Switzerland: Interlaken-Grindelwald-Bern-Biel
- Zi Sen Chong
- Jul 1, 2022
- 8 min read
Rolling hills, rugged mountains, thrill-seekers, and serenity. I found a place that I did not want to leave.
I planned my Switzerland trip on my way to Berlin for the SuperReturn conference. The plan kept changing until the night before my flight from Berlin to Zurich. Interlaken. That was the place I decided to spend most of my weekend this time.
Walking up to a train ticket self-service kiosk - all in German (I found the "English" button a couple of minutes later) - not knowing how to use it, all the feelings of traveling in a foreign-language-speaking country came back - a little helpless, a little frustrated, a little annoyed. I had to ask strangers where to go and what to do, looking like a clueless tourist. I remember telling myself - hmm... this is the feeling huh?
I got it figured out. I got into Interlaken alright. Sunset was at 8:30 pm, and it was 6:30 pm already. I was going to make the most out of it - I was going to run up to Harder Kuhn, the tallest point in Interlaken, 5.1 miles and 2,500 ft of elevation gains.
The front desk guy George challenged me to beat his personal record time to summit - 54 minutes. He even loaned me his hiking backpack (I kept it for three days without asking). That was the motivation I needed to shake off the fatigue of travel.
It was not easy. A girl that started with me left me in the dust immediately. Most parts of the trail were in the woods, with occasional glimpses of what were underneath – Interlaken, sandwiched between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, with the Alps as the backdrop. I finished with a respectable 69 minutes, 15 minutes behind George, not before huffing and puffing on my slightly shaking legs. The views at the top spoke for themselves.
Deciding between taking the funicular or hiking down, I chose the earlier. Because I was cheap. I wanted to save the 17 Swiss Franc. Hey, things were expensive here. And I ended up hiking in the dark with my iPhone light on for the last mile and a half, slipping and tripping a few times, regretting not taking the funicular. At 10 pm, the only open restaurant that I could find - a Kashmir/Indian joint - set me back by 25 Swiss Franc, no drink included.
The next day was the much-anticipated hand-gliding trip with Bumble Bee, which I smartly scheduled at 7:45 am. I could use a little more sleep. The crew was professional. But the airtime was a little too short. I could barely remember it - 10 minutes tops.
It was pretty chill until the guide started doing swoops in the air. My heart started racing and my feet started tickling. I am not an extreme-sport-type of guy, though I like the idea of being one. I tried to enjoy the moment but the guide kept asking me to post at his GoPro – damn it!
230 Swiss Franc (photos and videos were 40 Swiss Franc extra) later, I was back on the ground. Trying to recoup some of the money I had spent thus far, I went back to the hotel to get my second free breakfast of the day.
The plan was to do Augstmatthorn - 12 miles, 6,400 ft of gains. Best hike in Interlaken, Nono said. It was going to be in the high 90s. The thought of hiking alone on the top of the mountain, getting fried by the UV light, and getting dehydrated was not appealing to me. I made a U-turn on my way to the Austmatthorn trailhead and headed to Flyingwheel instead. Luckily, I had reserved an all-terrain bike (no deposit down of course) just to cover all possible adventures my fickle mind would endeavor. Lake Brienz loop it was.
I underestimated the challenge of this trail, especially the part from Brienz to Giessbach. But the reward was well worth the effort. The trail brought me through various towns along the lake. I went off-trail at times to wander within the labyrinth of hilly and tiny streets lined by the wooden Swiss houses surrounded by colorful landscaping. Every house had colorful flowers. Every single house.
Most of the streets would not allow more than a mini cooper to pass through unscathed. The buildings were architecturally consistent yet no cookie-cutter either. There were no uncharacteristic features or toys such as a swimming pool or trampoline that would threaten the harmony of the villages. All the wooden houses looked like they had been there for centuries. Even the really old houses that seemed slightly neglected had a certain charm to them.
I could not help questioning the consumerism, the property rights mantra, and the efficiency preached by the country that I live in. Maybe, just maybe, we should not always maximize the highest and best use, always looking at the next thing to buy, or just running faster than the next guy. There might be another way of life.
With that being said, I was still trying to make my first million dollars.
Taking a break at Brienz at a waterfront restaurant for lunch and beer set me back 35 Swiss Franc. Things were expensive here. At least the Alps snowmelt water that flew through the tap in the bathroom was safe, tasty, and importantly, free.
The ascent from Brienz to the Giessbach Hotel was the hardest part of this trail – straight up along a windy mountain road. A dozen of sports cars zipped past me (they eventually got bogged down by a slow-moving bus and I got a lot of joy out of zigzagging and passing them). I got lost a few times because I kept taking the easier ways, which turned out to be the wrong ways.
