9 MUST-SEE SITES IN THE BERNESE OBERLAND
SCHYNIGE PLATTE, A RETRO ALPINE ADVENTURE
Since 1893, the Schynige Platte cogwheel train has climbed slowly up the mountainside, on what feels like a timeless voyage. At the unhurried pace of this vintage ascent, the scenery unfolds like a series of painted tableaux: meadows ablaze with wildflowers, fragrant forests, traditional chalets, and far below on the horizon, the shimmering waters of Lakes Brienz and Thun. This scenic Alpine railway transports passengers back to the Belle Époque. Once at the summit, over 2,000 metres above sea level, nature reveals itself in all its splendour: the botanical gardens are home to more than 600 plants, while otherworldly rock formations evoke the fantasy realms of Tolkien.
LAUTERBRUNNEN AND ITS 72 WATERFALLS
With its sheer cliffs, picturesque villages and 72 waterfalls, the Lauterbrunnen Valley ranks among Switzerland’s most spectacular landscapes. This dramatic valley, carved into a perfect U-shape by ancient glaciers, inspired Tolkien’s creation of Rivendell. In the heart of the village, the Staubbach Falls plunge almost 300 metres down rock walls, just behind the small church, in what has become an iconic image. But at the Trümmelbach Falls, water reveals its raw power: these remarkable subterranean glacier waterfalls, accessible by lift, unleash up to 20,000 litres of water per second in a thunderous roar. A 400-metre network of galleries, tunnels, walkways and viewing points, enhanced by lighting effects, reveal the mountain’s hidden depths.
EXCURSION TO JUNGFRAUJOCH, THE TOP OF EUROPE
An unforgettable journey on board a Swiss cogwheel train, as it carves its path through the Eiger North Face, towards the highest station in Europe. High above at 3,454 metres altitude, where the air thins and silence reigns, breathtaking views unfold across Alpine peaks all the way to the Aletsch glacier.
SCHYNIGE PLATTE, A RETRO ALPINE ADVENTURE
Since 1893, the Schynige Platte cogwheel train has climbed slowly up the mountainside, on what feels like a timeless voyage. At the unhurried pace of this vintage ascent, the scenery unfolds like a series of painted tableaux: meadows ablaze with wildflowers, fragrant forests, traditional chalets, and far below on the horizon, the shimmering waters of Lakes Brienz and Thun. This scenic Alpine railway transports passengers back to the Belle Époque. Once at the summit, over 2,000 metres above sea level, nature reveals itself in all its splendour: the botanical gardens are home to more than 600 plants, while otherworldly rock formations evoke the fantasy realms of Tolkien.
LAUTERBRUNNEN AND ITS 72 WATERFALLS
With its sheer cliffs, picturesque villages and 72 waterfalls, the Lauterbrunnen Valley ranks among Switzerland’s most spectacular landscapes. This dramatic valley, carved into a perfect U-shape by ancient glaciers, inspired Tolkien’s creation of Rivendell. In the heart of the village, the Staubbach Falls plunge almost 300 metres down rock walls, just behind the small church, in what has become an iconic image. But at the Trümmelbach Falls, water reveals its raw power: these remarkable subterranean glacier waterfalls, accessible by lift, unleash up to 20,000 litres of water per second in a thunderous roar. A 400-metre network of galleries, tunnels, walkways and viewing points, enhanced by lighting effects, reveal the mountain’s hidden depths.
EXCURSION TO JUNGFRAUJOCH, THE TOP OF EUROPE
An unforgettable journey on board a Swiss cogwheel train, as it carves its path through the Eiger North Face, towards the highest station in Europe. High above at 3,454 metres altitude, where the air thins and silence reigns, breathtaking views unfold across Alpine peaks all the way to the Aletsch glacier.