Individual Days - Switzerland
Day of Hiking
September 26, 2023
After a couple relaxing days, we were ready to get back to walking. The weather was perfect – sunny and brisk. Before heading out, we had a wonderful breakfast at our hotel.
Schilthorn - Piz Gloria
After breakfast, we boarded the first gondola from Mürren to head to the top of the mountain. It only took about 30 minutes to reach Schilthorn with a quick gondola change in Birg. The building at the top of Schilthorn is called Piz Gloria. It is located at 2,970 meters above sea level and offers 360° views of the surrounding mountain ranges.
Schilthorn, Switzerland
Across the Lauterbrunnen valley from Schilthorn are the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains (pictured below). Lisa shared with us the tale of the Ogre (Eiger), the Monk (Mönch), and the young Virgin (Jungfrau). As the ogre tried to reach the virgin, the monk protected her and prevented the ogre from succeeding.
James Bond
Piz Gloria got its name from the James Bond book “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” and is the location where the movie was filmed. Inside, there was a revolving restaurant, James Bond Museum, and theme bathrooms.
Birg - Thrill Walk
On the way back down to Mürren, we stopped at Birg, 2677 meters above sea level. While some of the area was closed due to the gondola station construction, we were still able to experience the tightrope and the glass floor walks.
The second picture shows the view back up towards the Piz Gloria. If you look carefully, you can see the gondola heading back to the top. This gives you a perspective on the size and grandeur of the area.
I was concerned that my fear of heights might prevent me from experiencing the Thrill Walk, but after the Highline 179 in Austria, this turned out to be no problem. I actually really enjoyed it. The beauty of the entire area was just breathtaking.
Birg, Switzerland
We walked from the gondola station to the funicular to start our hike from Allmendhubel (1907 meters above sea level).
Northface Trail Hike
The scenic Northface Trail took us from Allmendhubel back to Mürren. We were thrilled to see some cows still grazing in the fields. Most had already been moved down to the valley for the season. The weather was perfect for the paragliders. There were so many. We saw them landing later in the day when we were down in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. They are so good that they can land one right after the other in the exact same spot. Amazing!
Mürren, Switzerland
Mürren, Switzerland
Mürren, Switzerland
Trip to the Lauterbrunnen Valley
We had planned to grab lunch during our hike, but all of the little food stops past Allmendhubel were closed for the season. Fortunately, we had packed some snacks in our backpacks and grabbed a quick lunch once we returned to our hotel room. Now time to take a gondola through Gimmelwald to Stechelberg. Rather than take the bus, we chose an amazing, paved path along a river that took us straight to Trümmelbach Falls.
Stechelberg, Switzerland
Trümmelbach Falls
The Trümmelbach waterfalls are truly unique. There are ten glacial water falls inside the mountain. Trümmelbach alone drains the enormous glacial walls of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. It is a UNESCO world natural heritage site.
You can see the scale of the waterfall caverns with Mark standing on the platform below me (first picture).
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
Time to Relax
We strolled back from the waterfalls to head back to our hotel. We were passed by a Swiss cow parade. Fun to hear those cowbells.
Hotel Eiger Restaurant
The Hotel Eiger was just a short walk from our hotel. We were able to see the lights from the Lauterbrunnen Valley as we walked along the road. With the moonlight, you can see the snow-covered mountains in the background of the outdoor patio of the restaurant.
After we ordered, we received an amuse-bouche (salami with cherry tomato and tomato butter for our bread) before our appetizer. This time, we felt like foodie experts and didn’t question the gift from the chef.
For the appetizer, we ordered the traditional Swiss Fondue. Our server told us to dip the bread in the cheese and then roll it in the cracked pepper she put on our plates. It was so flavorful and delicious! Before the main course, we received a pallet cleanser, cherry sorbet with cherry schnapps and champagne.
Next, our server brought out our salads and the main course – Châteaubriand. Amazing! The double fillet of beef steak coated with mustard and herbs was carved in front of us and served with béarnaise sauce. The seasonal vegetables were served with thyme gravy.
For dessert, we split a trio of desserts – Crème Brûlé with Grand Marnier, Dark Toblerone chocolate mousse, and Passion Fruit Parfait with Passoã. A wonderful end to a fantastic day in Switzerland!
We walked 14 miles today.