Hi friends, welcome back to my Switzerland series! After successfully paragliding through the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Jon and I boarded the gondola up to the tiny mountain village Gimmelwald (not to be confused with Grindelwald). In 2010 the population of this town was only 130 people and the only way to get here is by gondola, there is no access road. It was so quiet and peaceful that it almost felt like we were trespassing. While the town is picturesque, I’m glad we didn’t stay here because it is pretty remote. Rick Steves always says “If Heaven isn’t what it’s cracked up to be, send me back to Gimmelwald.” It is a stunning mountain village! The town was able to get itself declared an avalanche zone so no resorts can build there and the charm can remain.
Besides the tranquility and views in Gimmelwald, the Honesty Shop is the main attraction. This store relies on goodwill and trust, and there are no cameras or workers. You simply put the money in an envelope if you want to purchase anything. We didn’t buy anything, although the wooden Christmas tree caught my eye.
After strolling through Gimmelwald, Jon and I headed back to the cable car station to take it up to Murren. You can take this cable car further up to Shilthorn where James Bond On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was filmed. It’s a popular excursion but we were about to embark on our favorite hike of the trip. From the cable car we walked back through Murren and stopped for a caffeine pick me up at this little trailer. There was a sign that they accepted card only, even in the mountains Switzerland is sophisticated!
Our hike for today was the North Face Trail and we chose to complete it counter clockwise to have the least amount of elevation gain. This 4.6-mile trail is a loop so you can start it anywhere, we would recommend taking the funicular up and starting in Allmendhubel. You can also hike up to Allmendhubel, but we were on vacation after all 😊 We exited the station and the views were just breathtaking!
We started this hike early afternoon, later than usual, so it felt like we were some of the only people on the trail. The only downside was the heat, but there were some little water spouts along the way I’d splash myself with to stay cool.
Cowbells in the distance, stunning views, fresh air, I don’t think it gets any better than this! This day was everything I had dreamed of and more for this trip.
I know the movie was filmed in Austria, but I felt like I was Maria in The Sound of Music here.
I loved the front row views of Eiger, Monch, Jungfrau. I think this might be my all time favorite hike I’ve ever done or at least tied for first with the Path of Gods in the Amalfi Coast.
Jon and I were absolutely exhausted from the hike and heat, but so happy! The hike ended where I took off for my paragliding, so we found a nice bench to enjoy watching some takeoffs.
Eventually we retraced our steps from the morning taking the train from Murren to Grutschlap, a cable car down to Lauterbrunnen, and a train up to home base in Wengen. Upon returning to Wengen, Jon and I made a beeline to Bäckerei Konditorei Vincenz for some incredible soft serve ice cream! It was so rich and creamy, probably made from those happy cows we hiked by. Nothing like an ice cream cone to punctuate an awesome day!
Murren was a strong contender when choosing where to stay. I personally think it has the best views of all the towns we visited and a similar quaint, mountain town feeling as Wengen. The only reason we didn’t stay here was because it’s less accessible from some of the hikes we wanted to do near Grindelwald and Wengen. If you don’t mind allotting extra time to get places, Murren is a great town. Stay tuned for our last day in the mountains!
Well, you certainly had another stunning day for your mountain top hike Lyssy. Very little beats a hike high up in the mountain meadows and I also saw the similarity to the views in the Sound of Music. What a great trip for you both. Allan
This hike wouldn’t have been the same in the fog, that’s for sure! I tried spinning around like Maria, but I get dizzy too easily. It will be hard to top this hike.
Wow, it’s incredible! I can see why this is a contender for your favorite hike!
The views were just out of this world!
More stunning scenery
Such a beautiful hike!
When we lived in Colorado Springs we had a front row seat to Pikes Peak every day, to where we took the view for granted. I can’t imagine ever taking these spectacular Alps for granted, especially from the perspective of Murren or Gimmelwald. The photo where you’re jumping is wonderfully expressive, although it also looks like you’re about to paraglide again… without the glider ha. Glad to hear the ice cream was to your liking. A friend took us for ice cream in Germany a few years ago and we were surprised at the taste: like frozen cream. Not nearly as sweet as American versions. Just another reason why Europeans are healthier, of course.
It would be hard to take the views for granted from Murren or Gimmelwald, it’s just so surreal. I got some decent hang time on that picture 🙂 Their ice cream machine didn’t have an option to do a twist or that would’ve been my pick. Things taste so much better when the ingredients are so pure and fresh.
I am glad to see you had a such incredible sunny weather for exploring the rugged mounatin trails of Switzerland. I’ve always thought of Switzerand as one of those places that belongs to the summit dreamers who love fresh mountain air, want to be close enough to reach for the stars and feel the desire to see as far as the horizon! Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
I’ll take the heat if it means incredibly clear views, we got pretty lucky! I love your thought of Switzerland and totally agree. All that fresh air was just what we needed on our break from NYC.
Another jaw-dropping gorgeous adventure in the Alps! The contrast between the blue, green, and white snow are astonishing. Thanks for sharing more of your adventures there, Lyssy!
It was an incredible hike! I love the mountain views contrasting with the blue sky too.
That is just stunning….
It felt like hiking in a painting.
Gosh those views are just incredible no matter where you go! We often reward ourselves with ice cream after a long or hot hike too. It’s just a perfect ending!
It was so beautiful! The cold of the ice cream is always so refreshing too.
Such a beautiful hike and what a great day!
I had high expectations and the shake totally exceeded them!
The scenery is fabulous, and it’s hard to pick out the photos – they’re all so full of sunshine and good vibes
I’m glad I saved this series to do in the gloomy winter so the sun and warmth of this pictures could help my mood. It was such a stunning hike!
The scenery is stunning! This makes me want to visit Switzerland now. Having some ice cream sounds like a great way to treat yourself after going for a hike in the heat.
This looks like such a gorgeous hike, and so many amazing views as well! That is awesome that it was not too busy, so you could really enjoy the beautiful mountains!
The skies are just so blue. I love that bench looking out, it’s a perfect spot to sit and rest. And you definitely earned that delicious icecream 🙂
The photo of you in the air clicking your heels beautifully captures the feelings of joy and freedom that this hike invoked! This looks like a bucket-list worthy location, indeed- the views are some of the most stunning that I have ever seen. 😍⛰️
Great shot of you clicking your heels in the air! This is yet another gorgeous place, though gorgeous does not seem to be good enough of a word to describe it. I am very intrigued by the town of Gimmelwald being myself a lover of secluded and quiet places. In England we have ‘honesty boxes’ at small cake stalls, though Gimmelwald Honesty Shop surely charges more than a pound for that wooden Christmas tree.
Thank you! It was such a stunning hike, seems like it should be fake. You’d definitely love Gimmelwald then. I’ve seen a Youtube video about the hostel there and it looks like a nice place to stay! It is too bad there were no discounts at the honesty shop.
What a gorgeous trail!