~ Fondue, Wine and Mountains ~
By Laura Bijnsdorp
Loaded up with supplies and caravan attached to the car, we rolled out of the driveway and headed off on a two-week road trip that would take us from the Netherlands, through Luxembourg, France, Germany onto our destination – Switzerland.
My boyfriend Bart and I had been planning this trip for a while, to celebrate the completion of his Master’s and so I could see a bit more of Europe.
We took it easy on our drive to Switzerland, taking a few days to enjoy a few sights in Luxembourg and the Alsace region in France, namely the many castles scattered among the scenery along our way. Alsace is one of the regions of France that has the most medieval castles. More than 500 are counted here!
Montreux living
Our first stop in Switzerland was in Montreux, where one of my best friends, Shanty Wagenaar, lives. Shanty moved to Montreux from Sint Maarten about a year and a half ago, for a great career opportunity in physical therapy.
Nestled between steep hills and the lakeside of Lake Geneva, it's known for its mild microclimate and popular events. The town's promenade is lined with flowers, sculptures, Mediterranean trees and grand Belle Époque buildings.
We had accidentally and luckily timed our visit with a Grand Prix event, so there was an exciting buzz added to the already charming town. The bubbles flowed and we pretended to be car-enthusiasts – feeling fabulous for 48 hours.
Salamander mode
After the champagne-filled weekend, we decided it was time to get active. Taking Shanty’s advice, we headed to a popular hiking area in the nearby mountains, aiming to climb up Dent De Jaman (1875m).
Most of the hike turned out to be pretty easy. A clear path led us through bright green valleys and steadily up the slope. About two hours later, we stood in front of a steep rocky wall. It looked like the last 200 metres up were going to be a bit harder.
My fear of heights kicked in as usual. I clamped onto the rocky wall like a salamander, breathing heavily, heart pounding as I slowly made my way up. I was so focused I could not feel embarrassed or annoyed when little kids and a senior citizens duo easily passed me by.
Not sure if it took me 10 minutes or an hour, but when I finally got to the top, the 360-degree view was so amazing that I forgot to feel relieved! Beneath us, we could see Montreux and Lake Geneva. Surrounding us were dozens of other mountains, which seemed to go on forever.
Once the initial shock of the gorgeous view had subsided, I realised I still had to get back down.
Cheese and wine
The next day, we opted for an easier stroll, through the historical vineyards of Lavaux. There are roughly 200 different wineries in Lavaux, many of which have been owned by the same family for generations, some with a history that dates back to 1300s. It has been named as a UNESCO site.
Over 32 kilometres of trails lead through the many vineyards. We chose a walk of about two hours that took us to three different towns in the heart of the area. Of course, we also made sure we brought enough cheese and wine to enjoy along the way.
Milk commercial
Lauterbrunnen was next on the list. I had seen pictures of the area pop up a few times on travel blogs. You know how sometimes a picture looks more magical than it actually is? This was not the case with Lauterbrunnen and the surrounding area. It was possibly even better than I had seen in pictures!
Lauterbrunnen is one of the biggest nature conservation areas in Switzerland, situated in one of the most impressive trough valleys in the Alps. A single road takes you between snow-tipped mountain peaks, 72 thundering waterfalls, colourful alpine meadows and grazing bell-donned cows. It all just makes you feel like you need to skip in slow motion and drink lots of milk.
Up, over and under
We did exactly what one should do while in Lauterbrunnen – enjoy the waterfalls and mountains.
On our first day, we visited a number of waterfalls, including the impressive Trümmelbach Falls, which is hidden behind mighty rock faces. Up to 20,000 litres of water per second cascade over the 10 glacier-falls from a total height of about 200 metres.
A tunnel lift took us up, and walking down, you could see Trümmelbach from 10 different angles. The tunnels were freezing, due to the mist of the ice-cold rushing water.
Like James Bond
Our second day, instead of hiking up, we chose to take the easy way up into the mountains by cable car. Since 1967, the aerial cableway has been making its way from Stechelberg in the Lauterbrunnen valley up to the summit of Schilthorn (2970m).
Schilthorn, the cable car and surrounding towns, became instantly more popular when the James Bond’s film crew arrived to tape “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”. At the top of Schilthorn, the panoramic restaurant and museum are all dedicated to this movie. A bit cheesy? YES, but also a lot of fun!
Fondue – fondue
Taking about cheese, our trip in Switzerland came to an end after just a short week. But before we slowly made our way back to the Netherlands, we heated up our skottel braai and made a big pan of fondue. A must, of course, when visiting Switzerland!
As the sun set and I washed away a large chunk of melted cheese with my wine, I thought, “This is the life!”
