or Schilthorn days. Maximize your sunnier days up high. Please take this to heart. Do not spend your sunny days down in the valley. You can barely see the Jungfrau from Lauterbrunnen, so if the mountains are obscured, but it’s otherwise partly/mostly cloudy out, the valley can be a nice day. Take the train to Lauterbrunnen and stroll through the village. I visited the folk museum (Talmuseum) to understand rural alpine life, got the money shot (46.594813, 7.908358) and then started a hike past Staubbach Falls to Trümmelbach Falls. On the way, there’s a cheese vending machine and alpkäserei, which I thought was cool and a good photo op. Trümmelbach Falls was amazing. The sound of the glacial meltwater tumbling through the rocks was deafening. You will get wet from the mist. It was also fun to see paragliders land in the nearby fields. I enjoyed the schnitzel and Toblerone mousse at the Hotel Oberland. I ended my day in Wengen in the hotel jacuzzi with a great view and alpenglow of the Jungfrau.
Obviously, this is quite ambitious, and better for solo travelers, or couples without children, and if you have a travel pass so you can get on and off the cable cars and mountains trains with ease, but if you want the best views based on the weather and sun angle, I think you’d be happy with these suggestions. It also helped that I built in two rainy days in my Berner Oberland itinerary, one for a day trip to Bern and the other for rest and relaxation in Wengen, knowing that I would drop the Bachalpsee Hike first if the weather did not cooperate, so I was banking on at least three good days for my top sights in the Berner Oberland. Mission Accomplished.
As an anecdote to the mountain vistas, I enjoyed hearing about the swiss folklore behind the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. When looking at the three peaks, looming above everything else, you get a sense of the story, of the monk (Mönch), who is protecting the young maiden (Jungfrau), from the scary ogre (Eiger).
In addition to these alpine, mountain thrills, I spent rainy days in Bern and Lucerne (described later). I seriously considered adding a day in Zurich, where I was flying in and out from the US, but I was already stretching my budget and read too many posts about avoiding the “most expensive city in the world.”
I also skipped Geneva because…well it has nothing of importance if you’re on a budget and maximizing your mountain thrills. I’m sure every city has its must-see sites, but when you’re traveling from the US with limited time, you need to prioritize the famous sites over the mediocre ones. My apologies to Geneva. By all means, if you have time, money, and/or if this is not your first trip to the country, explore to your heart’s content.
Bern: I took a day trip from the BO to Bern and left early from Wengen (dep. 6:42am, arr. 8:25am), spending the day strolling through the Altstadt (Old Town) with the Zytglogge (Clock Tower), down Marktgasse and Kramgasse, visited the Einsteinhaus, the Berner Münster, and the Bundeshaus (Federal Parliament Building), taking the 2pm English tour, walked along the terrace behind the Parliament, and ending the day on the other side of the city, with the bears at the Bärengraben and the great city views from the Rosengarten. I spent a total of 8 hours walking around Bern, which is not a huge city; maybe 30 minutes from one end to the other if you’re not stopping. I also splurged on some chocolate at Läderach (and it wasn’t the last time on this trip!)
After five days in the heart of the Jungfrau Region in the Berner Oberland, I left Wengen for Zermatt, planning an ambitious day that didn’t pan out entirely. Taking an early train, I traveled to Fiesch to see the Great Aletsch Glacier from the other end, opposite the Jungfrau and the Top of Europe. I took the cable car up the Eggishorn and the weather was nothing short of gorgeous. The Aletsch Glacier is the largest in the Europe, 14 miles long and 3,000 feet deep at its greatest depth. You can really see how much it has melted over the last century. Sad to think it might all be gone by 2100. It was a geographer’s dream. I spent too much time on top though and missed the last Glacier Express train for the day heading east. I planned on taking the train to the Oberalp Pass, turnaround, and then head all the way back to Zermatt. I know too ambitious, and the clouds had started to move in by mid-afternoon. By the time I got to Zermatt, it was quite cloudy, though it was a lovely welcome at the train station with the yodelers and alphorn players greeting the tourists.
Zermatt: As a geographer, seeing the Matterhorn has been on my bucket list since I first made one when I was a kid. I can’t tell you how many forums I read with the number of people telling others to skip Zermatt and focus your alpine thrills in the BO, including Rick Steves, though he doesn’t come right out and say it. Honestly, the Matterhorn is so iconic, I don’t understand how one can visit Switzerland without at least stopping in Zermatt to see one of the most recognizable mountains in the world. Yes, I know it’s out of the way compared to the other alpine regions, but come on… Obviously, you will need to know the weather beforehand, but I spent two full days in the village so I could at least guarantee myself a view at some point.
