Throughout Switzerland, Leah and I visited many picturesque mountain towns, including two very special places - Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald. We spent much of our trip in Switzerland’s Interlaken area, between the emerald-colored waters of Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. All of the lakes we visited in Switzerland were crystal clear blue and deep emerald colors. They almost didn’t seem real.
We began our tour of the Alps by enjoying the beauty of the farmland and grasslands that surround them. From here at the bottom, the mountains are magnificent. Hiking the Alps, though, is how they are truly appreciated. While many scenic places are only accessible by cable cars, Augstmatthorn was not one of them. It was a tough and steep climb up to the summit, and we loved it. Our hike began below soft white clouds and ended high above them on a stunning ridge. We had been told to look for the lake on the other side of the mountain, but the layers of clouds blocked our view. We were not disappointed. We were enthralled with the view we had.