High in the Alps of Switzerland - written by Marvin

We cross the Swiss border near Lichenstein, and couldn’t resist crossing the river to say we had been into another country.  The motorway from Germany was good, although we came across our first autobahn accident which slowed us down to a crawl for about 20 minutes (a truck had careered into a safety vehicle).   Out of nowhere the ridges either side of us became mountains.  We had to travel south west towards Lucerne so after a while had to take the smaller roads.  The scenery becomes more dramatic with each turn, whether following along a lake or climbing over a mountain pass.

 

 

Final destination is Unterbach, about 20 km east of Interlaken.  We stay two nights at a farmstay in a traditional Swiss farmhouse, three storeys high, with cellars and muck rooms on ground level, the owners (Ruth and Walter) living on the first floor and three separate accommodations on the second floor.  The working farm still had cows, although they were “up in the Alps” while we stayed there.  They also sold their own cheese, milk and eggs.  Interesting to note there is a military runway about 300m from the house, which is still active, although we soon find out that most areas have a similar setup, with planes and equipment stored in the surrounding mountains.

 

We visit Ballenberg which is an open air museum set in bush covering 2km highlighting the different buildings styles over centuries, some dating back to the 1400s.  Timber is prevalent and there were plenty of working examples including blacksmith, ropemaking, smokehouses, cheese making and hands-on kids activities (weaving, bark stripping etc).  We finished with a swim at the local lake Brienz, still quite warm given we are 500m above sea level. 

Leaving the next morning we head over the Grimsel pass.  A number of hairpin turns later we are at the peak, 2,140m above sea level.  On the way up we stop at Hotel Grimsel Hospiz which is located in between two large hydro dams. 

 

There is a bit of snow which the kids (and adults alike) enjoy seeing.  There are plenty of motorbikes cruising the alps, which is what I remember from my travels in 1998.  Every turn we drop lower and lower until we get back to about 500m.  On the downhill the cyclists are faster than the cars which can make for interesting driving, being over taking by a cyclist is not something that happens every day!

 

 

Switzerland is a wonderland country, the place of fairy tales and beautiful food.  The schocolade is divine, and we consumed a tasty cheese fondue.  It would be great to visit in winter when the cable cars take you rapidly up to ski resorts, and you can snuggle next to a log fire.  Cow bells galore, Switzerland is worth a visit.