Adventure may hurt you, but monotony will kill youUnknown
After taking the amazing views at Zermatt and the beautiful village of Lauterbrunnen, we had settled well in the amazing village of Erlenbach im Simmental, near Interlaken. Lets explore Interlaken and see at some of the best day trips at Interlaken exploring Lake thun, Lucerne, Gruyeres, Lake Blausee, hiking Stockhorn and biking at Interlaken
- Lake Thun
The skies had opened, and the weather was wet, but that added to the romantic beauty of this place.Our first day at Interlaken we took it easy staying indoors for most of the day, having a great time with Addy. During the second half we drove to Thun, the main town by Lake Thun. Walked around the town, taking in the views and enjoying a Lunch.
We drove further out circling Lake Thun towards Oberhofen Castle – a beautiful castle on the shores of Lake Thun. While we dint indulge in going inside, Addy has a great time at the little playground outside the castle and next to the school.We drove further out to a little viewpoint on the opposite side of the Lake, over the next week this became a daily stop for us, sat on the benches and took in the views before making our way home as the sun set. This was quite a leisurely day and a break for Addy – who has been an absolute gem while we constantly drove around Switzerland.
- Lucerne
The very next day we head towards Lucerne, one of beloved tourist hotspots. The little city lies beside Lake Lucerne, sitting comfortably between the mountains. Again, it was a scenic drive, im amazed at the infrastructure here – amazing.We parked near the train terminal at Lucerne and head out on foot exploring the town. The most enigmatic sight at Lucerne is the wooden bridge running diagonally across the Reuss – The Chapel Bridge. I was told the bridge, and the tower are among the most photographed in Switzerland – I don’t disagree.
We walked further out exploring the old town, on the bank of Reuss, admiring the timber framed buildings on the cobbled stone streets, giving a touch of Disney fairy tale atmosphere. We stopped for lunch by the river admiring this fairy tale land.The weather was still quite wet, we drove to nearby beach on the lake – Ufschötti Strand, where Addy had a great time, before heading back home to Interlaken.
- Gruyeres
The next day the weather had slightly improved with the clouds parting for some brief time. It was the perfect day to do a day trip towards Gruyeres, a picture-perfect medieval town. Though I’m not fan of driving, I was keen for this drive as it passed through Jaun pass offering one of the most scenic drives in Europe. And off we went towards Gruyeres and very soon we were at Jaun pass – stunning mountain pass. Drives in Switzerland are way too surreal – sometimes I wonder if im driving in my dreams! Very soon we pulled into the parking lot at Gruyeres and walked up the hill to enter the walls of this tiny medieval town. The main street that runs through the heart of the town is lined with hotels, cafes, museums etc. It’s a short but beautiful walk.
At the highest point within the town is the Gruyeres castle also called Château de Gruyères. The Views from here are amazing. You can’t visit Gruyeres without trying the cheese – there are numerous cafes which serve this melted cheese with bread or boiled potatoes. We had a go, our first time trying a Cheese Fondue, and probably our last as our Indian spice infused taste buds dint take a liking for this version of melted cheese! I would have preferred Addy’s doughnut instead!
Finally we wound up on our time in Gruyeres and head out driving and exploring the not so touristy roads – ended up next to a lake with few campers and then turned around. As we started making our way back we did multiple pitstops along the Jaun pass, stopping for lunch, stopping for stretching our legs and one such stop was in this beautiful village with an absolutely stunning waterfall. Addy loved this place more than Gruyeres.
- Lake Blausee
We were on our way back home from Gruyeres, but Addy and Li were like “It’s too early” – lets go somewhere else. Having a car at your disposal and having a happy and energetic kid with a bone for exploration is the perfect recipe to find an absolute gem of a place – Lake Blausee. We were quite overwhelmed to be honest by the beauty of Switzerland – Matterhorn at Zermatt, the chalets of Lauterbrunnen, fairyland of Lucerne and the rolling hills, meadows with a green carpet. All this seemed monotonous after a while and that’s when we stumbled upon Lake Blausee.
Unlike the rest of 1500 lakes in Switzerland, most of which are accessible after hiking for few hours, the crystal waters of Blausee are reachable within a 10 mins walk (though with an affordable payable entry). The crystal-clear blue waters at the Blausee are teaming with quite large Trout’s swimming on the surface. We took a stroll around the lake and Addy enjoyed playing the water was the sun was setting with a slight drizzle in the air. We then explored beyond the lake on one of the trails which was lush green with gigantic trees, Addy also got a chance to meet some Llamas – reminding her of her drives in El Calafate, Argentina.
