Switzerland

Interlaken, Switzerland

Pure Beauty

Interlaken

Interlaken is a tourist attraction close by the Swiss Alps and Lake Brienz. It's breathtaking! This is a small town with less than 6000 residents. It appeared clean and friendly with lots of shops. A short drive to the mountains and the lakes. I opted to do a 6 hour tour to the Jungfraujoch which led me to stay the night in Interlaken. It was a perfect overnight get-a-way!

Interlaken

Trummelbach-Falle

Trummelbach-Falle was a short 15 minute drive from Interlaken city center. The snow melt that creates the falls from the Swiss Alps is intense. This was an inexpensive way to experience waterfalls inside of the mountain. The views at the top were outstanding. The parking lot is nearby a restaurant with public restrooms. There is a little shop where you can by souvenirs and then I serene walking path up to the entry of the falls. I spent about 45 minutes here.

Jungfrau Region, Swiss Alps

I really wanted to visit the Swiss Alps so when I did a quick google search, the Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe tour kept popping up as one of the best tours. The internet was right on this one! The tour was about 6 hours long and included a bus ride, gondola, a train ride through a mountain, and a train ride back. You travel 3454m (11332ft) above sea level and have the most magnificent views! The tour consisted of about 12 people and 1 tour guide who had lived there for over 20 years. There were a lot of cows! With cow bells! The swiss farmers bring their cows up higher in the Swiss Alps so they can graze the land in the summer. It was so neat.

Once you get to the Top of Europe, there is are a couple of restaurants, an Ice Palace, and the Sphinx Terrace where you can see the longest glacier in the Alps. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Lake Brienz

I traveled passed Lake Brienz on my way to Interlaken. The lake is a striking blue color, enhanced by the green hills and mountains surrounding it. On my way back to Germany, I stopped for a stroll along the lake. I was able to easily find several parking lots near a walking path on the lake.

Note: the parking meters are in German so I had to use a Google Translate app to learn how to pay.

Once I figured out the parking meter, I found several detailed wood carvings and wood shops. I later learned that the town of Brienz is known for its wood carving! I strolled through a neighborhood where the homes are quaint wooden chalets.
I found a cute restaurant with a lake view. Afterwards I walked a little further and grabbed some ice cream from a little food truck. It was the perfect way to spend a summer day!

Lungern

On my way back toward Germany, the highway took me next to this tiny lake in a town called Lungern. It was too quaint not to stop. The first photo shows an old church tower that you can actually go inside of and climb the stairs to the bell at the top. It's really neat. You can find this by typing 'Alte Kirche - Aussichtsturm' into maps.