My time in Switzerland was going by way too fast. I woke up on my last day in Interlaken with another full day. I had three things left on my must do list: hiking, boat ride, and chocolate!
Since I had a busy day, I was up early to get to Harder Klum to hike. This is the mountain in Interlaken and the viewpoint at the top is known as the "Top of Interlaken" (https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/harder-kulm/). There is a funicular to the top, but I wanted to hike up. I couldn't go to Switzerland and not get a hike in. It was a dreary morning, but at least it wasn't raining. I started in multiple layers, but ended up in a tank top as I started to go up. As the wind picked up and the rain came closer, I ended up putting my layers back on. The hike to Harder Klum was (surprise) beautiful. As you took switchbacks up the mountain, you saw both lakes and the city in the middle. Halfway up the mountain, there was a small fountain for hikers to get a drink. It was perfect and serene. I think I was the only person on the trail. As I approached the top, the wind picked up and the rain started to fall. Thankfully I had just rounded the corner and saw the overlook. The views from the top weren't spectacular since it was foggy and dreary. I am sure it would be beautiful on a bright sunny day. It was incredible watching the clouds roll in though and hide everything.
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| Views from the hike |
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| The funicular rails |
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| The cute fountain halfway up the mountain |
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| The clouds kept rolling in |
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| Made it to the top! |
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| The cow is overlooking Interlaken |
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| I loved the platform extending over the side of the mountain. |
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| Suddenly Interlaken disappeared in the clouds |
There was a restaurant at the top and I was interested in getting warm inside. The wind made it much colder and I needed a hot chocolate to warm me up. Once I was seated, I decided it was a good idea to grab lunch and try another Swiss cheese classic, raclette. Raclette is basically melted cheese with some meat and potatoes on top. It was delicious. I was really going to miss the cheese dishes when I left Switzerland. After warming up and eating way too much cheese, it was time to take the funicular down. I didn't have two hours to hike back down in the rain and I wanted to ride a funicular. The ride down was fast and much warmer than hiking down.
Once down, I went back to the hostel to shower and change into non-hiking clothes. Then it was time for my boat ride. I had planned to catch the boat (free with my EuroPass) and take it across Lake Brienz and back. The incredible blue of Lake Brienze made it a must do boat ride. It had been raining all morning and was still raining when I got on the boat. We all kept under the covered portion of the boat where I met a couple from the UK with their Bernese mountain dogs. The dogs had traveled throughout Europe and were happy to be on the boat. They were adorable and it reminded me again that I would love to bring Callie to Switzerland. As soon as the rain stopped, I went to the top deck for a better view. I can't stress enough how beautiful this area is. Even with bad weather, the lake was stunning. While I was up on the top deck, two couples joined me. We started talking and I found out that one was from Alexandria, Virginia and the other was from Alabama. Both couples had been traveling to Interlaken for years and had plenty of fun stories to share. They convinced me that I needed to get off the boat and explore Brienz. I would be able to take the train back instead of riding the boat back the same route. I enjoyed having people to chat with that were able to teach me about the region and what a small world that I met another couple that lived within twenty minutes of my house.
Brienz was a picturesque Swiss town. It was nestled between the lake and mountains with a waterfall visible in the distance. It was also what I imagined a Swiss town would look like. The buildings were beautiful and the church nestled on the hill was perfect. I stopped in several wood carving shops and admired the details, but decided to pass on purchasing anything. If you are in the area, Brienz is definitely worth a stop.
Finally it was time to take the train back to Interlaken to grab a very fast dinner and head to my chocolate class. I found a small cafe and grabbed a quick sandwich since I figured going to the chocolate class without eating real food beforehand would be a bad decision. Funky Chocolate offers two chocolate classes most days. You learn about the chocolate process and then are able to make your own chocolate bars. Normally the class is about 10-12 people, but a large portion of the group made a last second switch to a different class so there were only two of us in my class. She didn't speak English very well, but luckily the instructor was from her region and could speak the language (sorry I forgot where they were from). It was interesting having him give the class in two languages, but it worked. It was nice to learn about how chocolate is made and why Swiss chocolate is better (better dairy). Our instructor encouraged being sloppy (makes for better pictures) and we had fun. At the end, we were able to make three chocolate bars and design them however we wanted. I had two friends watching Callie while I was on vacation so I made them each a bar. I had a lot of fun and even got a certificate certifying me as a Swiss Chocolatier.
This wrapped up my time in Switzerland since I was taking off for Frankfurt the next morning to meet some friends. This is the first time I have truly traveled alone and I loved it. I was able to set my schedule and do exactly what I wanted to do. I controlled what I spent my money on and what was worth splurging on. I never felt alone since I met people everywhere I went. It was eye opening to realize that I can travel on my own and enjoy it. Most of my friends are in relationships or have kids so finding travel buddies is getting hard, so now I can continue traveling the world alone knowing that I will still enjoy the trip.
Switzerland was incredible and I cannot wait to return. Interlaken is truly the adventure capital of Europe. People were friendly and helpful, the food was delicious, and the views were incredible. I could return several times and never be bored. Next time, I am doing a little more hiking and checking out local towns. Oh and white water rafting is still on my list and Interlaken would be a perfect place to try it.
Off to Germany!
