Taking advantage of the Swiss back yard - Schynige Platte (July 2010)

In Canada, everybody dreamed of having a huge back yard.  Somewhere for the kids to play where they can enjoy the outdoors and possibly serve up a BBQ'd sausage.  Well, if that is the case, Switzerland has the uber back yard!

Approximately 2 hrs from Basel by car is the town of Interlaken. (translation - "between lakes").  This area in the Bernese Oberland is the extreme sports capital of Switzerland.  The Swiss refer to this region as "God's Garden".  Look for a future post about my paragliding experience in Interlaken!

The view up the valley towards Jungfrau and Lautenbrunnen

As you leave Interlaken towards the mountains, your first opportunity to gain altitude is Schynige Platte.  I was first introduced to this place as the destination for a weekend long hike with friends (First to Schynige Platte).  Since then, it is now a favorite place to introduce guests to the best Switzerland has to offer.  If you're lucky and hit it on a good day when the weather is perfect (like we did) it is the most stunning place in all of Switzerland

An example of the trails and trail signage.  To the right of the photo you can start to see the north face of the Eiger

The trail runs right along the cliff's edge overlooking the Lake of Brienz.  If you continue along the trail in this direction you join the trail to First

A high alpine meadow with the North face of the Eiger in plain view

Schynige Platte is the quintessential Swiss Alpine experience.  It has it all.  The old Cogwheel train, panoramic views of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau (three of Switzerland's most famous mountains), high alpine meadows, wild flowers and breathtaking views over the two lakes.

Well marked trails run in all directions allowing you to tailor the difficulty and length of each outing

A hike up here can be as easy or as demanding as you'd like.  Within 20 mins you can travel from the train station to the cliffs edge.

Perhaps not the most adrenaline filled adventure of my expat experiences here in Switzerland but Schynige Platte will always be a preferred destination for it's panoramic vistas and accessibility!  It is a must visit for anybody hoping to get that Swiss mountain experience.