Sweet Sweet Switzerland
Another country crossed off our list! I convinced Chris that we needed to drive to Switzerland for one of the last summer trips of 2022. Friends have recommended the Interlaken area for views, hiking, and being dog friendly. What more could we ask for? The main thing for driving into Switzerland was purchasing a vignette from ADAC. You can get it at the border or an ESSO station, but we wanted to have it beforehand to be prepared.
Day One
We settled on the town of Lauterbrunnen, home to 72 free-standing waterfalls. These waterfalls come down from the cliffs, where you can gaze at them during your stay. It took some time to find a reasonable dog-friendly Air BNB, but I could not have been happier with our choice! Our drive was over 5 hours long, so we got to the Air BNB around 3PM. We parked in the driveway, which was included with our stay. Our host Angie owes an entire apartment complex that she rents out. We were fortunate to have the lowest level leading into a grassy patio. The Air BNB was spacious, clean, and perfect for our stay. We brought our own food as we know dining out in Switzerland can be pricey. The Air BNB was equipped with everything we needed, but the main perk was the patio with the mountains at our fingertips.
After unpacking, we decided to walk to the Trümmelbach Falls, a 40-minute walk from our Air BNB. The Trümmelbach Falls have ten glacier waterfalls inside a mountain. These waterfalls are from the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains. You can take an elevator up to start exploring all ten waterfalls or utilize the stairs. The Trümmelbach Falls are open from 9AM – 5PM except in July and August they are open from 8:30AM – 6PM. It cost 14 CHF to explore.
On our adventure to the falls, we were in awe of the glacier rivers flowing and beautiful scenery. There were some quieter parts of the river, so Maxine could take a dip and cool off. The best part of the walk was seeing a cheese, wine, and meat vending machine! We stopped back another day to grab some fun treats. The Trümmelbach Falls are a must-see in Lauterbrunnen. They have different stops along the mountain where you can get soaked from the water and different angles to observe the falls. However, they are not dog-friendly. The falls produce a cool breeze, so we took turns sitting in the shade with Maxine while the other explored. On our way back, we stopped at the bar across from our Air BNB (Horner Pub) for some drinks before returning and making dinner. We were so happy to be in Switzerland!
Day Two
Our main agenda today was to hike the Harder Kulm mountain. Harder Kulm overlooks the towns of Interlaken and Unterseen. We knew the hike would be difficult, but I don’t think we were quite prepared for how difficult. We parked near the train station and started our ascent. This was a steep climb. I am used to walking trails as Maxine and I typically walk 2-3 miles daily. This, however, was a different type of climb. It should not be a problem if you are used to climbing over tree limbs and steep hills. We discovered an alternative route that had more switchbacks and fewer uphill climbs. This worked out much better for us. Maxine was a trooper on the hike. She had plenty of water and enjoyed being with us. Switzerland has plenty of drinking fountains where you can fill up. This was a lifesaver as we didn’t have to worry about running out of water. The hike has different rest areas and viewpoints to enjoy. We finally reached the top of Harder Kulm after 2 hours and 3.40 miles later! The view was amazing, and I felt accomplished with what we had done. The top of Harder Kulm has a restaurant, water, and snack area. They would prefer you not to picnic and bring your own food. We opted to take the cable car down instead of hiking. Fun fact – dogs are free to travel on cable cars and trains! The cost for Chris and me to go down was $13.50 per person (one way).
After making it back down, we had our picnic and game planned for the rest of our day. We stopped at a nearby lake for the afternoon and took dips in the beautiful Switzerland water. The water was so clear and breathtakingly blue. Lots of people were on paddle boards and swimming in the water. The lake was dog friendly, and you could take your dog in the water. Your dog had to be on a leash at all times. This was a perfect way to cool off from our big morning hike. We returned to Lauterbrunnen for a relaxing evening of wine and gazing at the Staubbach Falls, the main waterfall view from our Air BNB.
Day Three
We planned to play our third day by ear. The forecast called for thunderstorms but kept changing when they would begin. When we awoke, it was sunny, and few clouds. We decided to take the cable car to the Swiss Village Mürren. No road leads to the town of Mürren. It is only accessible by cable car and then a 15-minute train ride. The journey up to Mürren was fun! Again, it was no charge for Maxine to use the transportation; for us, it was around 10 CHF. When we arrived in Mürren, we plugged in some fun walking trails and explored the village. I keep saying in this entry how breathtaking the view is, but truly all parts of Switzerland were! The village of Mürren is at the foot of the Schilthorn peak. There are snow-covered mountain tops, fresh air, and cooler temperatures. Near Mürren is the Piz Gloria, a revolving restaurant featured in the James Bond film. This restaurant has the 007 exhibit and views of Mount Blanc. We chose not to take an additional cable car up to the exhibit.
There are additional cable cars that connect Mürren to other Swiss Villages. We took one that led us to Schilthorn. This was back down the mountain, and we had an hour walk back to our Air BNB. This walk led us along the glacier river, perfect for Maxine to cool off. After returning to our Air BNB, we ate lunch and still had no thunderstorms! We then drove to St. Beatus cave, famous for the legend of the dragon-slaying saint who lived there. St. Beatus was near Interlaken, which was a 20-minute drive. There are two different parking areas. The main one was full, so we opted for the second area down the road. The main parking area leads you up a trail that stops at the gift shop and museum. You walk up a hill to get to the cave’s main entrance. Where we parked (the second area) had a steeper climb and led you right to the cave entrance. The cave is open from 9AM – 6PM, costing 18 CHF for adults and 10 CHF for dogs. It is chilly in the caves, but we were so warm from outside that it felt fantastic. The caves are amazing, with different stops along the way for you to read about what you are seeing. They have stairs, handrails, and a simple route to follow. It can get slick in the cave from the water, so make sure you have the proper attire. Maxine did great in them, and we enjoyed being able to bring her. I recommend seeing these caves, especially if you come in the summer months, because they are cool (regarding temperature and the experience). After we finished it finally down-poured! We returned to the Air BNB, sat in the covered portion of the patio, and watched the rain fall. We could tell the mountains were receiving plenty of rain as the waterfalls became heavier coming off the cliffs.
Day Four
Our trip to Switzerland had come to an end. Before we left our Air BNB, we took one final walk and went to Staubbach Falls. This is the closest waterfall in Lauterbrunnen (a 3-minute walk from our Air BNB). You can climb uphill and go behind the waterfall. We took Maxine, and up we went. Honestly, to me, after being in the Trümmelbach Falls, this was a disappointment. With such an uphill climb, Chris and I felt that the view and experience weren’t worth it. However, it is free! After checking it out, we started our journey home.
Overall, this trip became one of my top three journeys we have done so far. It had everything I loved: hiking, being in nature, and bringing Maxine. We will be back to check out the area again as there are so many different towns we did not get to explore, such as Grindlewald, the Jungfrau mountain, and more of Interlaken. Knowing more about the area, I think it would be simple to take the train between destinations instead of driving. It was just our personal preference to drive. We cannot wait to plan our next trip to Switzerland!
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