Grindelwald

Grindelwald (3,458ft.) is a short train ride from Interlaken. It lies in a spacious valley below the majestic range of the Jungfrau (13,638ft.), Monch (13,449ft.), Eiger (13,026ft.) and the Wetterhorn (12,143ft.). The hiking trails accessible from Grindelwald are numerous and provide hikers of all abilities a wonderful opportunity to explore the Alps. We offer a memorable hike from Grindelwald to the Hotel Faulhorn (a remote rustic lodge built in 1830), which is only accessible by making the 2.5 hour hike from the gondola station First. The hotel is at 8,796 feet and has a 360-degree panoramic view of the lakes Thun and Brienz and the snow capped peaks of the big three: Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. From the hotel the trail follows a ridgeline for several miles with this incredible view the entire way.

Towering above Grindelwald is the infamous North Face of the Eiger, which was not successfully climbed until 1938 by the team of Andreas Heckmair, Ludwig Vorg, Fritz Kasparek and Heinrich Harrer. A wonderful hike will take you below the imposing face as we trek in the shadow of the Eiger. Those wishing to learn about the many unsuccessful attempts and a first hand account of the first successful climb should read The White Spider by Heinrich Harrer. After the hike, and others of equal grandeur, enjoy sitting on the deck of our hotel watching the setting sun illuminate the Eiger and the rolling Grindelwald valley at its base.

Muerren

Muerren (5,450ft.), a car-less village with four-star accommodations, is perched like an eagle’s nest atop a 2,500 foot wall above the Lauterbrunnen valley facing the spectacular Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau mountains. Above Muerren are numerous peaceful alpine meadows, “alps,” that provide fantastic views of the north faces of the snow capped peaks of the Breithorn (12,409ft.), Tschingelhorn (11,736ft.), Gspalthorn (11,277ft.) and a host of other peaks that have drawn alpinists to the region since the late 1700s. The North Face Trail meanders through the green meadows above Muerren with plaques describing first assents of the north faces of these striking peaks. One marker describes an eastern European team’s 15 days spent on the face of the Schwartz Monch. 

At the head of the Lauterbrunnen valley you will hike through a mystical valley of such beauty it cannot be captured in pictures. Above this enchanting valley are hanging glaciers and pristine waterfalls, as well as a wonderful hut for a serene lunch with an alpine view. You will see green alps, snow capped peaks, hidden hamlets and abundant mountain flowers on the many trails around Muerren.

Kandersteg

Just 30 minutes by train from picturesque lake Thun in the Jungfrau region is our base village of Kandersteg (3,857ft.) in the Kandertal valley.  As you approach the valley, the first thing you notice is the contrast between the fertile green meadows that line the river Kander and the high cliff walls that appear impenetrable. Above the cliffs are numerous lush valleys that wind deeper into the mountains before splitting into even more secluded valleys that take hikers to remote glacial lakes, hidden alps and quaint mountaineering huts. Towering above this maze of hiking trails are hanging glaciers that lead to the summits of the Doldenhorn (11,932ft.), Frundenhorn (11,050ft.), Oeschinenhorn (11,434ft.) and Bluemlisalphorn (11,994ft.). Each day you are exposed to an entirely different scene of the same play that has been the obsession of hikers and mountaineers for more than a hundred years. Below it all rests our base village of Kandersteg. The Kandersteg hiking region is pristine. The untouched natural beauty of this region will transport you back in time to a place almost forgotten in the rush of the modern world.

Zermatt/Furi

Zermatt/Furi (6,188 ft.) Few sights are more inspiring than the view of the Matterhorn covered with a fresh dusting of white snow against a blue background that is so bright and clear that it hurts your eyes to gaze too long. The only thing that might improve this scene? The rewarding feeling you get from walking in the fresh crisp air to the vantage point where this view is possible. The Matter valley is surrounded by 30 peaks that are over 4,000 meters tall and between these peaks exist a labyrinth of valleys and trails that make this corner of Switzerland truly The Hiker’s Paradise. For those who are directionally challenged, the Matterhorn is a beacon always pointing the way south providing a visual reminder of why you came to Switzerland.

Most of our hikes in the Matter valley will end in Zermatt around 3:30 or 4:00 p.m. You will have plenty of time to explore the town before you take the gondola ride high above the town to our mountain retreat. There you can watch the lights of Zermatt come to life one at a time like stars in the sky.

