With its vivid blue lakes, pretty valleys and awe inspiring mountains, a holiday in Switzerland offers an incredible experience for lovers of the great outdoors, and you needn’t be a daredevil climber with ice in your veins to enjoy the loftiest of views.
Let’s begin back at the campsite, though. The family-owned Camping Jungfrau offers a total of 391 pitches (some with electric, water and waste) and has epic scenery to enjoy from your pitch, as well as a shop, restaurant (open all year), playgrounds and more. It’s a short walk into the centre of the village, where there’s a decent selection of bars and restaurants, with traditional Swiss fare found on most menus. There’s a regular service from the local station to nearby Interlaken, while you can also take the train to Wengen – popular with skiers during the winter and hikers in the summer – and Kleine Scheidegg.
While a few trails converge at the latter, the majority of visitors who alight here are on their way up to the Jungfraujoch, or on their way back down again. A train trundles between the station at Kleine Scheidegg and an observatory building built into rock near the Jungfrau’s summit, which is an incredible feat of engineering, as is the railway line itself. It’s an expensive return trip, but bear in mind that a variety of rail passes and discounts are available to soften the blow to your bank balance.
Floor plans
Back on the valley floor, a walk along the path south from the campsite is free, and arguably just as much of a ‘must’ during a visit to this area. You’ll hear the giant, thundering waterfalls from either side of the main path, along with the eerie whistle emanating from the occasional wingsuit flier, both of which contrast with the more relaxing sound of tinkling cowbells. Along the way you may choose to visit the Trümmelbach Falls, a series of cascades fed by meltwater from the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, for which a fee is charged.
Near the end of the path is a cable car station that operates between Stechelberg and Mürren, a car-free mountain village. From Mürren, you can carry on further up the Schilthorn mountain, again by gondola lift, via another station at Birg. Similar to the Jungfrau, there is – somewhat improbably – a building near the summit of the Schilthorn. This one will be familiar to James Bond fans as it featured extensively in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service; there’s a Bond-themed exhibition to view inside as well as a restaurant that revolves slowly, presumably to ensure that every seat can offer stunning views across the valley.
The vistas are best enjoyed outside with lungfuls of fresh air, though, assuming that conditions are favourable. Budding 007s may also like to take in the Thrill Walk at the Birg gondola lift station. It’s a mix of glass floor, mesh tunnel and other elements designed to get your knees wobbling… should you dare to look down!
By the water
If you prefer to avoid the heights, Interlaken and its neighbour across the River Aare, Unterseen, occupy a terrific spot between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, just to the north of Lauterbrunnen. While you could easily visit both from Camping Jungfrau, if you would like to be closer to the vivid blue water then consider Camping Alpenblick, a stone’s throw from the eastern shore of Lake Thun.
A smart, clean site with lovely views, Alpenblick features a chalet-style building housing the reception, shop and bar/restaurant, and there are around 100 touring pitches (with a further 80 residential pitches). The touring pitches are mostly grassy and level, with moderate shade, and all have 10/16A electrical connections. Some good hardstanding pitches are available for motorhomes.
Campers can use a special tourist card with many benefits, including free local bus transport. It is a superb area for cycling and walking, with trails taking you through magnificent scenery all around the lake. All manner of watersports are available and cruisers depart from a point near to the campsite.
The western shoreline of Lake Brienz is around a 10-minute drive away from Alpenblick, but there are good options for public transport and some pleasant walking routes should you wish to leave your vehicle on site. Ferry routes make it easy to visit lakeside towns such as Ringgenberg, Iseltwald and Brienz, and these are also well served by train and bus services.
The area around Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen makes for a wonderful holiday, but this is, of course, just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Switzerland. If you would like to explore the country, at the time of publication Alan Rogers recommends 93 different Swiss campsites – you can find more inspiration at: alanrogers.com/camping/switzerland.
