Lauterbrunnen

This wondrous valley boasts 72 waterfalls and with as much rain as was falling, I think we may have seen all of them! We arrived at the Hotel Staubbach in the afternoon and after checking in, ventured over to Staubbach Falls.  The trail beside it was steep but at the end we were rewarded with stunning views of the valley framed with rock archways.

Read more about Lauterbrunnen from Rick Steves

Throughout the town there were charming cafes and vibrant flower boxes.

We found a restaurant called Base Cafe which served velvety Käse Fondue and had multiple photos of base jumpers on their walls.  Lauterbrunnen is a famous and favorite location for this activity. We were content with hiking and did not partake in that activity. As we meandered back to our hotel,  we enjoyed a chorus of church bells from the Kirche Lauterbrunnen!

Mürren

The next day was rainy as well, but we braved the weather and found our way up to Mürren via gondola and train in perfect sync with each other!  The timing  was like a Swiss watch!  Although one of our fellow travelers at the top warned us to "Go back" because of the sideways rain, we decided to hide out in a restaurant with hot chocolates and a stormy view. As we watched the valley, more waterfalls emerged and clouds shifted and lifted, revealing glimpses of snowy peaks, green patches on cliffs and ski lifts! The rain didn't slow too much, but instead turned into snow for a time! The white dots below are snowflakes!

Lauterbrunnen Valley

We took another gondola down into the valley again and headed to Trümmelbach Falls, a 10 chute waterfall that carves through rock. While we indulged in some wine and peach cobbler served at a lovely cafe called Lauterbrunn Restaurant just outside the falls, some of our fellow Tour Buddies stopped by, soaking wet from the falls! The rain increased the volume of water so much that it was wetter inside the cave than outside!

I have been to Trümmelbach Fälle 4 times now and this was by far the most raucous and wet time I've experienced! There was water running down the stairs, dripping down the walls, and splashing up from the chutes!  Even using umbrellas didn't keep us dry!

Chute 10

Wengen

The next day we took the train up the opposite side of the valley and visited Wengen, Allmend, and Kleine Scheidegg. The train ride dropped us in Wengen, and from there we hiked up to Allmend where we caught the train to Kleine Scheidegg. We stayed there for gulash and wine then headed back down to Lauterbrunnen.

The main trail was paved but we also explored an unpaved one for a while that wandered through a forested area. It was serene and fresh with the melody of cow bells in the distance.

Views from Allmend.

At Kleine Scheidegg there was snow and wind, so we found refuge in a restaurant on top with cozy seating and warm food. It was a perfect respite.

Every turn of our train travel back to Lauterbrunnen showcased the sheer cliff walls and misty cascading waterfalls of this magical valley.

After reaching the Lauterbrunnen train station, we explored a bridge close by and then walked along the river on the valley floor, enjoying the water and the flowers and the trees.

Beautiful Staubbach Falls

We made our way back to the hotel for a Happy Hour Happy Birthday celebration for several of our tour buddies and our bus driver! What a wonderful group of humans we had the privilege to meet and travel with for this tour! It was fun to run into these friendly faces around town as well as spending time together on the bus!

Our last morning in Lauterbrunnen, the clouds cleared to open a stunning view for our breakfast.