Saas-Fee

Saas-Fee (5,935 ft.) a car-less glacier village is referred to by locals as the Pearl of the Alps.  The town rests below glaciers that flow from the Michealbel Alps a range of mountains that separate the Matter valley where the Matterhorn is and the Saas valley.  Saas-Fee sits like a pearl between the many 4,000 meter peaks and the flowing and hanging glaciers at the heart of the Swiss Alps.  Hiking one of many hohenwegs (high elevation trails) that are available from our base in Saas-Fee, you cannot miss the Italian influence on the remote Saas valley. High above the valley floor you see the spray of irrigation systems providing cool water for the grapes that will be harvested by hand and pressed at local wineries.

The towering peaks that separate the two cultures of Switzerland and Italy are bridged by hidden mountain passes that for centuries have allowed cultural blending that has steadily flowed like the melting glacier waters that feed the Saaser Vispa river that flows through the heart of the Saas valley. Countless generations of Swiss and Italians have walked the ancient foot paths of these mountains that we will discover again for the first time.

Zuoz

If you like your Swiss with a dash of Italian spice, you will love our Swiss village- Zuoz.  Located at the upper end of the Engadine valley, Zuoz is just a mountain away from the Italian and Austrian borders.  Founded in 800 AD and rebuilt in the 1500s, it is possible to imagine this tiny (1,400 inhabitants) village as it was years ago- many of the traditional Engadine houses still have their hayloft and are prettily decorated with window boxes and pastel colored murals.  Zuoz is located next to the only National Park in Switzerland. Choose this region for an exciting Switzerland hiking or guided walking adventure and see why the Swiss choose the Upper Engadine for their only National Park in a country of endless beauty.

Situated in the center of town, our hotel has been owned by the same family since it opened 125 years ago.  This 4-star hotel, renowned for its culinary offerings features old world charm and modern conveniences such as an outdoor pool.  300 miles of marked trails surround the town.

Wengen

Wengen (4,183ft.) is nestled above Lauterbrunnen valley, The Valley of Waterfalls. It is considered one of the most beautiful valleys in the Swiss Alps with its traditional U-shaped walls. A striking feature of the area is the incredible elevation gain from the valley floor at 2,624 feet to the summit of the Jungfrau at 13,638 feet. 11,014 feet of elevation gain occurs over a distance of 3.5 miles following a direct line. (Approximately 10,000 feet of elevation is gained from the base camp on Mt. Everest to the summit.) The snow capped peaks and soaring escarpments accentuate the fertile green valleys and high alpine meadows to a point where the landscape assumes a surreal quality. World travelers have been hiking for recreation in this magical area since the early 1800s, which has allowed the Swiss to develop a trail system that flows in step with the natural beauty of the surroundings. Hikers begin the day walking through a meadow of flowers before ascending to an ice and rock dominated landscape with peaks soaring to the sky in all directions. A small mountain hut with a lunch of hot soup waits for you at that place. Switzerland is truly The Hiker’s Paradise.

Austria, Zillertal Valley

If you would like to know what hiking in Switzerland was like 20 years ago come to the Zillertal Nature Park in Austria.  In 2001 Austria established the park in the Southern Tirol Alps.  Undeveloped, rustic, pristine and majestic is an accurate description of this jewel of a hiking holiday destination.  Our base locations for exploring this hidden hiking treasure are the hamlet of Ginzling and the village of Mayrhofen.  Next to the rugged beauty of the Tirol Alps the second most noticeable attribute of hiking in this corner of the Alps is the absence of American travelers.  The simple reason for this is that it has not been discovered yet! 

Ginzling is a small remote hamlet surrounded by the Zillertal Nature Park with no tourist shops, ice cream parlors or any of the trappings that eventually find there way to resort destinations.  Here you will find a tranquil community where they still graze dairy cows in town and miles of hiking trails leading to remote huts with views that must be seen to be believed.

Our second base village for exploring the Tirol Alps is Mayrhofen.  Located on the northern edge of the Zillertal Nature Park it is a perfect location for hiking the tributary valleys of the Zillertal.  A wonderful free day activity, day where we do not hike as a group, is to take the train to Innsbruck or Salzburg. 

Hiking in the Zillertal Nature Park the only sounds heard are the rushing rivers and the wind flowing from southern passes that lead to Italy.  The peace of hiking in such a place is enhanced by relaxing rests for lunch at one of the many mountaineering huts perched in the mountains.  You do not know what true Goulash soup taste like until you try it at the Friesenberghaus (hut) located at the southern end of the Ziller valley only a stones throw from the Italian border.  Great hiking, majestic mountains, rushing rivers, rustic mountain huts provide for a perfect hiking tour vacation.