By Stephanie Paluda
Being cost-conscious and striving to take many once-in-a-lifetime vacations, my travel destinations are usually chosen based on cheap flights that often get me and my husband there in shoulder season. Shoulder season is defined as the time between peak and off-season. It often means a time when the weather can be less than ideal, and for this trip to Switzerland in May 2024, it was definitely shoulder season.
We began our journey by flying into Geneva, Switzerland, and renting a vehicle. As we started the drive, we quickly, and without more than a simple road sign, crossed into France. Because both countries are in the Schengen Area, no border control or documentation is required to pass through. While Switzerland is a member of the Schengen Area, it is not a member of the European Union, meaning we had to pack Swiss francs instead of euros as currency.
One of our favorite things about trips like these is not planning out every hour or detail and allowing ourselves to have the adventure of seeing where we end up. Our first breakfast stop reminded us why we do this. We ended up stopping in Chamonix, France, on our way to Zermatt, Switzerland. We walked into town not knowing what to expect or a word of French and ended up having the loveliest coffee with the best views. Once we saw the milky blue waters with the mountains in the background, we knew we were in for quite the trip.
Zermatt is an idyllic Swiss mountain town that is car-free and can only be reached by train at the foot of the world’s most photographed mountain, the Matterhorn. We parked our car at the local train station and set off on the train to Zermatt.
Knowing we only had two full days to enjoy Zermatt, we left for a hike. For these trips, I do a lot of research using social media, various websites and travel guides that I rent from the library. Being that this was only our third European trip, I was worried about closures due to shoulder season. I was right to be worried because as soon as we got to our first destination, a 15-minute walk from town, the Gorner Gorge was closed for the season. (Something to note here is that Switzerland has four official languages: French, German, Italian and Romansch.)
As we reached the gate of the gorge, we could see in five different languages, English included, that it was closed for the season. We debated how a trail could really be closed, weighed the risks, and decided to carry on anyway.
Winding down into the gorge, we followed the trail on wooden walkways. We had great views of turquoise pools, and it was the beginning of a trail system that worked its way through various routes leading deeper into the mountains.
As we walked through the lush forests and out into the open hills, we were lucky enough to see a few squirrels, marmots, ibex, snails and slugs. We ended up hiking more than four miles in the rain. I look at this hike as a pivotal moment for us and one that really defines how travel can be such a great learning tool and reminder for making the most of every situation. Due to the rain, we never got more than a 15-second fogless view of the Matterhorn, but that hike and never really knowing what was around each turn was worth so much more.
Before we knew it, our two nights in Zermatt came to an end, and we took the local train back to the station to grab our rental car and set off to our next destination. I remember looking at Google Maps and seeing two ways to get from Zermatt to our Airbnb in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. One route was significantly longer, so we opted for the shorter one.
As we blindly followed the GPS, it took us to what looked like a tunnel. As we started inching our way to the gate, we realized we were actually going to drive onto a car train. We drove our vehicle onto a train and stayed in the car in park, while the train took us literally through the mountain. After about 10 minutes riding in the pitch black, we were through the tunnel and able to drive our vehicle off the train. We kept going until we reached our next destination, where we spent the next four nights. Upon arrival, we were happy to learn we were only a 10-minute walk by trail to the town center that boasts 72 waterfalls and more cows than residents.
We did so much in our four days in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, but I want to tell you about a hike we will never forget. We took a cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Schilthorn, Piz Gloria. We took multiple cars to reach an elevation of 9,744 feet, which was our first stop for the day. We dressed in many layers, knowing the day would take us from the top of the mountain back down to the valley below. This mountain is famous for being the location of one of the James Bond movies, but for us, it was breathtaking to see the snowcapped mountains and have them be so accessible.
After some time at the top, we started our descent back down the mountain. After taking a cable car down to the next mountain town, we decided to stop and enjoy lunch with a view in Mürren.
