So after many hours spent trying to whittle down our highlights from the Bernese Oberland Traverse, here is what we consider the best bits. It was no easy task narrowing down what Backpacker Magazine recently proclaim as the “World’s Best Hike” . But you will just have to join us one summer to see if you agree!
1 – Lauterbrunnen waterfalls
We start the hike with a gateway to one of the most spectacular valleys in Switzerland. Lauterbrunnen is home to the impressive Staubbach Falls, one of Europe’s highest freefalling waterfalls (287m). As the snow melts or after heavy rainfall, the waterfall foams and thunders over the 417m high Mürrenfluh cliff. 72 waterfalls in total gush down into the valley from the vertical cliff faces. Some of which are several hundred metres high. We spend the morning walking amongst these wonders. We even get the chance to visit the magnificent glacier fed Trümmelbach Falls. A series of 10 waterfalls in a cave-like environment. They are hidden inside a mountain in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. It’s a natural UNESCO World heritage site, and rightly so. On hot summer days and after heavy thunderstorms, up to 20,000 litres of water per second thunder through the narrow gorge. The sound of it is truly astonishing.
2 – Grisalp, Alpine cheesemaking
As with every Alpenwild trip, we taste wonderful cuisine and try regional food specialties from which we travel. Our Bernese Oberland Traverse is no exception. Everyday you get to sample some of the local cheese’s. It’s even better to see first hand exactly how its made. Getting a local insight into how the Swiss make the different cheese’s we savour each day is a fascinating experience.
3 – Öeschinensee Lake
There is no better reward after a big day hiking than the view you capture as you come over the summit. Öeschinensee Lake is one the most beautiful alpine lakes in the world. It’s a deep-blue jewel that is prepared radically beautiful through the steep-sided walls. As you descent towards it you can’t help but be enchanted by its beauty. It is perfectly placed under a mighty glacier. High cliffs on one side and bright green forest on the other. Some can even be tempted to have a dip in the cooling water before a relaxing drink lakeside to revel in the days achievements.
4 – Peak Walk, Glacier 3000
And how do you conclude such an epic hiking trip? Well you take a stroll in the sky of course! The Peak Walk at the top of Glacier 3000 is a 100 m long suspension bridge that connects two peaks together. You can walk from peak to peak and breathe in the mountain air. Remember to take time to marvel at the incredible views of the mountains you’ve just hiked over. What a way to finish an amazing hiking trip.
Now these are just a few of the highlights of the Bernese Oberland Traverse, but I’m sure each and every person hiking the trail would make their own lists of favourites. Why not join us and see?
Check out our Bernese Oberland Traverse hiking tour
With a degree in graphic design, but a love for the outdoors, Sophie moved to the Italian Dolomites to fulfill her hiking, cycling, and climbing dreams. She then went on to study in Scandinavia to become a fully qualified International Wilderness Guide. She spent her winters working as a musher on a husky farm and gaining experience guiding arctic expeditions in Finland.
Sophie still can’t decide which of Alpenwild’s treks are her favorite. However, her highlights include staying in the mountain huts on the Haute Route, the stunning turquoise Oeschinen lake on the Bernese Oberland, and the Italian Val ferret hike on the Tour du Mont Blanc.
- Highlights of the Bernese Oberland Traverse - March 10, 2019
- The birth of the ‘iron roads’ Italy’s Via Ferrata - February 14, 2019
- Hiking Tre Cime the Iconic Peaks of the Dolomites - February 6, 2019