Interlaken/Jungfrau Region

If I had known how immensely beautiful and breathtaking this region was…. If I had known the joy my daughter experienced with our AirB&B, the gondolas, the lakes… I would have easily booked another full week.. We stayed 20 minutes from downtown Interlaken: “true Swiss countryside” and every minute was heavenly!

Stay.

Best AirB&B EVER!

In the tiny hillside hamlet of Sgriswil, we found the most beautiful and heavenly AirB&B: Chalet Bergfee. Not only was the chalet extremely beautiful inside and out, but the rooms unique and historical. the decor local and vibrant, the hosts Fritz and Esthi friendly, kind, generous, intelligent, warm, and hospitable! There was a special playroom with many Swiss toys for my 5-year-old daughter to play in.. She loved the toys! And the hammock and "swim tub" outside! Esthi even filled up the old drinking troth with cool water and toys so my daughter could take a swim in the unusual heat of the summer. The breakfasts were amazing.. lots of choices of local cheeses, fruits, and fresh breads and cereals....a kitchen to store other food stuffs, a large bathroom, and our bed room had both a large bed for my husband and I and another bed for our daughter! The windows open to the beautiful night sky to millions of stars....and the view... Oh the VIEW! You see the entire Young Frau region with snowy, mountain tops and Thun See below... like a perfect painting! I couldn't stop posting pictures and videos! Only 15-20 minutes from downtown Interlaken, and a quick trip down to Sigriswil village. You do need a car.. but you are getting an amaaaaazing view no one else in Interlaken is getting ! I needed a whole week in this magical paradise!

Why not downtown Interlaken?

1) No views like THAT (see upper left).

2) EXPENSIVE! EXPENSIVE!

3) No free, amazing breakfast

4) No amazing hosts who know more about the region than you could imagine

5) No playroom filled with toys!

Eat:

The restaurants we had in Sigriswil were the BEST we had in all of Switzerland!

*Restaurant Krindenhof : By far the BEST dinner we had the entire trip! A mix of authentic, homemade Swiss and southern Bavarian German food, the entrees were to die for, the wine local and splendid… and the kicker? Not one, but TWO playgrounds along with a trampoline for the kids.. all in view of your table. The views were outstanding: overlooking the entire Jungfrau region and ThunSee! I loved the homemade späetzle with blackened, pasture-raised chicken, while my husband enjoyed the typisch Swiss “Rösti”, veggies, and eggs.

*Hotel Adler: Food was delicious! No playground.. but walking distance from Chalet Bergfee in the tiny village of Sigriswil. Staff wondeful, wine and beer delicious, prices reasonable, and they even gave my daughter coloring book and crayons!

Play:

With so much to do in the Jungfrau region, it’s hard to combine it into one page… Also, know that if my husband and I were traveling alone, the itinerary would have been very different in this area. Interlaken and the Jungfrau area are known for adrenaline-packed, extreme sports! You’ll see parachuters, gliders, ultralights, and wingsuits scattered through the sky throughout the region. There’s rushing rivers for great kayaking and rafting, mountain climbing, hiking, skiing… The list is endless. But… when you have a 5-year-old or little ones? Those activities might not be an option. Instead, head up to:

*Allmendhubel Flower Park: This world famous, magical, children’s playground with flower motif is set against the most heavenly backdrop on earth: Eiger, Mönch, and the Jungfrau herself. Please know that though this playground will entertain both you and your child for a good portion of the day.. Getting up there is quite a trek.. and quite pricy (for a simple playground visit!) To get there: either take train from Interlaken or car to Stechelberg. Gondola up Gimmelwald/Müren. Old Railroad (Stechelberg/Müren) to Müren. Brief walk to funicular railway…and up the hill you go to the playground! With 2 parents (and free child)(remember- kids under 6 are almost free for everything in Switzerland) plus a decent lunch will knock about $150. of of your wallet. (Each train is a separate cost). But obviously.. TOTALLY WORTH IT.

*Brienzersee & Thunersee: (Aka: Lake Thun and Lake Brien) These two glacial lakes sit on both sides of Interlaken and make for the perfect cool dip in the hot summer. We happened to be in this area during a major heatwave, and so a picnic and dip into Lake Thun was much appreciated! Parking is difficult if you have a car, as the lakes sit against tall, rocky cliffs and are home to hotels and chalets that don’t have public beach access. We found our perfect spot at the bottom of Sigriswil: a quaint little public beach called Strandbad Hirschen/ Gunten. Plenty of side street parking across the main street (free), free entry, shallow lake end for small ones and platform for the more daring ones, and a cute little cafe serving beer and wine in the evening. There are numerous “swim clubs” as well along both lakes, most requiring admission fees for pool and lake use.

*Kanderstag: Alpine slide, hike, and glacial lake swimming! Just 40 minutes south of Interlaken and the lake region sits Kanderstag, a tiny resort village accessible by car or train. Take the gondola up to the top of the mountain explore and ride the Alpine Slide! For just a few Swiss francs, the Alpine slide at Kanderstag is fun for the while family (kids 42 in and under ride with a parent). The flat, scooter-like device takes you to the top of a hill… and you descend for a nice 6-8 minute ride, at your own pace, slow or fast! The views are breathtaking, speeding past alpine flowers and snowy mountaintops. Once everyone is done with the slide, hike a short distance (approx 1 mile) to the glacial lake.. Two restaurants sit nearby for decent, Swiss “fast-food” lunch, and the chilly lake awaits! The ground, made of silt and mud from the streams and falls that empty out nearby, create a soft, oozing feeling, squishy beneath your toes. The kids seem to love playing in the numerous rock streams that run into the lake, while more daring people like my husband took a super-freezing dip to the lake’s center. Too tired to hike back up to the gondola? For 8 Swiss francs per person, you can take a shuttle back up to the gondola station.

Lötschberg Car Train: Heading to Zermatt after Interlaken? Here’s something your guide books and GoogleMaps/GPS won’t tell you: the only way to go south through the Alps is via car train! Here’s our story: We leave Kanderstag and head toward Goppenstein. Almost immediately, we exit the roadway and enter a long line of cars. We pay our first toll: 30 Swiss francs (not cheap!).. and then sit amongst the line of cars. My husband and I fumbled through our Swiss guide books like mad people and messed around with both the car’s GPS and Waze, hoping to find an answer as to what this $30+ line of cars was… The line finally starts to move slowly.. and we are directed to drive our car ON A TRAIN. Our minds were spinning! We’re taking a CAR TRAIN?!?! Why is this not Google Maps? Why is this not in our guidebooks? After accepting our traveling fun fate, we sat back, relaxed (almost dozing off) as the car (on a train) rocked back and forth gently through the long 20-minute tunnel, eventually dumping us out in the mountain-side town of Goppenstein.