Blausee was the perfect ending for the day – the cherry on top – which at this point was one of our favourite spots in Switzerland. It gives me a feeling that we are more pilgrims of “Forest and Lush green spaces” as compared to snow covered peaks and rolling hills.
- Cycling at Interlaken
Most of our vacation we try exploring bits of nature and the landscape either on foot, hiking or scaling peaks, or on Bike. We had a great walk in Lauterbrunnen, had plans to hike down Stockhorn the next day, so we were keen to bike around and explore more of the Swiss countryside around Interlaken.Biking in Interlaken and in general Switzerland can be tricky – well they all look quite simple while looking at the map, but one should be very much aware of the Terrain. So, it’s advisable to talk to the bike shops and ask them for relevant maps – especially if you aren’t a seasoned pro biker.
It was again a wet day to start with , but the clouds made way for some sun shine as we picked up our bikes from Flying Wheels at Interlaken and decided on a circular route. It’s advisable to book in advance during peak season and if you are keen on E-bikes.The route soon left Interlaken town heading into the little settlements bordering the town. Addy had a great time chirping behind me and asking a million questions along the way.
We stopped by Lake Thun as we stretched our legs and Addy played around in the cold water. The route then went further way passing fields, river crossing and farms before arriving looping back into town.We had a nice meal at Addy’s Favourite – McDonalds before paving our way to pay honours to Mr. Yash Chopra – The Icon of Indian Cinema. It started pouring down as we returned the bikes – Poor Addy was getting soaked and couldn’t take more of it!A day well spent on wheels – It was such an enriching experience to burn some sweat in such an amazing backdrop
- Hiking at Stockhorn
We were towards the end of this lovely Switzerland trip. We were on top of Zermatt, walked the valley at Lauterbrunnen, biked in Interlaken and much more. However, we did miss one thing – Hiking. We had some of the best experiences hiking in the Patagonia Heartland in El Calafate and were eager to explore something similar in Switzerland.It was the last day, and we never knew, this would beat every other experience in Switzerland. We were staying in the tiny village of Erlenbach im Simmental and every day we saw the cable car disappearing in the clouds above our chalet. On digging more and speaking with our host, we got to know its Stockhorn, a mountain on the Bernese Alps, and a hiker’s paradise.
And off we went the next morning, we took the cable car to the halfway point at Chrindi and then all the way to the peak of Stockhorn at 2190 metres. The peak was covered in clouds, owing to the downpour, however whatever little views we saw – they were stunning. And as with many peaks in Switzerland – there was an overprice restaurant/café.
Stockhorn is a beautiful peak that overlooks two stunning alpine lakes, Oberstockensee and Hinterstockensee. Our aim was to hike down towards Oberstockensee and then further down to Hinterstockensee – to take the cable car down to the village.The hike was initially on very rocky terrain, watching every footstep while taking in views of the lake below. Addy was all excited and walking her way down singing songs and jabbering off. There was snow and hard ice at certain parts of the route which were a little hard to navigate. The views while we made our way to Oberstockensee were amazing. I was on the lookout for any wildlife but wasn’t lucky to spot any.
The ridges up the Stockhorn create a mesmerising pattern which while intimidating is also a luxury to the eyes. We reached the first alpine lake of Oberstockensee and had our packed meal while taking the views of this remote Alpine Lake. The route here is less frequented with just one other couple hiking down in our vicinity. The remoteness, the silence, the fresh air – it was like transitioning to a parallel world and one which we dint want to come out of.
We bid farewell to this amazing alpine lake before winding up and then down through more snow/ice (had a nasty fall !), more green foliage, a working farm with ringing cowbells before making our way to Hinterstockensee – the second of the Alpine lakes.It was an amazing hike and one of our best days in Switzerland. Made our way down the cable car from Chrindi, before celebrating our hike with some beer and treats from the local village shop.
This is Aldrin and my partner Amoli. We bring you "Earths Pilgrim" - a unique insight into our travel escapades while leaving life in a cubicle. If you are looking for some inspiration to break the shackles of a regular life, then you are the right place. Read more about us- Click here.