Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

During our stay in Lucerne, we took a one-day side trip to Lauterbrunnen. This is in the Jungfrau Region of Switzerland, an area popular for alpine sports and breathtaking views. Our family isn’t very experienced in alpine sports, so we went more for the views.

The drive from Lucerne to Lauterbrunnen alone is worth mentioning. There was so much beauty to take in, from the mountain tops to the lakes to the little towns along the way. Up until this trip, my mountain experience was limited to that of ranges in the U.S., specifically the Appalachians, the Alleghenies, the Adirondacks, and some California Coast Ranges. All beautiful in their own right, but this was my first view of the Alps, unlike anything I’d seen before.

Once we reached Lauterbrunnen, we had a quick lunch at the Horner Pub. The people there were really nice. I appreciated that, as we really stood out from the rest of the clientele who seemed to be base jumpers. Other guests had two cute dogs with them which kept my son happy and entertained.

From there, we stepped off the pub’s porch and enjoyed the views of Lauterbrunnen and specifically, Staubbach Falls. This is one of the largest waterfalls in Switzerland. There is a trail that allows you to climb up closer to it, although that was unfortunately closed when we were there. So, we enjoyed the views from below. Here’s a short video I took.

There’s a parking area right there which makes it convenient to visit. We walked around and took in views of the valley before driving a bit further down the road to Trümmelbach Falls.

Trümmelbach Falls are ten glacial waterfalls within a mountain. Access to the falls is open seasonally, so be sure to check their opening hours before making a visit. Once there, parking is available. After entering the mountain, you ride a lift to the top of the falls, then walk and take stairs to multiple viewpoints. It’s incredible to see how these falls have cut through the stone over time. The glacial water is beautiful. The heights can be nerve-wracking, especially with a child in tow.

We enjoyed the views at Trümmelbach, both of the falls and of the surrounding valley. One of my favorite aspects of being in this region was hearing the constant sounds of the cowbells from the cows grazing throughout the valley. If you listen closely to the video below, you can hear them.

One thing I didn’t catch in a picture or a video was base jumpers and paragliders that we saw throughout the day.

We were lucky to have beautiful weather that day. It was so nice to just pause, take in the views, and inhale a deep breath of clean, crisp, cool air, and enjoy the moment.