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Morning
Grab a coffee and a cinnamon
bun or a bowl of home-roasted
granola at laid-back Airtime
cafe in Lauterbrunnen. The
Lauterbrunnen Valley itself is
extraordinary, with cliffs soaring
over 3, 000 ft above the valley and
scores of waterfalls spilling down
them. If you only have time for
one, walk in the spray of the 974 ft
Staubbach Falls, which stirred the
souls of Lord Byron and Goethe,
the latter of whom wrote a poem,
Song of the Spirits over the Waters,
extolling the torrent’s beauty.
To make a morning of it, stroll
along the valley to the glacier-fed
Trummelbach Falls, which rage and
froth into a boulder-strewn gorge,
accessed via a series of galleries,
tunnels and platforms.
Afternoon
From Lauterbrunnen, a cable-car
whisks you up to Grütschalp, where
you can take the train along the
ridge to Mürren, a storybook Swiss
village with log chalets on steep
hillsides and views of the Eiger,
Mönch and Jungfrau. Weaving
through green pastures and
spruce forest, the four-mile North
Face Trail via Schiltalp is a beauty.
Bring a picnic and enjoy incredible
views of the Lauterbrunnen
Valley and the Bernese Alps. For
more of a challenge, clip onto
Mürren’s via ferrata. As it navigates
a suspension bridge, zip-line
and tightrope, the route has
heart-quickening views of peaks
punching above the valley. Hire
gear from a local Intersport and go
it alone or enlist a guide.
Evening
Evenings in Mürren are as mellow
as you might expect in a town
rocked to sleep by the sound of
cowbells. Sundown is peak-gazing
prime time from the terrace
of Hotel Eiger, where you can
ask the barman to mix you up a
zingy alpine glow cocktail (local
red Crystal Gin with tonic and
orange) as the last sun burnishes
the summits. Linger for dinner al
fresco or in the wood-panelled
Eiger Stübli, with dishes including
Zurich-style veal with lashings
of mushrooms, onions and rösti,
and grilled elk with Armagnac-
cranberry sauce and tagliatelle.
There’s a spa, too, where you can
swim with views of the Eiger, rest
up on a sleigh lounger and get a
rubdown with birch oil.
DAY TWO WATERFALLS & WELLNESS
Right: Looking across to
Staubbach Falls in the
Lauterbrunnen Valley
BERGHOTEL FAULHORN
At eye level with the
ibex, this hut at 8,795ft is
blissfully remote. Hoof it
over rugged terrain from
First or Schynige Platte
and you’ll have earned the
right to kick back on the
terrace and eat your own
weight in fondue. Digs are
simple, with bunks and cold
water to wash in, but with
epic mountain views and
sunrises, you’ll hardly care.
Half-board from CHF76
(£62). faulhorn.ch
BERGHOTEL
SCHYNIGE PLATTE
Stay at Schynige Platte to
be the first on the hiking
trails in the morning. The
rooms are big on traditional
charm, with vintage pine
furnishings, while other
stargazing-themed rooms
come with night-sky
projectors. Try chamois and
boar in the restaurant or
on the terrace overlooking
the Eiger, Mönch and
Jungfrau. Doubles from
CHF269 (£219), half-board.
hotelschynigeplatte.ch
BERGGASTHAUS FIRST
Hiking trails start right
on the doorstep of this
mountain hut at First, with
rooms putting a modern
spin on chintzy Swiss fabrics
and colours. Alternatively,
stay in the dorm beds in a
converted chapel. Terrace
views are sublime and the
menu is a ‘greatest hits’
of Alpine classics. From
CHF87 (£71), half-board.
berggasthausfirst.ch
Mountaintop stays
TOP THREE
JUNE 2022 47
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