This was another situation where we started our hike and encountered signs saying the trail was closed, but we decided to carry on anyway. We hiked five miles downhill, taking us through Gimmelwald to get back to Stechelberg in the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
This trail was truly one magical hike. Hiking seems to be a way of life, and trails are woven into every street and farm and are everywhere you look. As we made our way down the mountain, the views were unbelievable, but there was another special aspect we never expected. We are all familiar with the magic of Disney movies, and it is rare to find that same magic in real life. Switzerland, however, has whimsical and dreamlike magic around every twist and turn.
As we were making our way down the trail, we began to encounter multiple cats. Having two cats of our own, we are most definitely cat lovers and get excited on any trip when we encounter them. This time was different, though. As we hiked through farms and towns, it began to feel as if we were being guided along each stretch by a different cat. They would walk with us for a while until they hit the edge of their home range, and then we would continue on only to be greeted by another cat that would guide us along a stretch of the trail. We know it is not the case, but it really felt like Switzerland has a large network of trained tour guide cats to help you along your way.
As we were being guided down the mountain by our feline friends, we had the opportunity to pop into a local barn and purchase homemade elderberry syrup and stop at a porch and leave money for the espresso we took. Since these trails often wind right through people’s properties, you are never far from what you need, and they make such comfortable rest stops along the way.
If you are anything like me, nearly every hour at home is booked out with work and personal obligations, so part of the fun of vacation is having a general idea of what we want to do but leaving room for the fun to find us. This trip was no exception.
After a long day of hiking, we went back to the Airbnb. While my husband was cooking dinner, I was scrolling on social media. Thanks to geofencing and the algorithms, I always find the best local content when I am in the country. I was on Instagram and saw an ad pop up for the Annual Cheese Festival in Gruyères, Switzerland. Naturally, I thought there was no way this was real, close to us or this weekend. Boy, was I wrong—it turns out it was the following day and only a 90-minute drive.
We woke up early the next morning to make sure we arrived right when the festival started. We parked in the parking lot and hiked our way up to this fully enclosed, preserved medieval town in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. This yearly festival celebrates the famous cheese, Gruyère, and is a daylong festival filled with cheese, vendors and traditional performances.
The first booth we stopped at gave us an individually wrapped piece of Gruyère, and we were off. Walking through the cobblestone streets, this is what exploring means to us: having open minds and the spirit to wander into the unknown and see what happens. We were able to explore the small town, learning more about the 13th century castle and even spending some time in the H.R. Giger Museum, one of the designers of the film “Alien.”
After visiting the many cheese and local craft vendors, we decided to take a seat with a view and enjoy some local wine. Much to our surprise, that is when the traditional music started below us. If you have any image in your mind of what Switzerland is like, I hope it is this one; traditional garb and the long alpine horns. This musical event was all we could have hoped for and more. We felt lucky to be able to be in the right place at the right time and get a taste of Gruyère and so much more.
We were six nights into our trip when we set off for our last Airbnb in Cully, Switzerland. Our knees were weary, and it was raining hard, so this is where our concept of what we call French Switzerland was born. We were staying in an apartment that was surrounded by vineyards and a lake, and the host was gracious enough to include several bottles of his wine for purchase in the house.
We were trying to plan out how we were going to spend our last two days in Switzerland when we finally admitted to ourselves that we were tired and allowed ourselves to actually rest on vacation. We spent two glorious days in our bed that also served as a couch, watching Netflix movies, drinking copious amounts of espresso and wine and paying entirely too many Swiss francs for delivery Thai food. We only ventured out to go to the grocery store to grab some baguettes, cheese and pre-made meals, and we soaked it up.
With no guilt and no pressure, the concept of French Switzerland was born. To this day, when we are in need of rest, we deploy this concept. No pressure to adventure, cook or create; we just relax, watch movies and enjoy a slow weekend resting and recharging.
Switzerland is beyond picturesque, and there is so much to do and see. I highly recommend to anyone who can take a trip there to take in the natural beauty and wonders. Traveling, to me, is about the lessons and memories that carry on with me for a lifetime.
Switzerland will always remind me there is so much beauty and fun in the journey and the unplanned and that rest can be a vacation as well.
