Invigorate the soul with fresh air from theroofofeurope

Keith Broomfield and his wife and daughter enjoy a hiking break in Switzerland

A s we approached close to the glacier high in the Bernese Oberland, several loud cracking noises echoed through the air, a stark reminder that these thick ice sheets are forever on the move, flowing like lethargic rivers, gouging and carving hard mountain rock on their way.

Our vantage point on a rocky ridge delivered incredible views no matter which direction you looked. On one side, the famous mountain trio of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau, and on the other a broad Alpine valley that swept all the way down to the small Swiss town of Interlaken.

Accompanied by my wife Lynda, and 21-year-old daughter Laura, we were enjoying a 11-day Swiss hiking break based in the quaint mountain village of Wengen. Car-free and peaceful, it is the perfect location for a walking holiday, well-linked by mountain trains and cable cars that take you up to the highest tops or across to different valleys.

Indeed, this was one of the main attractions for us, where the strain of uphill walking is only an occasional inconvenience because of the excellence of the uplift systems.

The mountain trails are superb, well sign-posted and offering routes of incredible natural beauty; places where creatures such as Alpine marmots and chamois live, and where flower-filled meadows abound at every turn.

There are a great range of options for exploring this area of the Swiss Alps, and for convenience and to keep costs down, we purchased a Jungfrau Travel Pass, which included passage for most train and cable car links in the area, as well as boat trips on Lakes Thun and Brienze by Interlaken.

One day we opted to take the mountain train to the Jungfraujoch, dubbed ‘The Top of Europe” at an altitude of 11,400ft.

This is one of the few attractions not completely covered by the Travel Pass, and the ticket is a real budget-buster at around £63 per person, but it is definitely worth a visit for experiencing this glacial environment.

Attractions here include an “Ice