There are multiple mountain excursions to see the famous profile of the Matterhorn, though I only opted for the Gornergratbahn. The view from the top is amazing, both of the glacier, the Monte Rosa massif with the Dufourspitze, and Das Matterhorn, going from left to right in the panorama. However, I was worried because I left the train station with the monitors showing a clear view of the mountains, but by the time I reached the top, the clouds had risen from the valley and obscured everything, with only brief glimpses of the mountains peeking through the fog. So I waited…and waited, and my patience finally paid off as the clouds lifted first off the Monte Rosa massif, giving way to clear skies and a breathtaking panorama, and finally the Matterhorn about an hour later, though there was this one stubborn little cloud that would not lift entirely from the peak! I got the photo I wanted, had a cappuccino and strudel at the café, bought a nice Swatch as a keepsake, and saw the world’s largest chocolate Matterhorn. Wunderbar! I then hiked to the Riffelsee, took the train down one station to Riffelberg, and had a great lunch and hefeweizen at the Riffelhaus in view of the Matterhorn. As you move down from the Gornergrat, you’ll notice that you slowly move into position of the classic profile you see in photos and on the Toblerone package, whereas at the top you face the flat side of the mountain. I wanted to hike from the Riffelhaus to Riffelalp, but the clouds had started to pop up again more numerously and I only wanted to go on the hike if I had a full view of the Matterhorn the entire way.
The other big-ticket item in Zermatt is the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable car. I was debating whether to take it up the following morning ($$$), but the weather was looking iffy and I only wanted to take the lift to Schwarzsee to hike down to Furi and Zermatt via the Hängebrücke and Blatten. None of this mattered since it poured the entire day. I canceled all hiking activities for obvious reasons. I spent the day relaxing in my room at the Hotel Jägerhof, visited the Matterhorn Museum, which I enjoyed learning about the local culture and alpinism, and spent a good chunk of the day running around between souvenir shops in search of a miniature Matterhorn to display with my other travel figurines. I found one, as well as a cowbell, and an alpine hat, plus postcards for friends and family. How does the Zermatt post office not have stamps with the Matterhorn?
Between Zermatt and Lucerne, I spent a day traveling on a regional train with the intention of making two stops along Lake Geneva. Again, I was being overly ambitious. I visited Chateau de Chillon, which is a beautiful medieval castle right on the lakeshore. You learn about the Savoy family and the romantics of the 19th Century, and see the Grand Hall and dungeons. After a quick lunch in Montreux, I travelled to my next spot in Lutry to hike among the vineyards on the Lavaux Terraces for a few hours, but my stomach was not feeling too great, all that cheese was finally catching up to me, so I decided at the last second to skip and just enjoy the views from the train window, and continued on to Lucerne for my final day in Switzerland.
Lucerne: I planned my day in Lucerne in advance because I wanted to make sure I saw the city’s highlights in addition to one final alpine panorama from the lake. Nope. Rain, rain, and more rain. I cancelled the morning cruise to Flüelen, and just spent the day wandering around the Altstadt, the Chapel Bridge, had some wurstl, a big pretzel, and beer at the Rathaus Brauerei, and saw the famous Lion Monument. Dedicated to the “To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss,” Mark Twain once remarked that it was “the most moving piece of stone in the world.” I also went cuckoo clock shopping, but decided in the end not to buy one on my trip since most were made in Germany anyway and I had reached my budget. I stayed at Hotel Hofgarten and was upgraded to a nice room. It was a half-timbered building with old world charm. My final dessert was tiramisu gelato.
The next morning, I took an early train to the Zurich Airport and left for the US just before noon, not before dropping about 100 CHF on chocolate to bring back with me and to share with friends and family. Yum!
Overall, it was a great trip. The swiss countryside and mountain vistas were everything I had hoped for. My Facebook is full of stunning scenery and moments to remember. I love the Alps so much. Next time I won’t let the weather bother me so much. I forgot to mention one scene, a dinner I had in Wengen out on the patio with an accordion player serenading the crowd with music as the alpenglow crept up the mountainside as the sun set from behind. It was pure Swiss Bliss. I’ll make it back to Switzerland someday soon. Until then…
Auf Wiedersehen!
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Hi Noreaster,
What a fantastic read, thankyou I enjoyed it very much. Such a shame about the weather though. I always leave a part of my heart in Switzerland and have been lucky enough to visit many times from Australia. We have dear friends in Bern which helps a lot as you can imagine.
May I print out your report as there are several trips I want to do next year when I take my granddaughter?
I hope it won’t be long before you can return as I’m sure you will. Switzerland is truly chocolate box beautiful.
Cheers Jacqui
Hi Noreaster!
A fantastic trip report – thanks indeed for sharing with our members! Sounds like a lovely time, mixed with hikes and relaxation. Perfect.
I hope you get a chance to return someday (to find a proper raclette experience with the cheese scraped off upon serving!).
That weather in the mountains is always tricky. If possible certainly best to have several days in one area to wait it out but that isn’t always practical!
