[Previous post: part 1]
Our second day in Switzerland was cloudy and foggy. We had planned to travel to a high peak but realized all we would see is clouds (in fact there is a local TV station that airs live footage from the local peaks and there wasn’t much to see), so we opted for a valley hike instead. We stopped in a local grocery store and bakery to pick up fresh-baked bread, cheese, and fruit. Then we took the cog train back to Lauterbrunnen, walked around the town, and then headed to a nearby waterfall.
There was a large crowd on the path leading up to the lookout “behind” the waterfall. We waited and took our turn looking out. From that vantage point it really seemed more like a mist or a light rain so it wasn’t quite as impressive as anticipated, but still fun.
After we came down from the waterfall we continued down the valley path towards Stechelberg. We walked through lots of farmland with cows and sheep. We walked past a whitewater river and a lot more waterfalls. We also saw lots of split logs piled in neat stacks by the side of the path, drying out for winter. The mostly-level path was well maintained, with lots of benches and picnic tables. We stopped at a picnic area and ate our lunch.
The path continued on through a more wooded area and finally began a steep climb with several hundred stair steps, winding past more waterfalls.
Finally we reached the town of Gimmelwald, another town that prohibits personal cars. Gimmelwald is accessible by foot and cable car. There is a cable car up from the valley level and another one that continues on up to Mürren. The cable cars hold about 100 people and are timed to arrive at the same time and wait a few minutes so passengers wishing to travel on both can easily hop out of one and into the other and continue on their journey. Since Mürren appeared to be blanketed with fog we just walked around Gimmmelwald rather than continuing up the mountain. Later, we took the cable car back down to Lauterbrunnen.
Gimmelwald is much less touristy than the other towns we visited in the region and it doesn’t have a lot of places to stay or eat. We saw working farms, some self-service cheese outlets, and an “honesty shop” where you are on your honor to pay for what you take. We saw goats, chickens, and lots of cows. And, of course, where there are cows there are also cow bells.
