Bernese Alps (Summer)

This is Switzerland’s most easily accessible and popular Alpine region, and it offers a paradise for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. The scenery is spectacular, with up-close views of massive granite peaks and glaciers. A short train ride from Bern is the lively tourist hub of Interlaken, the gateway to the Jungfrau region, where the mountain resorts of Grindelwald, Lauterbrünnen, Wengen and Mürren draw hordes of tourists. This is ground zero for extreme sports, including parasailing, rafting, climbing, windsurfing and much more. You can take the train all the way up to the Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest railway ...

This is Switzerland’s most easily accessible and popular Alpine region, and it offers a paradise for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. The scenery is spectacular, with up-close views of massive granite peaks and glaciers. A short train ride from Bern is the lively tourist hub of Interlaken, the gateway to the Jungfrau region, where the mountain resorts of Grindelwald, Lauterbrünnen, Wengen and Mürren draw hordes of tourists. This is ground zero for extreme sports, including parasailing, rafting, climbing, windsurfing and much more. You can take the train all the way up to the Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest railway station, with an awesome view of the Aletsch Glacier, but it’s only worth the high price on clear days. Near Interlaken are the Ballenberg Museum, a showcase of Swiss architecture and culture, and the Reichenbach Falls, where Sherlock Holmes grappled with his nemesis. In the Saanenland, the mountains are a bit less extravagant than those of the Jungfrau region, but opportunities for summer fun are equally plentiful, and the crowds are a bit smaller. Here are the ritzy enclave of Gstaad, and Chateau d’Oex with its hot-air balloons.

About the Expert

Charlie Morris is the author of the Open Road guidebooks Best of Honduras, Best of Costa Rica, Best of Belize, and Switzerland Guide.