If I were given a chance to do the Europe trip all over again but I could only visit one country, I will choose Switzerland without a shout of a doubt. For most of the time in Switzerland I actually felt like I was actually having a holiday. Instead of rushing from one place to another to visit the attractions, we were walking leisurely to enjoy the breathtaking sceneries.
Thanks to the diverse landscape in Switzerland, every photo is postcard beautiful.
By the time we reached Zurich it was already at night. Due to summer season there wasn’t any room available and even if there was one, it would be too expensive. After checking with every single hostel but to no avail, we decided to give up and catch a train to Interlaken instead. Although tiring, at least we got to see Zurich, which is a modern city with an active nightlife.
Panini (sandwich) stalls were aplenty at the train station.
Ever had a bacon pretzel? They are pretty common in Europe and come with many different type of fillings.
Using the hotel reservation kiosk at Interlaken West’s train station, we finally secured two beds at Balmer’s Herberge, which happens to be the first and oldest private hostel in Switzerland. Talk about coincidence. After spending the night in one of the 32-beds dorm (like a chicken coop) at Balmer’s Herberge we quickly left for Lauterbrunnen.
Do note that even with a Eurail Global Pass you still have to pay for the train to Lauterbrunnen @ 7CHF, a municipality that comprises some villages like Wengen, Murren, Gimmelwald and Lauterbrunnen itself.
Although the journey was quite short it was not short of beautiful sceneries, like this river flowing through under the tracks. If you are wondering, the river is turqoise-grey because it is fed by water from the melting glacier.
And the view of the Swiss Alps, it never seize to amaze no matter how many times you look at it.
The Staubbach Falls has got to be the first sight to greet any visitor to Lauterbrunnen, the 300 meters high waterfall in the background. When viewed from afar, the water seems to be spraying from the hanging valley instead of dropping. It is the most impressive waterfall I have ever seen in real life.
There are many things to do at Lauterbrunnen and the most popular and costly one would be visiting Jungfraujoch, widely known as the “Top of Europe” at more than 10,000 ft high. Or you could choose to visit the nearby villages either by hiking or taking a cable car.
If you are planning to visit Jungfraujoch, be informed of the local weather during your stay because it is the main factor in deciding your Jungfraujoch experience. Always pick a sunny day and start in the morning.
Our choice of accommodation at Lauterbrunnen for the next two days was Valley Hostel, a clean and homey hostel equipped with a self-service laundry room and a fully functional kitchen. Each dorm has a great view of Jungfrau that can be enjoyed from the room’s balcony.
So for the first day we decided to take a cable car to Murren then hike to Gimmelwald. The cable cars use here are similar to those in Genting but about 5 times larger.
Great photos again! Didn’t expect to see snow around this time of the year even if it’s Alps.
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I was in Switzerland this year march, and I paid 2 Swiss Franc = RM6 to use their toilets! :'(
The alps mountains are beautiful, but its summer cannot play ski i suppose.
nope, you can play ski in summer. it’s all snow up there
great photos!!!
am looking forwards on ur coming up posts as well as the ur trip to florence :)
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I would have to say it’s awesome to look at these photos… it’s stunningly beautiful.
Great shots and capture every angle so perfect.
Thanks for sharing all these. :)
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i’m going to switzerland to study soon! but my school is at leysin, near to montreux, the french speaking side of switzerland. you made me wanna go to the german side ( zurich and all ) for a trip after reading this post. stunning pictures ! =)
vkeong, your pictures are so sharp and nice that i tot im already there =)
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Thanks wyyv
Wow… Your pics really made my day. It’s so beautiful!!
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Thanks Thomas, long time didn’t see you posting :D
This is the place I should visit before I die! By the way, wonderful photos you got there. Your blog is totally amazing like always!
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I think so, my friend who went to New Zealand and Switzerland said that although NZ has a more beautiful landscape, it is not as diverse as Switzerland
I am thoroughly enjoying your pics. Very breath taking. Yeah, to be fully enjoying one’s vacation, I’d rather stick to fewer destinations but instead spending my time leisurely soaking in the environment.
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Yeah, rushing during a vacation will spoil the mood.. it should be relaxed and enjoying even the small things right
aiks…seriously its not cheap to travel in europe~
but man..i guess every penny spend is worth with all the beautifull scenery~
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Actually the rail pass and flight tickets are the most expensive, these 2 alone already cost 50% of my trip’s total cost
omg! the scenery is awesome!
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yeah, Switzerland is beautiful. It shares the same alps with Austria too, which means Austria is pretty amazing as well
OMG, I’m so regret now for not including Switzerland into my Europe tour itinerary couple of months back! But what should I say, I had only 14 days to cover 7 cities and you had 28 days! Thanks for sharing your great photos.
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Incredible shots of the mountains! That picture of the waterfall just looks like a huge shower coming from the top of the cliff.
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[…] a two hour train ride to Milan from Spiez, we immediately got ourselves a 2-day pass for the public transport that cost €5.50. The Milan […]
can i have the the high resolution of the pictures above?
especially the mountain snow
Lurve pic #1 and #10!
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Great stories on this beautiful country, definitely in my top 5 destinations to visit list.
The photos , am speechless.
I am in love with Switzerland already…
Great blog and amazing photos!
finally, i got the inspiration where to go….thanks Vkeong
Hi, We are planning a trip to Swiss soon. How many days do you think would be sufficient to spend from Geneva-Montreux-Zermatt-Interlaken-Lucern-Zurich? Any other tips?
Thanks.
Honestly I cannot advise you on anything. But from your itinerary you would need like at least more than 1 week to have a proper vacation.
Interlaken alone I think you could spend 3 days and 2 days for Zurich
Great. Will consider. :)
Thanks again.
Swiss really is fabulous country, just like paradise we went. You won’t forgot all the amazing sight view you saw.
Hi, your pictures are really beautiful. Considering going there this year. Would it be too cold in November?
hi shaki.. I read that November is one of the worst months to visit Switzerland.. perhaps you would like to research more on the visiting time :)
i can say that i kept visiting your blog to see these lovely pictures, it gives sort of motivation to save money and go for travelling.
Great photos on Switzerland! Can you email your Europe trip itinerary to me? Thanks!
Hi Sue, I do not have an itinerary.. this post itself is the chronology of our trip to Switzerland
Thanks for Sharing Vkeong, great pic and description!
Hi there, i am planning for a visit to Switzerland but is at lost as to what apparel to pack. Did you wear hiking boots for the hike? Or normal sneakers will do?
If you’re talking about hiking on the snowy mountains, you need a proper pair of hiking boots. You’d slip if you wear sneakers
Is it hot like Malaysia on their summer month?
Nope, not at all, not even close
Hi Vkeong, how much did you spent in this Swiss trip?
and how you went Swiss from Malaysia?
Coz I have to plan a trip to Swiss too :D
Hi Rain
Swiss was part of my stop when we toured Europe. I went there by train from Paris. Anyway it happened so long ago so I don’t really remember how much I spent just for Swiss alone. But for my entire 1 month trip I spent about RM15k inclusive of everything (flights as well)
wow~ Thanks Vkeong, thanks your info b(￣▽￣)d