Our choice of Switzerland came from a random Youtube video that we watched with our kids. It was a video by a young man who listed his 50 (or some large number) favorite places to visit in Europe. Beckham started creating a bucket list based on this video and as soon as we got to Switzerland (the Via Ferrata specifically), we all said, that’s it!! So the planning began.

I did most of the research and decided on Wengen being our base. When we travel with our kids we tend to pick a home base and then venture from there. That way we don’t have to constantly change where we sleep and can become familiar with one area. So we chose Zurich for 3 nights and Wengen for 5 nights. If I could do it again, I would have added more nights to Wengen. I found a great little Airbnb Chalet that had a yard for the kids to run around in and was super close to everything. Wengen is a car free village, meaning you can’t drive there. They do have little wagons and tiny trucks that take supplies from the train to the various hotels, but not regular cars are allowed there. I definitely fell in love with this little village, it was perfect.

Train travel is the way to go. We had an 8 day pass and used it on trains and busses constantly, it’s a very easy country to navigate. What can I say about the Alps…there is so much to do and definitely not enough time to do it all. We hiked a little bit, we explored the different villages, did a jet boat tour on Lake Brienz, went paragliding in Murren, hiked the Via Ferrata, walked through the Aare Gorge, swam in Lake Brienz, swam in the public pool in Wengen (multiple afternoons), rode many gondolas, took many photos to try and capture the grandness (impossible to do).

The Jungfrau Region of the Bernese Oberland is breathtaking, awe-inspiring, unbelievably stunning, unfathomable, etc. After visiting I have a much better understanding of this region and how to plan activities, and can’t wait to return. I’m tempted to just write about the logistics here because I can’t quite verbalize the impact this trip had on my soul. I’ve tried here and there and will make an effort again, but I think I’m still processing it all.

I share quotes in my newsletter from my favorite book, The Nature Fix, and I’ll share them again here.

“Awe is considered one of the core positive emotions; it is basically something that blows your mind. A deeply powerful, awe-inspiring experience can change someone's perspective for a long time, even permanently.”

“For something to be truly awe-inspiring, it must posses ‘vastness of extent’ as well as a degree of difficulty in our ability to make sense of it. That awe also inspires feelings of humility and a more outward perspective."

These quotes are exactly what I think about when I think of the Alps and how I felt there and how I continue to feel about them. Every day I wanted to take a photo from the same spot walking away from the Airbnb because every day it would stop me in my tracks. But each time I tried I ended up putting the camera away because nothing could capture the view. So instead, I just looked and let the view imprint itself in my mind and heart.

From the views to the color of the rivers and lakes, everything just felt magical. I loved swimming in Lake Brienz on a hot day. We tended to once again find our way to water, everywhere. From bridge jumping in Zurich to swimming on the shores of Lake Brienz to the public pool overlooking the Lauterbrunnen Valley.

My climb on the Via Ferrata, Mürren Switzerland

After Wengen we spent 3 nights in Zurich at another sweet little AirBnb. I didn’t think we needed that much time in Zurich, but the kids were more than happy to return to bridge jumping every chance we had. It was very hot during the day, so we tried picking activities that would keep us cool. Zurich has a lovely old town, the river and lake are beautiful, lots of wonderful outdoor restaurants/cafes for snacking and people watching.

As we left Zurich we were delayed at the airport due to an airshow and a drunk passenger on the plane, this caused us to miss our connecting flight in Iceland. Thanks to IcelandAir and their wonderful customer service, we got to spend a bonus 24 hrs exploring a bit of Iceland with the kids. They put us up in a hotel and provided food vouchers…so we rented a car immediately and booked a visit to the Blue Lagoon (they only had 2 open spots and one happened to be for the evening were there).

Swimming in the Blue Lagoon was so incredibly relaxing. We started the swim at 9pm and the sun was still out, so watching the late sunset and enjoying the warm water and mud masks was a wonderful way to end our day of interrupted travel. The next morning we took off to see what we could in 5 hours. I don’t have all the photos here and I don’t remember the names of everything, but it sure was fun. Especially because in the Alps we talked to the kids about the African and Eurasian tectonic plates coming together to create the mountains all around us, and then in Iceland we got to step foot on the area where the Eurasion and the North American tectonic plates are moving apart. Super cool moment to be able to teach this to the kids and then be witness to it in two different countries.

This entire vacation was a dream. Let me say that it was definitely not easy to travel with kids, that’s a whole different conversation, but overall it will be a trip we will always remember. If you missed Summer Travels Part 1: West Coast, make sure to have a read as well.

Happy adventuring,

Ella

Summer Travels Part 2: Switzerland (and Iceland)