Arriving in Grindelwald, Switzerland
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Having 3 free days between Kitzbuhel in Austria and Zermatt in Switzerland we had decided to spend these days in Switzerland to be nearer to Zermatt.
Getting there:
It was a considerable journey of 9 hours, though a very enjoyable one from Kitzbuhel to Innsbruck, passing through a section of Liechtenstein (yes we had our GPS on as well as the train was showing our passage) then to Zurich.
From there we went to Bern, the capital of Switzerland, which by the way looks to be a stunning city. From Bern we made our way to Interlaken and the train trip took us right around the lakes on one side and the Swiss Alps on the other, so it was extremely impressive. From Interlaken we hopped onto our final train of the day to our chosen destination of Grindelwald.
How we came about the decision to come here to Grindelwald was pretty random as we had debated the pros and cons of many places and Switzerland and with virtually no cons, it was more of a snap decision that Grindelwald seemed to have a bit of this and a bit of that – geographical beauty, spring skiing and a base for some good.
Where is Grindelwald?
Grindelwald is one of the villages of the Jungfrau Region and is situated in the heart of Switzerland, in the Bernese Oberland, at the foot of the three famous mountains – the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. The Jungfrau region is known as the top of the world for obvious reasons much of which is associated with the Jungfraujoch, which is the cog railway line that has the highest railway station in Europe and is where you can get to the Top of Europe.
The Jungfrau region
The other major villages of the Jungfrau region are Wengen, Murren and Lauterbrunnen, each apparently as lovely as here in Grindelwald and of which we hope to see a bit of. The train ride to Grindelwald was a unique experience in itself as our little cogwheel train dragged us up to the mountain. At times it felt as though we were in deliverance territory, a quaint and cute version though, so it was total shock when we trundled into the station that stopped right in the middle of the village. This is one of the most breathtakingly stunning villages that was buzzing beyond belief with the backdrop of the majestic Jungfrau, Eiger and Mont mountains, and not to forget the Wetterhorn.
From wooded remoteness to stunning, cosmopolitan chic in a matter of seconds. The sheer shock made us just stand with our mouths open trying to take it all in. Here were these majestic mountains (adjectives do not come grandiose enough to describe them) but also a bustling hub of multiculturalism if the accents were anything to go by.
As Paris dressed women walked past pot smoking men (I remember the 70’s sort of) and people carried wooden sleds, skis and dogs, suffice it to say that we were overwhelmed. Out suitcases stood in the snow as we heard the laughter and the chatter from the overflowing cafes and bars that lined the streets as wine glasses clicked and the light shone in unusual patterns from the mountains surrounding us. For more amazing photographs of Grindelwald, click here.
We looked at one another and said “good choice”.
With thanks to Jungfrau Region Marketing AG for making our decision easier by sponsoring our visit to this delightful Jungfrau region and the wow factor Grindelwald village. Of course our opinions are our own.
