Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Frolicandhikehighabovethestressandcloudsoftherealworld.Takeavacationfromyour
busy vacation. Recharge your touristic batteries high in the Alps, where distant avalanches,
cowbells, the fluff of a down comforter, the whistle of marmots, and the crunchy footsteps
of happy hikers are the dominant sounds. If the weather's good (and your budget's healthy),
ride a cable car from the traffic-free village of Gimmelwald to a hearty breakfast at the re-
volving Piz Gloria restaurant, 10,000 feet up on the Schilthorn. Linger among alpine white-
caps before riding, hiking, or paragliding down 5,000 feet to Mürren and home to Gimmel-
wald.
Your gateway to the rugged Berner Oberland is the grand old resort town of Interlaken.
Near Interlaken is Switzerland's open-air folk museum, Ballenberg, where you can climb
through original traditional houses gathered from every corner of this diverse country.
Ah,buttheweather'sfineandtheAlpsbeckon.HeaddeepintotheheartoftheAlps,and
ride the cable car to the stop just this side of heaven—Gimmelwald.
Planning Your Time
Rather than tackle a checklist of famous Swiss mountains and resorts, choose one region to
savor: the Berner Oberland.
Interlaken is the region's administrative headquarters and transportation hub. Use it for
business—banking, post office, laundry, shopping—and as a springboard for alpine thrills.
If the weather's decent, explore the two areas that tower above either side of the Lauter-
brunnen Valley, south of Interlaken: On one side is the Jungfrau (and beneath it, the town of
Kleine Scheidegg), and on the other is the Schilthorn (overlooking the villages of Gimmel-
wald and Mürren).
Ideally,spendthreenightsintheregion,withadayexploringeachsideofthevalley.For
accommodations without the expense and headache of mountain lifts, consider the valley-
floorvillageofLauterbrunnen.Butforthebestovernightoptions,I'dstayonthescenicridge
