If any of you guys want to see one of the most perfect places on the planet, then Kandersteg is the place for you! Dead serious. This is by far the most quintessential Swiss town when you imagine how Switzerland should look. They have everything you automatically associate the country with including, but not limited to: chocolate (duh), fondue, cows & their infamous cowbells, Swiss knives (the real deal), watches, cheeses, lakes & the breathtaking Swiss Alps.
We rolled into town on Thursday via the train station in Geneva. Travel Tip: Looking on how to check out this sweet town & others in the country? SUPER EASY! Simply book a round-trip to Geneva, Switzerland and from there, just get yourself a train ticket to any of the towns. Their train system is fantastic & easy to navigate (although the actual words may be hard to pronounce) but anyone is able to do it!
Kandersteg is located on the southern side of Switzerland however it's primary language is German. However, people spoke both French & English as well. Most of the English speakers were easy to converse with although at times, some were very difficult. We were actually able to talk better with them in French than in English! But nonetheless, the people were beyond SWEET to talk with. No matter if you had questions about where to grab food or how much something cost, they all welcome you with a willingness to lend a helping hand. Travel Tip: If you want to experience a true Swiss town, stay away from major cities. Although they each offer something uniquely different & are no doubt picturesque (what European city isn't?), the quieter, quainter villages & towns in the Alps will provide a more authentic experience for you & your party. Dive in & see how they live without the hustle & bustle of tourists! It's something you will never forget.
Nothing was planned for this country stop but just to simply take in all of the amazing scenery surrounding us. Our hotel had the BEST view of our entire Europe trip. We stayed at the Hotel-Restaurant Bernerhof. Its location was in the center of Kandersteg so everything was in walking distance. Our two main objectives for this spot was to ride a mountain coaster tucked on one side of the mountains & to also check out Oeschinen Lake, a 25 minute walk from the cable cars just about 10 minutes from the hotel. Again, these cable cars are in walking distance from the hotel & town.
Hands down, this mountain coaster was the most scenic one I've ever ridden on! I mean come on! The Swiss Alps? A Mountain Coaster? A Swiss Alps Mountain COASTER? You cannot beat that. Plus it was only $5 to ride it. TAKE MY MONEY! And once we finished up with the coaster, we headed down the path that lead to Oeschinen Lake. I can't put it into words on how magnificent this entire area was. It was one of these "pictures just can't do it justice" moments & still is today. We hiked all around the lake that day & discovered so many neat things & waterfalls. Who doesn't love neat things & waterfalls? The water was COLD but the colors of it was impeccable. Sherwin-Williams & Valspar ain't got nothin on nature! We ended the day with some pasta we had bought from the local grocery store. Travel Tip: Switzerland might be extremely beautiful but, it's also entirely too expensive. Be prepared for that. We knew what we were getting ourselves into but it's still shocking to see prices so high. $17 for chicken tenders? No thank you! So we improvised & thankfully our hotel rooms were equipped with basic cookware & stovetops and we cooked ourselves a delicious meal of pasta for only $3 for all of three of us! Now that's what I'm talking about.
All in all, this was my favorite stop on our entire trip. I loved everything about it: the people, the cleanliness, the scenery, & the entire experience. But our next stop was a wakeup call back to reality & rushing cities. The Amalfi Coast greeted us with Italian culture on full blast. It's a story you will NOT want to miss. The craziest one of the five posts!
However, in the meantime, thanks for reading & enjoy these images!
