Curator’s statement
The Alps run 750 miles through eight countries, with some 100 peaks above 13,000 feet. While the Swiss towns are nice, the Alps are spectacular. Over two glorious weeks, we became intimate with three areas featuring Matterhorn, the trio of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau, and Mont Blanc (a bonus from just across the border in France). Seeing the same mountain from different views was fascinating. With the efficient (though pricey) mountain trains and cable cars, access is easy for everyone, although the altitude may initially be tough for some. Here’s how we rank our mountain experiences, traveling to St. Moritz, Zermatt, Berner Oberland, and Chamonix.
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Our top 10 mountain experiences
No. 10: Plz Nair in St. Moritz
This was our first mountain top—with glimpses of the town, lakes, and marmots—which seemed really high at 10,000 feet. Shout-out to the fabulous Badrutt’s Palace, which generously gave us a pass, although we stayed only one night instead of two.
No. 9: Grindelwald-First, Berner Oberland
From Grindelwald, you take two slow, very scenic cable cars up 3.25 miles. Aside from the mountain views, First (7,110 feet) is designed for fun, with a “thrill walk” or suspension platform jutting from the mountain, and paid activities like gliders and flyers that quickly sell out.
There are numerous hikes from the top, the most popular being the 1.9-mile walk to Bachalpsee.
Beautiful Bachalpsee from Grindelwald First
No. 8: Männlichen in Wengen, Berner Oberland
This is an easy, short cable car ride from the center of Wengen to Männlichen (7,687 feet), providing fabulous views of not only Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, but also the splendid Lauterbrunnen valley. You can take the easy three-mile walk from Männlichen to Klein Scheidegg, facing Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau nearly the whole way.
No. 7: Schilthorn in Murren, Berner Oberland
This easy cable car from the delightful town of Murren packs up to 100 people at a time. You change cars at the Birg station. Schilthorn (9,744 feet) had perhaps the best views of the mountain range, especially Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, and more, all lined up at 360 degrees eye-level. The Birg thrill walk is really fun, with more variety than the one at First.
Schilthorn from Murren
No. 6: Eiger Trail, Berner Oberland
The 3.73-mile Eigergletscher to Alpiglen route is an exhilarating hike, all in the shadow of Eiger’s infamous North Face. (We thought this direction was preferable, as it was more downhill.)
Hiking in the shadow of Eiger's North Face
No. 5: Grindelwald-First to Schynige Platte, Berner Oberland
This demanding, 10-mile ridge walk is described by some as the best day hike in Switzerland. From First, you go past pretty Bachalpsee, then up to Faulhorn—the highest point at 8,800 feet (look for Lake Brienz below). Magnificent views came about 90 minutes before the Schynige Platte train station, with the snowy Alps framed by gnarled karst rock, lush meadows, and tall pines.
No. 4: Aiguille Du Midi in Chamonix, France
From Chamonix, you can see the needle of Aiguille du Midi (12,604 feet), along with the gentle bump of Mont Blanc and the Bossons Glacier cascading toward town. You take the cable car to Plan de l’Aiguille, change cars, then take an elevator to the summit for a magnificent 360-degree view of not just Swiss, but also French and Italian Alps, along with the Chamonix valley below.
From Plan de l’Aiguille, there’s a nice 3.6-mile hike to the Montenvers train under the mountains, mostly downhill.
Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix, France
No. 3: Kleine Matterhorn in Zermatt
This is the highest cable car station in Europe at 12,830 feet (just beating Aiguille du Midi in France by 136 feet), with breathtaking views of the Matterhorn and many other peaks. You have to change cars a couple of times, depending on how they’re operating. At the top, the Matterhorn was mostly shrouded while Breithorn (13,661 feet) was most prominent, with many hikers winding their way up. Breithorn is noted as the “easiest” Alp to summit at just 2.5 hours. Some say the Gornergrat train in Zermatt has the best views of the Matterhorn, as well as 29 of the 13,000-plus peaks in Switzerland. Unfortunately, it was too cloudy the day I went up.
The Matterhorn
No. 2: Jungfraujoch, Berner Oberland
The “Top of Europe” gets some bad press for being over-commercialized, but we thought it was splendid (just ignore the shops at the end). No other summit allowed us to interact with the pristine glacier and snow like this. The train station, on the saddle between Mönch and Jungfrau, is the highest in Europe at 11,334 feet. The best experience is to trek 1.25 miles across the Aletsch glacier to Monchsjoch, the highest occupied hut in Switzerland at 11,975 feet.
Jungfrau
No. 1 Alpine mountain experience: Panoramic cable car to Helbronner, Italy, from Chamonix, France
We were enthralled by the views at Aiguille Du Midi (No. 4). But when we boarded the Panoramic Mont Blanc cable car, we were in awe. The slow three-mile ride through the Mont Blanc massif goes over the Geant and du Tacul Glaciers in the White Valley, with views of Swiss, French, and Italian Alps. We couldn’t crane our necks quickly enough to absorb the stupendous beauty of the untouched snow, blue ice, deep crevasses, jagged cliffs, and soaring peaks. The cable car ends at the Helbronner station, where a doorway serves as the border between Italy and France. Mont Blanc is featured front and center, and the town of Courmayeur, Italy, is far below (you can take the rotating gondola down). This amazing journey near the end of our travels was indisputably the top highlight of all our Alpine mountain adventures.
Mont Blanc from the Helbronner station
Highlight of our Alps: cable car from Chamonix, France, to Helbronner, Italy
Need to know
Due to unpredictable/fickle weather, give yourself ample time in each location to enjoy the peaks. During our three nights in Zermatt, the Matterhorn was clearly visible for only about five hours.
Check the various Swiss passes to figure out which will be most cost-effective for your plans, including trains and cable cars. Some hotels will also offer packages with passes.
For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Europe page.
Travel Advisor
Mei-Mei Kirk
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