Written by Kevin Monahan @kevindeanmonahan
If you have been trying to plan a trip to Switzerland and are seeking jaw dropping scenery and an adventure you will never forget then this article may be for you. Here are some places I went that allowed me to make the most out of a short 4 day trip here. Switzerland is known as the adventure capital of Europe and after being there you will immediately know why. Hiking, skiing, bungee jumping, skydiving, paragliding, river rafting, canyoning, ice climbing, you name it and it can be found here.
Interlaken
All of this starts in Interlaken, a resort town between lakes Thun and Brienz in central Switzerland. I used this town as a transportation center for the surrounding mountain regions and is what many others choose to do as well. If you have the time and money to do some adrenaline pumping activities, I would recommend paragliding!
Grindelwald
The first place I suggest travelling to from Interlaken would be Grindelwald, a village situated in the Bernese Alps. This is a very popular gateway to explore the Jungfrau region and do many different things depending on the season. To start things off, across the train station you will see a post office and a very steep hill. Walk up that for a short ways to get a nice view of the city and the towering mountains around it. After that I would take a gondola ride up to Grindelwald First. Once you are here, take a walk out on the “First Cliff Walk,” a suspension bridge, narrow cliff walkway and an observation platform facing the massive Eiger Mountain. It is hard to put into words the feeling of standing over a 7100 foot drop and having a 360 degree view of mountains that are over 13 thousand feet tall. A popular hike at the top is to Lake Bachalpsee which is really suitable for anyone and has stunning views so I’ve heard.
Back to Grindelwald!
Okay it is day two now so where should you go? Back to Grindelwald of course! A lovely day hike to do is from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg. It may take up to 5 hours to reach the top depending on how much you stop and take pictures but it is well worth it and you can always take the train back down from the top if you run out of daylight or have used all your energy. As you start climbing you will gain better views of the village and surrounding snowy peaks. This was definitely one of my favorite hikes because for the most part as you are hiking, to the left you have the 13 thousand foot Eiger towering over you. Not only are these mountains massive but they are just in your face at all times, it’s crazy. At the top, have a bite to eat and relax before you head back down.
Zermatt
The last place I believe you need to visit in Switzerland is Zermatt. A cozy village in the shadow of the Matterhorn. To get a great view of the city and a couple nice pictures, I would walk over to Riedweg. A place everyone should go at least once if they are in Switzerland would be Gornergrat. A ridge high up that offers panorama views of the Matterhorn and the Swiss Alps. The cable car makes several stops along the way to the top so just get off wherever you like, hike around, and hop back on and make your way to the top! If you can, stay at the top until the sun goes down you will get to see the most stars you have ever seen in your entire life. It is truly a humbling experience!
