To capture the true Swiss experience, one must go high into the mountains, breathe the fresh Alpine air and sleep in traditional Swiss lodging. Obersteinberg is a special place, perched high in the mountains only accessible by foot, mule or helicopter. In order to access this remote location, we took a train from Basel to Lauterbrunnen and then a bus to Stechleberg. From Stechelberg, we strapped on our packs (heavy packs, at least a third of my body weight) and made our way (mostly uphill) for almost three hours to Obersteinberg. This is the kind of hike that requires a lot of stops to admire the sheer beauty that surrounds you. You will see that once again, we took an abundance of photos and fell deeper in love with Switzerland.
Once we arrived at Obersteinberg, we quickly found our way to our room, set down our packs and decided to head out exploring for another few hours or so before dinner. As soon as we turned the corner, we saw a rare sight…a Steinbock – a mountain goat of sorts that transverses the landscape incredibly well and are not to keen on people, therefore making our sighting incredibly rare. After such a dynamic sight, we turned back and made our way to the Berghaus. We quickly realized that one must exercise extreme caution and care in such a place, as we heard a terrible noise, high above and realized that a substantial size rock (or boulder) was falling down the hill and headed right for our path. We ran and the rock missed us by a couple of inches. From that moment on, we realized the mountains were in charge.
That evening we had a wonderful, Swiss style meal by candlelight (the Berghaus doesn’t have electricity) and after a few thousand calories (at least for Robert) we fell fast asleep. The next morning we woke to a clearer day, a wonderfully comfortable temperature - just right for more exploration. We spent about 5-6 hours just exploring the area, and taking in more incredible sights.
Overall, this had to be one of our favorite trips - full of all of those things that make for a fabulous getaway:
Incredible views
Remote location
Fresh, clean air
Great food...for Robert
A slower, sweeter pace of life - no electricity, no phones, no TV
Comfortable lodging & oh, did we mention how beautiful the place was?
Base point...where we started from.
Waterfall...there were waterfalls everywhere...
Another Berggasthaus along the way...
So nice...crystal clear sky
Our room...check out how fluffly these comforters are...
Hotel Obersteinberg - a true gem
We are happy!
Sweet Swiss...
Melinda on a bridge
Cool Rock...
Does it get much better than this?
Anyone up for a visit?
Famous bridge in Lucerene...
Old city wall...still in incredible shape
Nice views
Lake Lucerne
Old City Wall
Highland Cattle...
You've got to love these guys...Michael, do they have cows like this in Connecticut?
Charming Lucerne
View from our hike...
