Bucket List: Valley of the Mountains

Switzerland, Interlaken, Valley of the Mountains

This article was originally published in this blog in December 2018. This article captured my experience on what was my first visit to Switzerland and Interlaken in 2009.

In this re-post, I had added more photographs taken during my trip. Most of these newly-added photographs had not been previously published in this blog or anywhere else.

Excerpt from this blog post: "Staying in a valley amongst the mountains, even for only a few days, encapsulated visions that I had from my childhood years, to be able to live in the mountains and enjoy the beauty of nature. Goats, sheep, farms, wild berries, long hikes and rivers that run through valleys. In just a short few days at Interlaken, I experienced and truly enjoyed all these natural wonders and more. A personal bucket list item fulfilled."

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Located in a valley in central Switzerland, Interlaken its well-known as a resort town famous for its proximity to Jungfrau. 

The postcard town of Interlaken, Bern, Switzerland (2009)

I remembered Interlaken not for its more touristy attractions but for the valley where the town is located. During my stay in Interlaken, I did not visit the touristy hotspots. Neither did I partake in the usual touristy activities such as taking the train to Harderkulm. Instead, I took long walks and hikes in and around the town. 

Church, Interlaken, Bern, Switzerland (2009)

Lütschine River, Interlaken, Bern, Switzerland (2009)

Hiking Trail, Interlaken, Bern, Switzerland (2009)

A typical village house, Interlaken, Bern, Switzerland (2009)

Rolling valleys and towering mountains, Interlaken, Bern, Switzerland (2009)

Goats, Interlaken, Bern, Switzerland (2009)

Chopped wood, Interlaken, Bern, Switzerland (2009)

My daily hikes led me to sights not published in most travel guides. I got to meet the locals, sat in the plains of the valley as I took in the wonderful views, walked amongst the local livestock, bird-watch, followed parts of the Lütschine River on foot along its banks and ate wild berries in the forested areas surrounding the town. My visit to Interlaken was an appreciation of the town, its surrounding and nature. I loved every aspect of my visit and was glad I did what I did when I was there. 

The Gasthaus Steinbock Hotel Garni is where I stayed during my visit to the region. This small quaint hotel is located along the banks of the Lütschine River. Interlaken, Bern, Switzerland (2009)

Town centre, Interlaken, Bern, Switzerland (2009)

Staying in a valley amongst the mountains, even for only a few days, encapsulated visions that I had from my childhood years, to be able to live in the mountains and enjoy the beauty of nature. Goats, sheep, farms, wild berries, long hikes and rivers that run through valleys. In just a short few days at Interlaken, I fulfilled all these natural wonders and more. A personal bucket list item fulfilled.

Yes, I could have did the stuff most tourists did at Interlaken and the surrounding mountains but I chose instead to stay in the valley for those short few days I had in this side trip. And I enjoyed every moment of my stay.

Tips and Advices

Most shops in Switzerland are generally closed on Sundays. Make sure you buy whatever groceries or items you need on the other days of the week.

Credit cards are widely accepted throughout Switzerland. Payment-wise is thus not an issue; if you have the more popular credit cards with you during your trip.

Currency-wise, the legal tender in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc.