Switzerland hiking trek is a peak experience
We are avid hikers who hike 50 different trails each year, so hiking in the Swiss Alps has been on our bucket list for a long time. And 2016 was the year our dream came true.
A friend recommended the Bernese Oberland trek, guided through Sherpa Expeditions. We arrived in Zurich three days in advance of our guided hike so we could explore Zurich, Lucerne and then to Meiringen, where our guided hike started. After landing in Zurich, we rented a car and drove to the beautiful, roaring Rhine Falls near the border with Germany.
Lucerne by train was our next destination. We brought along Rick Steve’s Switzerland book and used it to choose our lodging and restaurants as well as many popular attractions. With only one day in Lucerne, we took the steepest cog railway in the world, up to Mount Pilatus. The view was incredible.
The small village of Meiringen was one of our favorites. There were fewer people and a variety of things to do, including hiking a steep cliff to a platform overlooking a waterfall, hiking to the Trift suspension bridge, visiting the Sherlock Holmes museum and Reichenbach Fall (where Sherlock Holmes and his archrival Moriarty fell to their deaths). An expansive chair-lift system took us to breathtaking views and hiking trails accompanied by a symphony of cowbells.
Our group of eight hiked 9 miles from Meiringen to Grosse Scheidegg, followed by a choice of either walking 6 miles or taking the bus to the peaceful and charming village of Grindelwald. This lush, green village is in a valley surrounded by the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountains The Jungfrau cog railway to the top of the Jungfraujoch Mountain is one of the most popular destinations in Switzerland. We took advantage of the clear skies and got an early start to beat the crowds. The railway took 16 years to build and travels through tunnels chiseled out of granite. It is an engineering marvel.
We continued hiking the Bernese Oberland route through Mannlichen, Wengen and Lauterbrunnen, then boarded a train for a three-hour ride to Zermatt, home of the Matterhorn. The Five Lakes Trail was our favorite, with views of the Matterhorn the entire way.
We ended our trip with a visit to Montreaux and Lausanne and a tour of a castle on Lake Geneva, Chateau de Chillon. It was truly an epic journey that we will never forget.