Throwback Thursday: Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

Switzerland is hands-down the most beautiful place I've ever been. I was lucky enough to hear about the little hamlet of Lauterbrunnen, a short drive/train ride from Interlaken in the center of Switzerland, and had to investigate for myself.
Lauterbrunnen is nestled between mountains, surrounded by waterfalls reminiscent of Rivendell. Everything seems to move in slow motion. You breathe in and the air feels completely pure and surreal.

A common roadblock in Switzerland!

Switzerland is not very friendly to a backpacker's budget so I recommend going in the off season. It still feels as though you have the land to yourself and even in October/November it is magical.

The locals had a thing or two to say.

Down the road from Lauterbrunnen is a cable car rising to Schilthorn mountain, where you can experience the most surreal 360 degree view of the Swiss Alps. Absolutely breathtaking!

I loved how safe Switzerland was. It is the only place I've ever tried hitchhiking :) Also, they would apologize if the trains were even a minute late (unlike Italy which would frequently be 45 minutes late for no reason).

If you feel so inclined, there are a number of hiking trails leading up the smaller mountains around Lauterbrunnen. I highly recommend checking out the quaint villages in the hills. I can't imagine living in a place with views like this.

Have you stumbled upon any wonderful places lately?

What did you like about them? I'd love to hear about it.

Did you enjoy Switzerland as much as I did?