Our Alpine Countries Adventure
Welcome to our travel journal — a heartfelt documentation of an unforgettable 14-day journey through the heart of the Alpine region in the three German-speaking countries: Germany (Day 1-4, 7-9), Switzerland (Day 5, 6) and Austria (Day 10-14).
Day 5 : The Schilthorn & Hiking in the Swiss Alps
WE started our excursion with a ride on the cable car, and it swayed gently as it climbed from Mürren toward the Schilthorn, the valley shrinking below like a green carpet unrolling toward distant Lauterbrunnen. We stepped out at the summit station, the crisp alpine air hitting like a slap—2,970 meters up, where the world feels both vast and impossibly close.
The famous trio loomed immediately: the jagged north face of the Eiger, the serene dome of the Mönch, and the elegant peak of the Jungfrau, all sharp against a brilliant blue sky. No wonder they call it the Swiss Skyline; it steals your breath before you even reach the door.
Inside Piz Gloria, the revolving restaurant spun slowly, offering a full-circle panorama every 50 minutes or so. But first, the Bond thing. The Bond World exhibition downstairs felt like stepping into 1969: grainy clips from On Her Majesty's Secret Service, posters, and a cheeky Walk of Fame with cast handprints.
Back outside, the Skyline Walk platform jutted out over nothing, a metal grate that let you peer straight down thousands of feet. Heart-rate up a notch already. But the real pulse-quickener waited one cable-car stop down at Birg: the Thrill Walk.
The entrance looked innocent enough—a simple sign on the terrace. Then the path dropped away, hugging the sheer rock face with steel walkways bolted to the cliff. First came the grating sections, see-through to the abyss. Then the glass floor panel, where stepping felt like trusting physics not to betray you. A narrow rope bridge swayed slightly in the wind, forcing careful steps. The crawl tunnel—low, claustrophobic, forcing you onto hands and knees while the drop yawned beside you—pushed the adrenaline higher. Finally, the cattle-grid section rattled underfoot like walking on a giant cheese grater suspended in space. About 200 meters total, but every one felt earned. The views? Jaw-dropping: endless ridges, glaciers glinting far below, the Eiger-Mönch-Jungfrau trio watching like silent guardians. People emerged grinning, shaky-legged, some laughing nervously, others quietly exhilarated.
The funicular rattled up the short, steep incline from Mürren to Allmendhubel, depositing us at what felt like the edge of a giant alpine playground designed by nature itself. The air was sweet with pine and wildflowers, and right there—framed by the impossible backdrop of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau gleaming under a flawless sky—sprawled the Flower Park playground. Giant wooden stems in vibrant colors sprouted from the grass like a fairy-tale garden gone wild: towering sunflowers with yellow petal slides, oversized daisies, thistles, and colorful climbing frames shaped like blossoms. Tubular slides curved through the "petals," rope bridges dangled between stalks, and little wooden platforms offered perches with million-dollar views.
The twins spotted it instantly. Eyes wide, they bolted from the path like they'd been launched, straight for the nearest giant slide—a gleaming silver tube bursting from a rainbow-colored flower stem. They scrambled up the wooden ladder together, giggling in that synchronized way only twins can, then whooshed down one after the other, landing in a heap of laughter at the bottom. "Again! Again!" they chorused, already racing back up. They next turned to the Spider net and other climbing structures, and had much fun time.
Panoramic Mountain View Trail
from Allmendhubel
to Grütschalp
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Descending further, the day shifted gears. The Mountain View Trail to Grütschalp started here: a gentle, mostly downhill path through alpine meadows and light forest. No sheer drops, just constant, postcard-perfect views back across the valley to those three iconic peaks. Wildflowers nodded in the breeze, cowbells clanged faintly somewhere below, and the trail felt like a reward after the high-adrenaline morning—legs moving easily, mind unwinding with every step.
About 5 km, 2.5–3 hours at a leisurely pace, the kind of hike where you stop every few minutes just to stare. By late afternoon, Grütschalp station appeared, and a short hop back to Mürren led straight to the Hotel Jungfrau.
By the time we reached Mürren and settled into the warm, wood-paneled embrace of Restaurant Gruebi at the Hotel Jungfrau, the day's exertions had built a serious appetite. The burger arrived looking every bit the reward: thick, juicy patty (locally sourced beef, as the reviews proudly note), melted cheese, fresh toppings, all stacked high on a soft bun. Beside it, a generous pile of golden, crispy chips—proper thick-cut ones, hot and perfectly salted, the kind that disappear faster than you'd admit. A cold drink (maybe a local beer or something fizzy) cut through the richness, fizzing refreshingly against the hearty meal.
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One perfect Swiss day: Bond villain vibes at dawn, heart-in-throat thrills by midday, peaceful meadows in the afternoon, and a satisfying burger as the mountains glowed at dusk. The kind of memory that sticks long after the altitude headache fades.