Giessbach had a fairy tale setting - a castle-looking hotel high up overlooking Lake Brienz, accompanied by a five-level terrace waterfall to the right, and served by a funicular that hauled people from the lakeshore to the hotel. When I arrived, the waterfall was splashing, the orchestra was playing, sausages were being grilled and lunch was being served. What a dreamy destination wedding location it could be.
Back in Interlaken, I refueled with a double-cheese burger from McD (because of the AC there) and considered my next move. It was Lauterbrunnen, a 20 miles ride towards the mountain with a little less than 1,000 ft of gains. I hesitated but held fast.
The ride was rather beautiful and interesting. The trail led you through some small villages, along the milky river (from the sentiment of the melting glacier), through the valley, with the Jungfrau Peak playing peek-a-boo with you from time to time.
My chain broke. I was almost there. I panicked. I turned around and moaned the deprivation of a downhill ride and a long hike in front of me. A 74-year-old British right behind me said that I was not too far away from the train station in Lauterbrunnen and encouraged me to keep going. He said he had gotten tired and started walking and chatting with me until we got to Lauterbrunnen. What a fine British gentleman.
I got back in town alright. I returned the bike, had some Taiwanese food, and talked to a traveling Malaysian family. Small world. I wanted to bring my family here too, if I could make a little more money.
After trying to talk to the ice cream girl at a busy street corner who recently escaped from Ukraine, I rolled up to the Victoria Hotel with my Kindle, drinking red wine and listening to some live saxophone for my last night in Interlaken. It was a good night.
Sunday was also a much-anticipated day as I would finally meet up Nono and Michael from my Belize trip again. This was why I love talking to strangers and trying to make friends during my travels. It had a snowball effect – the more you travel, you more friends you make, and the more you want to travel to meet them again.
They picked me up at the Hotel Derby. I liked this hotel. All the basics were good – small room but comfortable. Breakfast was included. AC was cold and the hot water was hot. I am a man of simple needs. Though the smile from the front desk lady came in short supply. There was a suite on the top floor and several family rooms on the ground floor (for older parents). The courtyard was beautifully landscaped with several dining tables – where I downed latte macchiato and croissants with Nutella every morning.
They took me to Grindelwald, which reminded me of Vail, but with a much more dramatic view of the Alps – mowed hillsides, adorable-looking mountain cows, and snowcapped Eiger and Jungrau connected by a rugged ridge. And the sapphire-blue lakes were unbelievably clear.
It felt so great to have friends as your host when you were visiting a foreign place, let alone friends that took you to a high-alpine picnic right underneath the North Face of Eiger. Swiss bread, Eiger cheese, cured meats, cherry tomatoes, and sausages washed down by some white wine. I was a lucky man.
They were planning their wedding for August next year and still looking for a piece of land to build their dream home. They also planned to visit Asia for their honeymoon. I promised to be a good host if and when they visit.
After Grindelwald, we did a Bern express city tour. Because it was a Sunday (working on Sunday borderlines crime here) and it was more than 100 degrees with the sun blazing down relentlessly. Walk the old town- checked. See Finn the bear – checked. And we were off to Biel to see their cute city and apartment.
Hanging on the large balcony of their apartment, we went through NFL's latest gossip and Nono’s illustrious gymnastics career. She was the national champion in Switzerland in 2016 and hung up her cleat (so to speak) in 2019 after 25 years of spinning and turning her body in the air in any humanly possible ways. I was honored to be graced by her presence.
I said I needed to have authentic Swiss food, and we ended up sweating heavily at Le Caves and eating fortis with sausages and Raclette cheese. I did not have too good of an appetite though – after munching two Swiss chocolate bars (1,000 calories in total) highly recommended by Nono, and being drowned by sweat in this 100-degree weather. The plate was burning hot too.
We wrapped up the evening at a beach bar by Lake Biel, recounting their 4-month pre-wedding travel last year. What a good way to test the strength of your relationship. In addition, in hindsight, traveling during Covid was not bad at all. If you did not mind navigating through the Covid restrictions, you would be rewarded with low prices and less crowd at just about anywhere.
Just before 9 pm, I asked to be shipped to the train station so that I could relieve them of their hosting duty. They were such wonderful hosts.
I was so glad to have chosen Switzerland for this weekend. Waking up on my last morning in Interlaken, I wished I could stay a little longer. I rarely had this feeling when I traveled in the past. The satisfaction of physical exhaustion, the natural beauty, and friendship refreshed and rejuvenated me. I will be back to do the Augsmatthorn, Schyine Platte, the kayaking, the climbing, and a nice proper Swiss dinner. And the ice cream girl at the corner.
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