Beautiful Switzerland

september 2023
  • Deborah Elias-Smith
  • Les Smith
14 days seeing highlights Læs mere
  • Deborah Elias-Smith
  • Les Smith

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  • Schweiz Schweiz
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  • 4,4krejste miles
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  • Flyvning-kilometer
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  • 27fodaftryk
  • 15dage
  • 228fotos
  • 20kan lide
  • Gondola stop at First
    Eiger North FaceView Jungfrajoch from First Cliff Walk

    Grindelwald First

    15. september 2023, Schweiz ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    Grindelwald is like a storybook illustration. All around us are views of Eiger Northface, and Jungfrau. Our hotel is an old traditional Inn, run by the same family since 1899. The Hotel Gletschergarten window boxes are full of flowers. Our room is small but recently remodeled and has amazing views.

    Although the train was a little late, we still had time to check-in to the hotel in Grindelwald and walk to the gondola up to First. It was spectacular and breathtaking to walk out onto the Cliff Walk.
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  • Fresh spring waterThe 3 PeaksBratwurst and RostiThe Panorama Trail

    Mannlichen, Kleine Schiedegg hike

    16. september 2023, Schweiz ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    We woke up to beautiful sunshine and in the mountains that means- Go Hiking!

    We had a great breakfast at our hotel. Every place we’ve eaten the food is fresh, local and delicious! We filled our water bottles with fresh spring water. A quick bus ride delivered us to the Grindelwald train terminal where we hopped on a gondola to Mannlichen.

    Mannlichen has jaw-dropping views of three peaks: Eiger North Face, the Monch, and the Jungfrau. And cows grazing!

    There’s a number of trail heads in Mannlichen and we choose the “easy” downhill Panorama Trail hike to Klein’s Schiedegg. It was spectacular. Photos do not do it justice. There were picture perfect views around every turn.

    Just 0.6 miles from the end of the trail, we stopped for a traditional lunch of bratwurst and rosti. The cable car from Kleine Schiedegg took us back to Grindelwald- where Deb immediately bought new hiking boots,. Delaware is flat. The old boots were fine. Not so in Switzerland! The new boots have thicker soles, greater stability, and are 1/2 size bigger!
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  • Hike Wengen to Lauterbrunnen

    17. september 2023, Schweiz ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    We’re learning that an”easy” hike in Swiss terms is about as much as we can do!

    Today , we took the gondola to Mannlichen, caught the cable car to Wengen (4,200 feet) and hiked from Wengen to Lauterbrunnen.

    It’s a relatively short, (3k) hike on a very steep downhill trail (15% incline) that’s a challenge for knees, hips, and toes. The elevation drops 535m! Took us 2 hours with stops for water and photos.

    The reward is a beautiful view of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, complete with waterfalls.
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  • Coeur des Alpes HotelLobbyLooking up towards the MatterhornSuite 202

    Rainy Day Train Ride to Zermatt

    18. september 2023, Schweiz ⋅ 🌧 59 °F

    We left Grindelwald by train this morning for Zermatt. It’s cloudy and rainy in both locations, perfect for a travel day.

    We successfully made three train changes: in Interlaken, Spiez, and Visp. The Swiss Railroad system is awesome—always clean and on time. Our itinerary and tickets are on our phones. The travel agent, Jayway Tours, arranged all our transportation ahead of time. All we have to do is show up and follow instructions—no stress at all. Our in-country "helper," Karen, checks in to be sure we're okay and ended up where we're supposed to be!

    We got glimpses of two waterfalls but not much else to see along the way.

    We were greeted with a glass of cold Prosecco at our Zermatt hotel, “Coeur des Alpes.” The boutique hotel is beautiful and has a completely different vibe from the beautiful and quaint Hotel Gletschergarten in Grindelwald. It’s very modern, with lots of glass. Our room is a spacious suite with Matterhorn views once the clouds clear out.
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  • Hotel Courrs des Alpes
    A stone marker on the hillside identifies the hotelTo keep the mountain air pure, Zermatt prohits cars. The hotels have electric carts like this to taTunnel to ground floor hotel elevatorHotel LobbyHotel breakfast roomSuite 202 living roomFirst thing we see after waking up.Lying in bed looking over our toes.Spa, indoor pool

    Coeur des Alpes Hotel

    18. september 2023, Schweiz ⋅ 🌧 59 °F

    Our hotel in Zermatt is absolutely stunning! It sits on the hillside, two levels above the street. We access the lobby through a tunnel and elevator. The lobby floor is glass as are the stairs. Under the lobby is a fabulous spa with a heated pool, infrared sauna, icy rain shower, and massaging shower. The design is very modern with a bit of steampunk. And everywhere, huge windows look out to the Matterhorn.