I agree the Matterhorn is a very cool Swiss experience. 🙂
Great photos!
Great, entertaining report and some first class photos there (please send more!). Hope the cholesterol levels are subsiding! 😎
Thanks, Lucas! I really did have a fantastic time. I’ll return soon. Can I make edits to my trip report? There are some grammatical errors I would like to correct. Danke! – Michael
A great report Noreaster, many thanks! A pleasure to read, and useful for many future travelers I’m sure. Wonderful images too; I realize those were the best weather days. The weather is always a gamble in the Alps. As Lucas said, it works best to stay longer in one base, with a wish list, and only make final decisions the prior evening or in the morning even. Weeks of relentless sunshine are possible too though.
I hope you’ll make it back soon. You’ve seen a lot in your 12 days, but there’s plenty left to explore.
You can’t edit your posts, except for the first hour (I think) after submitting. Feel free to let us know here or e-mail us if there’s an important edit to make.
Thanks, Arno! Yeah, I saw the edit button and clicked it multiple times, but it never reloaded the page for me to actually make my edits. Not a big deal. Danke! And I should say, when the weather was good, it was fantastic. In my report, I was taking the glass half empty view with regards to weather, but the other half was nothing but sunshine. I got the photos and memories I wanted, so mission accomplished. 🙂
Hi Noreaster,
Thank you for your trip report. I had so much fun reading it and enjoyed your glorious pictures very much! I’m sorry the weather wasn’t better for you but it sounds like you had a fantastic trip anyway. Your report has given me some ideas for our next visit. Thank you.
Michelle
Some Geo Coordinates for photos:
Männlichen and Cows Photo: 46.616822, 7.939388
Männlichen and Swiss Flag Photo: 46.613066, 7.940897
Hotel Bellevue Wengen: 46.608793, 7.916229
Eiger, Monch, Jungfrau over Kleine Scheidegg: 46.588912, 7.959716
Mountain View Trail with Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau: 46.591308, 7.892425
Lauterbrunnen and Staubbach Falls: 46.594813, 7.908358
Cheese Vending Machine: 46.578663, 7.909172
Nice Gimmelwald from above View: 46.547471, 7.887897
Classic View of the Great Aletsch Glacier: 46.431297, 8.094445
Mike with Matterhorn Photo: 45.984230, 7.775532
Gornergrat and Monte Rosa Panorama: 45.983407, 7.785218
Riffelhaus Lunch with Matterhorn: 45.993107, 7.752729
Thanks, Michelle! Feel free to ask me any questions. I’m happy to help plan other people’s travels. 🙂
Thank you Noreaster for a great read! Lots of detail and advice mixed in with your descriptions of your experiences. I really enjoyed reading it and the photos you posted are beautiful – so pleased you managed to get them despite the weather. We have also spent time up at Gornergrat waiting patiently for clouds to lift. I do have a collection of pictures now of the Matterhorn ranging from only just visible to standing out beautifully against a clear blue sky.
I share your enthusiasm for Swiss Chocolate, my husband loves trying the various cheeses – so many to choose from!
It was a shame you had so much rain but you seem to have made the best of those poorer days – your day in Bern for example was well spent. It was a bit of an in-joke with us that when it rains we go to Bern! Last year however we actually went on a sunny day for a change!
I hope you are able to return to Switzerland soon and enjoy even more fantastic experiences.
Maggie
More Swiss Photos:
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Wunderbar! What a great trip report. I feel the same about the Matterhorn and Zermatt. Years ago I hiked to the Monte Rosa hutte and waking up to the glacier and Matterhorn views was breathtaking. Thank you for taking the time to share.
Hi Noreaster
Thanks for the beautiful photos! And a great trip report. I very much enjoyed reading it.
You really had everything so well organised. Have taken notes for our next trip…
patripe
Thank you so much for this great trip report. We are headed there next month and I am praying for good weather. I am going to take your advice and plan each day according to the weather. Your photos are gorgeous too. What camera did you use?
Thanks, Ladynole! I used mostly my phone (LG V35) which ended up taking some fantastic photos, though clouds tended to be blown out and outlines over sharpened a bit that I had to process out each night for the ones I chose to post to friends on social media. I used my Panasonic Lumix for the zooms and selfies. I used meteoswiss and meteoblue for local forecasts each day, and frequented en.sat24.com/en to get an idea on the timing of when rain and clouds might be in the area, so I can plan my day out based on the sun. You’ll have a blast. Happy travels!
More lovely photos Noreaster. Thank you.
Maggie
Even more photos!
Attachments:Thanks Noreaster for the great report and magnificent photos. Brought back many memories of our 2017 Swiss holiday.
Mageo
What an awesome trip report….LOVED the detail and the pictures are STUNNING.
In the process of planning out my first Switzerland trip for next June – I CAN’T WAIT and this trip report is going to be super helpful!!!
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