So what do travel passionate people do during this pandemic?
There are only few options to chose from, starting with doing nothing, getting frustrated and visiting the fridge frequently. We quickly dismissed this option after we witnessed first hand that it’s leading to much more excess luggage (i.e weight) with us (better say on us) for the next flight! Soon we tried another route which included visiting virtually several museums that became available online. To tell you the truth, it’s a good substitute option but it doesn’t fully indulge you with the deep emotions you sense during travel. Eventually the necessity unveiled an option that was always within our hands! How about re-living our own experiences?! Yes! So we started relooking at our own travel pictures from couple years ago, and retelling each other the stories we lived there! Touring Interlaken region over Easter, Leukerbad & Spa under the snow, Lucerne sunsets on the historic bridge! …You can’t believe the emotions they bring back…. same laughter, similar smiles but also some occasional romantic tears… So we decided to write down some of our stories down and share them more broadly including tips of where to go and what to do. Et voila, here’s one to start with…. our trip & tips of things to do in Interlaken & in Lauterbrunn.
Tip 1: Choose the right accommodation, key for things to do in Interlaken
Although we don’t usually stay much in our accommodation but choosing the right one is half of the enjoyment of the trip. We chose a cute (Airbnb) studio in Wilderswil, because of location, close to the places to visit in Interlaken area, calm yet a walk away from train station and minutes away from Lauterbrunnen. It opened to a huge garden, call it even a field! Sipping coffee in the early mornings, while mesmerizing at the mountains around us made our stay quite memorable.
Tip 2: Visit the legendary Lauterbrunnen waterfalls, a must on the things to do in Lauterbrunnen
Our trip started through the famous Lauterbrunnen valley snd its waterfalls. Its of the top things to do in Lauterbrunnen. I always like to play the role of a guide by telling stories about the place. Well, Lauterbrunn in German means: “Many Springs” or more accurately: “Loud Springs”, and the name is spot on. This little valley in the Swiss Alps has no less than 72 thundering waterfalls, some of which are several hundred meters high. If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan, you might know that it’s close to Lauterbrunnen where Holmes has his presumed mortal combat with Professor Moriarty (at Reichenbach Falls).
Tip 3,4 & 5: Follow James Bond to Schilthorn & stop at Mürren & Thrill walk Brig!
Schilthorn-The James Bond things to do in Interlaken!
We soon reached the cable car parking and upward we headed to Schilthorn, the last station just few meters shy of 3000 m. This is literally the top of the things to do in Lauterbrunnen and Interlaken! The panoramic view is simply breathtaking! A magnificent 360-degree panoramic view of the “Swiss skyline” including Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau awaits you! We followed James Bond’s footsteps and visited the interactive exhibition “Bond World 007”. James really knows how to pick his locations (and girls as revealed in the movies 🤗). At Piz Gloria, many scenes were filmed for the 1969 James Bond 007 film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”. There is a nice panoramic restaurant up there so try it if you have time on your hands. Bonus: if you visit the men’s room up there, you will be recommended to “Aim like James” while at the “bidet”! I found it quite funny such that I took a pic.
Thrill Walk Birg-The adrenaline things to do in Interlaken
The station below on the way back is Birg, a summit on the east flank of Schilthorn, above the village of Mürren. Here, be ready for an adrenaline rush: The Thrill Walk Birg!! 200-metre-long steel and glass bridge attaching to the side of the rock before swinging under the observation deck and ending below the Birg cable car station.
The Thrill walk Birg cliff path has several sections that you need to walk, climb or crawl through, including an eight-metre-long tunnel area above a 250m drop.
Here I had to admit publicly my acrophobia (fear of heights) for the first time! They say admitting fears strengthens emotional connection, so I got points for both admitting my fears and overcoming it by doing the Thrill walk Birg challenges! 😁
Mürren-The loveliest of the places to visit in Interlaken
One more station down and we stop at Mürren (you can alternatively make the stop on the way up if you prefer). Mürren is a super cute village for a walk and one of the loveliest places to visit in Interlaken. The restaurants are very authentic! We had a wonderfull dish of Rösti with saucisse-specialty of the region and a rich cheese fondue!
Right across is the Mürrenbachfall falling to the ground from the 417-meter-high Mürrenfluh in 5 cascades. This is what makes it Switzerland’s highest waterfall! Definitely its a must on the list of things to do in Lauterbrunnen.
The day trip was truly stunning! We were very lucky with the weather. It started to turn cloudy just as we were starting to head back to our studio! We decided to have a meal in the nice open garden, but soon the rain drops forced us to run in! 🤗
….the next day was planned for Grindelwald & Jungfrau, but that’s for another broadcast. Stay tuned 😃!
