After flouncing around Switzerland, Julia’s got the lowdown on the best ways to balance indulgence with adventure.

 

I feel guilty travelling in Switzerland. It’s an indulgent nation, particularly built on the vices of many: cheese, wine, chocolate, heavy, hearty dishes to warm up days in the alpine sun. While no trip to the heartland of Europe is complete without tasting its famous exports on home soil, it’s one to pack the stretchy pants for. Or is it?

‘Do something to work off the chocolate, cheese, and wine – but make it fun.’ 

The Swiss get me. Although it may be hard to control yourself with all the finer Swiss things in life, there are ways to live a balanced life and enjoy the best of Switzerland, mesmerising landscapes included.

Here are some of Switzerland’s most off-kilter experiences to expend energy. Some vices included, no guilt necessary.

1. E-biking Through Interlaken

Interlaken is better known as the country’s adventure capital, best seen from a bird’s eye view, paragliding over the Swiss Alps. But it’s also worth experiencing Interlaken’s wildly beautiful peaks, lakes, and surroundings by e-bike.

Adventure company, Outdoor, offers a 2.5-hour guided round-trip tour to explore the region at your own pace, visiting spots few tourists get to see. This includes a detour to the forested ruins of the 13th-century Weissenau Castle. It’s always a novelty to visit a castle, particularly one in ruins, slowly succumbing to the elements as nature takes over. It was a thrill to climb to the top and appreciate a less technologically-advanced bird’s eye view of Lake Thun, with mountains galore and the castle’s remaining skeletal stone structure.

Back on the bike, roam through cutesy villages characterised by centuries-old wooden cabins with colourful shutters bordering cobblestone roads. Pop into an old fishing village along a narrow canal. As I discovered in a few hours, there are many intriguing sights to behold hidden in the foothills of these famous mountains.

And what’s a Tour de Switzerland without, ahem, cheese? The trip also includes a visit to a few self-service farm shops – a cultural experience in itself – to purchase local cheeses and charcuterie to devour at the next picturesque locale for a picnic. Enjoy Switzerland’s edible gold paired with a local beer before heading back to town. Nicely done.

2. Riding Through Grindelwald on a Trottibike

Speaking of bikes, the ever-innovative Swiss invented another two-wheeled way to get around – the trottibike scooter. The half-bike, half-scooter hybrid features a wide footboard for riders to stand on, brakes like those on bikes, and large tyres with tread; its wheels are almost twice the size of dinner plates.

 

 

What better way to learn how to ride a trottibike than in Grindelwald? Located at the foothills of the Eiger mountain, the Jungfrau region is a Swiss German holiday village that boasts the quintessential landscapes the country is famous for: snow-capped mountains and green valleys dotted with bell-ringing cows.

Catch the First Railway to the starting point in Bort. From here, it’s a snaking, one-way downhill ride back to Grindelwald. I admit, it took me a moment to get used to riding the trottibike without thinking I was about to reach the hectic speeds of F1 drivers, blitzing narrow tarmac and farm roads. Thankfully, there are helmets and brakes for a reason, and I remained an over-cautious rider, nipping around bends and meadows. I made a few stops to take photos of the cows and their dingle-dangle bells – Switzerland’s preferred ASMR.

 

 

It wasn’t until I reached the village that I finally got the hang of it (two feet equally balanced on the footboard!) and didn’t want to get off. Can we do that again?

3. Visit the Top of Europe

Sticking to Grindelwald, it’s time to gaze at it from the Top of Europe (don’t worry, this isn’t the big leg stretch you may be envisioning!). For over a century, the Jungfrau Railway has chugged on a steep incline through the mountain – yes, through! – to reach Europe’s highest railway station at 3454m above sea level. There are stops along the way to take in the sheer engineering feat of the historic tunnel, as well as see summits from all angles.

The cheesy advertorial line ‘But wait, there’s more’, is apt, as once at the top, you’ll relish sweeping views of the UNESCO World Heritage site Aletsch Glacier. The 11 billion tons of ice flank the country’s trio of peaks: Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. There’s a 360º viewing platform to soak in the enormity of the glacier, mountains, and even Germany in the far distance.

 

 

This is one of those spots that makes you feel alive, with the alpine air heightening your awareness of that spectacular view. Just make sure to rug up, as it can get windy up here.

If it’s too cold, enjoy the views from inside at Jungfraujoch. The station is home to restaurants, watch and chocolate shops (when in Switzerland, right?), and the Ice Palace, populated with larger-than-life ice sculptures along its crystalline aisles. Warming up with fondue on the Top of Europe, it doesn’t get more Swiss than that.

 

4. The Ultimate Balanced Life – Hiking for Cheese

Burn calories hiking the Swiss Alps, then be rewarded with cheese; could this be the most balanced way to experience Switzerland? Ah, Ja!

Combine two of the country’s icons, hiking alp to alp, along trails ‘Les Reybes’ or ‘La Provêta’, both starting from La Maison du Gruyère in Pringy. For two hours, meander through meadows dotted with cows to appreciate the essence of the country’s cheese production.

 

 

Informative panels about the region’s cheesy history dot the pathway to cheeseville, including its famous flavours, Gruyère AOP and Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP, in the Fribourg Alps.

If time isn’t on your side, you can always skip the hike and head straight to where the magic all happens, Fromagerie d’alpage. Located at the foothills of Moléson mountain, the 1686-built alpine restaurant and dairy farm offers tours showcasing how cheese is made using ancient methods.

 

 

It feels like a time warp to the Middle Ages, watching cheesemakers in traditional garb, wooden paddles in tow, tend to a massive 650L copper cauldron over an open fire, filled with the makings of cheese. The demonstration reveals the step-by-step processes of cheese making, from creating curds to hand-pressing cheese.

The best part of the tour (and trail) is saved for the end: cheese tastings. Enjoy a taste of the fromagerie’s specialities, Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP, Le Lutin, and Petit Moléson. Go on, you deserve it.

5. Come Back Down to Earth (Literally)

No trip to Switzerland is complete without the flight of your life. Interlaken is famous for its paragliding adventures, with countless parachutes appearing like colourful boomerangs slowly tumbling over the alpine town.

I made the rookie mistake of bypassing this whirlwind adventure on my first visit to Switzerland. Over ten years later, I was glad to rectify my previous travel wrong, finding confidence, courage, and monster-sized wings to see Switzerland’s all-encompassing natural beauty from above. It’s an unforgettable joy ride, and one of those times you’re glad the phone is kept out of reach. Instead, you’re encouraged to really savour the moment, climbing altitude in the sky, over summits, and then slowly come back down to Earth. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but you’ll be glad you indulged in the views.

 

Julia D’Orazio was a guest of Switzerland Tourism and all thoughts and opinions are her own. 

Explore (& Eat) Your Way Around Europe

The author was a guest for this article so that they could try all of the experiences for themself. Check out our Editorial Standards for more info on how we approach these partnerships.