    There are hidden hearts ❤️ like hidden Mickeys all over the hotel.
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  • Riding up in the gondolaWalking to Schwarzsee LakeSchwarzsee LakeSchwarzsee Lake and Maria zum Schnee ChapelChapel AlterChapel windowMaria zum Schnee statue (Maria of the Snow)Eye-catching MatterhornEntering the Ice Cave at Glacier ParadiseIce CaveLayers in the Glacier tell a storyGlacier crevasse in the Ice CaveIn front of BrighthornStaircase to the Observation TowerGlacier Paradise Observation PointGondola over the Glacier

    A Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

    19. september 2023, Schweiz ⋅ ⛅ 43 °F

    Tuesday, we were met by our guide, Judy, for an all-day adventure. The weather favored us with beautiful Matterhorn views in the morning.

    On the way to the top, we stopped At Schwarzsee Lake and visited the Chapel. Switzerland is a Catholic country and the mountains are sprinkled with Chapels. This Lake and Chapel have been a pilgrimage site since the early 18th century.

    Continuing to the top, Glacier Paradise, we visited the Ice Cave. Then, we climbed to the top of the Observation Tower where you can see the Paradiso Range of the Alps and glimpse Italy and France. Too bad, the clouds obscured our view of Mont Blanc.
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  • Judy and Deb ready to hike.
    Restaurant FurriRosti with cheese and tomatoPretty village along the way down.Looking backwards along way.Looking down the hill at Zermatt.Finally made it to the town.

    Hike from Furi to Zermatt

    19. september 2023, Schweiz ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

    Our guide, Judy, took us to lunch at a friend’s restaurant in Furi. We shared wonderful traditional Swiss food and then finished our day of sightseeing with a hike down the mountain from Furi to the village of Zermatt.Læs mere

  • Gornergrat StationThe Matterhorn is shining for us!Gornergrat ChapelGlacial LakePanorama of Glaciers at GornergratGornergrat Glacier

    Gornergrat Railway

    20. september 2023, Schweiz ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    Since we began planning a visit to Switzerland 30 years ago, a ride on the Gornergrat Cogwheel Railway has been a “must-do.”

    We walked from our hotel to the train station just in time to catch the 10 am train. Clouds were expected to increase throughout the day so a morning view would help.

    The views of the Matterhorn from the train are overwhelming. And the summit is the best of all. The mountains are on one side and the glaciers on the other.

    We lingered for hot cocoa, watched the 360-degree movies (Zoom), climbed to the Observation Deck, and then got back on the train - heading down to Rotenboden for our hike.
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  • Riffelsee Lake with Matterhorn reflection
    Hiking to the Lake, with the Matterhorn peaking out from behind.Riffelsee Lake looking away from the Matterhorn, reflecting the glacier.Riffelseeweg TrailFamously confusing trail sign. We manged to avoid Top of Switzerland. Yikes!The die is cast: we take the Riffelalp trailPanorama of the mountain range from the Riffelalp trailView of Riffeleberg StationRiffelberg Chapel, where Deb will pray for hiking poles.The end in sight

    Hike Rotenboden to Riffelberg

    20. september 2023, Schweiz ⋅ 🌫 43 °F

    We rode the Gornergrat train down one stop from the summit to Rotenboden and hiked the Riffelseeweg and Riffelalp trails down to the next train station, Riffelberg.

    Yes, it’s a lot of Riffels.

    Like all our hikes in Switzerland, it was called “easy” and was about our maximum in skill and strength. For the record, Deb wants to note that we did all our hikes without poles. And , yes, that is a complaint.

    The Riffelseeweg took us directly to Riffelsee Lake, a well-known photo stop where, under perfect conditions, you can get a photograph of the Matterhorn and its reflection in the Lake.

    We continued on the trail wending our way through the rocks, mostly descending… until a new choice emerged: continue as planned on the Riffelseeweg or take our chances on the faster but perhaps harder Riffelalp.

    We went with the Riffelalp and got to the station just in time for the next train to Zermatt.
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  • Train Car 25BitschRealpGhackets & Hornli and apple compote on the sideTaminsLandwasser ViaductHospentalCazis

    Glacier Express: Zermatt to St. Moritz

    21. september 2023, Schweiz ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    We boarded the 8:52 train in Zermatt for our all day ride on this iconic, panoramic train. 🚂.

    The railway runs through green alpine valleys , hillsides of farmland and larch trees, alongside glacial rivers, in the shadow of mountain peaks. The landscape is dotted with chalets, cows, and sheep. The Swiss could have invented the word “pastoral.”

    The train ride invites you to relax and immerse yourself in the countryside. There’s even a channel on the entertainment system that plays endless Swiss folk tunes!

    An onboard restaurant serves passengers drinks and meals cooked from scratch on board. They offer a selection of Swiss traditional foods and some international dishes.

    We were seated next to a multigenerational family of six who were visiting Switzerland from Singapore. Their little ones (ages 4 and 6) behaved beautifully for their 6 hour ride. We enjoy talking with the parents and grandparents. It was amazing how alike our families were, despite living at opposite sides of the planet. Travel is not just eye-opening, it can be heart-opening as we realize how alike we all are. ❤️

    A highlight of the trip is the Landwasser Viaduct , a single-track six-arched curved limestone railway viaduct. Opened 1902, it has stood the test of time and is an engineering marvel.

    We cruised into a very quiet St. Moritz - asleep until the BIG winter ski season. We’re just here overnight. Tomorrow we head to Zurich.
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