Christmas in Switzerland

We stopped for a half day in Lucerne just south of Zurich on our way to Interlaken (above)
12 inches of snow in 8 hours make for some gorgeous shots around lake Thunersee and Brienzersee (above)
Exploring Zug and Engelberg for the afternoon (above)
Our hike up to mountain top Lake Oeschinensee, about 45 minutes from Interlaken (above)
Our day trip to Zermatt to see the Matterhorn.  Our hike on the Sunnegga trail for these stunning views (above)


We decided to spend Christmas in Switzerland, as we love snow and were looking for a place that would be beautiful even in the midst of winter.  Switzerland offers some of the most beautiful scenery, epic hikes, skiing, glorious views, and of course snow, making it the perfect place to spend a week for our Christmas holiday.  We decided to base ourselves in Interlaken, a beautiful town in the middle of two incredible lakes (Thundersee and Brienzsee) which lay beneath the steep slopes of the surrounding Swiss Alps.  Interlaken was the perfect central location for many of the sites we wanted to see during our time in Switzerland.

Our hope for snow was quickly met as the first two days of our trip brought two feet of the crystal white powder to lay as the backdrop of our adventures.  We explored the nearby towns of Zug, Interlaken, and Brienz that sit on opposite sides of the two lakes and are easy to see within a day or two.  We drove to Zug and Engelberg another day to enjoy the snow covered roofs, smoking chimneys, and gorgeous church steeples standing against the blue-gray sky.  We spent an afternoon in Staubbachfall to hike in the valley and watch some base jumpers fall from the foggy cliffs.

We come alive when we are outdoors, our hearts are the happiest when we venture into God's creation and discover all it has to offer.  By far, our favorite moments of this trip were the hikes we took to mountain top lake Oeschinensee, and our day trip to Zermatt to hike the Sunnegga trail for stunning views of the Matterhon.  Between these two hikes we conquered over 4,000 feet of vertical, every step we took bringing with it more and more glorious views and feelings of awe as we stood in the midst of something so majestic.  You can also get to these scenic view points by ski lift, which takes a little away from hard work that it takes to hike these trails; but hiking allows you moments to pause and take it all in, as well as the scenery along the way... not to mention the sense of accomplishment you feel when you reach the top.  Small restaurants sit at the top of both viewpoints that you can stop at for coffee and apple strudel to warm up before trekking back down.

Switzerland is by far one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, we can not wait to go back someday...hopefully to explore the country in some warmer weather.



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