The Bernese Oberland – the reason why I fell in love with Switzerland in the first place

Switzerland won my heart over in January 2005, on a trip we planned at the last minute for the long weekend of Three Kings Day (I was working in Italy, where we actually got the day off of work for it). My husband and I were both tired and stressed, but we managed to find a good hotel deal in Interlaken, so with little additional research we hopped on a train.

We spent the next four days in a snowy, Alpy wonderland that filled us with absolute joy just to be there. We bought regional transportation passes and spent the entire time exploring the cluster of tiny Alpine villages known as the Bernese Oberland. We traveled on cog-wheel trains, gondolas, and funiculars to the little towns, admiring the views and rejoicing in the snow. We ate fondue in adorable, rustic taverns, and drank beer in flimsy, busy tepee ski bars. We trudged around in our winter clothing that hadn’t been used in a long, long time. The trip was dubbed “best vacation ever” about 30 minutes after arriving, and held true to that title the entire time we were there.

Since moving to Switzerland, we have been back to the Bernese Oberland several times, but really not enough given how much we love it. I suppose everything loses a little bit of appeal when it becomes more accessible. Nonetheless, I couldn’t be more thrilled that we are spending the next week there, in an apartment we rented with some friends and my brother. Given how much snow Switzerland has gotten in the past couple days, I’m downright giddy for this trip to begin. It’s all I can do to not shriek with joy and dance around like a maniac. See you in a week!