You can read more about my previous visits to Grindelwald, Requewihr and Frankfurt here.
The wedding and party was such a wonderful experience. I will post about it later when I get better photos. During that time, my husband and I and the groom’s parents and their relatives stayed in a family-owned hotel in a nearby little town called Hardegsen. Neither the New York Times traveling section nor Rick Steeves have been there. After the wedding, my husband and I drove south to a town on the Rhine river called Breisach. Breisach is in the upper Black Forest across from Alsace Lorraine. It was just right to overnight there and continue to Grindelwald the following day. Breisach is a small historical town, perfect for any history buff. The way to Grindelwald is beautiful, but driving through Basel with a car is always a challenge, with too many tunnels and always some construction going on. We were happy when we reached Grindelwald, our destination. Our little apartment at the Kirchbühl was waiting for us and Frau Brawand, the owner, gave us a warm welcome. We settled in for our six days in Switzerland. The first day, we took the cable car to First, a mountain top with gorgeous views and a popular hiking area to a lake called Bachalpsee. There is also a thrilling cliff walk that is spectacular. Leave it to the clever Swiss to build something like this. Another day we took the cable car to the Pfingstegg, a 10-minute cable ride up the Wetterhorn with great hikes offering unique views of Grindelwald and the glacier. There is a playground for children and a summer toboggan run. Grindelwald is the perfect spot for a family vacation. Everybody will forget about their devices and games when they are in the high alpine country. The Swiss introduce their children to hiking in the high country at an early age, just like the French teach their children to enjoy good food. We also took our favorite cable ride from Grund to the Männlichen. Sitting in the gondola, you feel like flying above the tree tops and cow pastures with gorgeous views around you. This is something that will take your breath away. Once you reach Männlichen, you have a great place to eat and drink and a fun playground for young children. My man and I had tea and waited for the clouds to disappear before we began our walk to the Kleine Scheidegg, my favorite hike in the Swiss alps. The wildflowers had started to bloom and I was in heaven. As we got to the end of the walk, the Eigner north wall popped up between the clouds, while in the valley below was Grindelwald. Once we reached the Kleine Scheidegg, there is a train junction for the Jungfraujoch. We took the train back to Grindelwald, although there is a spectacular hike around the Eigner, but we were too pooped. But before we took the train back, I had a piece of delicious apricot tart at the old Hotel Bellevue. My husband, bless his heart, ran the Jungfrau marathon twice in past years, which starts in Interlaken and ends at the Kleine Scheidegg. My husband and I both had some sort of stomach virus. Thank God it was only for a couple of days. So we had very little to eat during that time. We left Grindelwald and drove to Riquewihr in Alsace Lorraine in France. This is a very touristy but cute little town. I did a little shopping by buying some linen that was spun nearby. This time, we had a great meal at a Grape D’Or . The food was great but the poor waitresses had far too many tables to serve. It was impossible to take care of that many people. I know, because I was a waitress when I was a student. From Riquewihr, we dropped our car off in Frankfurt, Germany. In Frankfurt, we enjoyed a river cruise on the Main River. I also bought tea and some German spices. When in Frankfurt, I always go to the Freßgass (little street to “gorge”). This street is commonly regarded as Frankfurt’s culinary main street. I always buy something at Ebert Feinkost, a butcher shop that has great take-out food that you can eat outside on benches. The Grüne sauce is fantastic. I also went to the Kleine Markthalle, where you can have the best Frankfurter Würstchen (German hot dogs). I would have loved to stay a little longer but it was time to go home.
You can read more about my previous visits to Grindelwald, Requewihr and Frankfurt here.
20 Comments
7/15/2016 12:57:17 pm
What a wonderful travellgue, Gerlinde! Thanks for taking us along with you. Places that are both fascinating and beautiful... such views! Your accommodations looked really nice too.
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Gerlinde
7/18/2016 10:45:51 am
Teagan, you are so sweet. We had a little not fancy apartment but the view was unsurpassed. Hugs my friend !
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7/16/2016 06:09:04 am
Wow, what a wonderful trip Gerlinde! Sounds like you had a wonderful time with family and at the wedding. Your photos are just beautiful. They take me back to the time Tom and I went on our European trip! I would love to get back sometime soon! Enjoy your weekend!
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Gerlinde
7/18/2016 10:47:12 am
Thanks Mary Ann, if you ever decide to go let me know and I will help you.
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7/16/2016 03:08:59 pm
A splendid post Gerlinde! Your words and images transport us to another place. And a mighty fine place too! It's wonderful you had a great time with family and friends. A summer to remember!
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Gerlinde
7/18/2016 10:48:10 am
It was indeed a trip to remember my friend.
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7/17/2016 09:45:05 am
What a great trip and wonderful photos. I'm glad you got over the stomach bug quickly - it's always extra sad on holiday!
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Gerlinde
7/18/2016 10:50:02 am
My husband had it worse than I did, I was worried that I had to drive all the way back from Switzerland. He recovered just in time for the driving.
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Ohhh, what a fabulous post, with photographs that are so beautiful they're almost unbelievable. My guy and I have been to Zurich and Lucerne several times, but I think we'd like to explore where you went to Switzerland. Is the hiking arduous? I had to laugh at the hat one of the women was wearing when you took her picture. Tufts University is near us; both my husband and son graduated from there! It's a small, small world (I think someone sang that once). :-)
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Gerlinde
7/20/2016 10:37:56 am
Pam, the hiking is not arduous, only if you are my husband and climb the mountains. The fun part is, that you can take a cable car up the mountain, have a tea, enjoy the view and if you want to, take a tiny little hike or stroll on a trail for a couple of hours to another place with restaurants and a train that will take you down the mountains. That's why I like going there. The girls with the Tuft hat were nice and I hope they met up with the cute Italian hikers at the hut. You never know!
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7/18/2016 02:34:09 pm
Wow Gerlinde. I've always dreamed it would be that beautiful but these photos show that it exceeds my expectations. You have a terrific eye and thank you so much for sharing it with me. Breathtaking at every turn!!!
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Gerlinde
7/20/2016 10:47:24 am
Tricia, you are so sweet. I am a very slow learner when it comes to photography but I am starting to enjoy it.
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KathrynR @ anotherfoodieblogger
7/20/2016 10:18:05 am
Wow, those views are just AMAZING! And your photography shows the beauty of the land just perfectly. xoxo
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Gerlinde
7/20/2016 10:44:41 am
Thanks Kathryn, this is one of my favorite spots in the world.
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7/23/2016 08:51:35 am
So enjoyed your photos, you were really lucky with the sun breaking through the clouds at just the right time. There is no way I would take that "thrilling cliff walk", I would freak out and probably die right on the spot. :D
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Gerlinde
7/23/2016 02:59:10 pm
What I love about Switzerland that you don't have to take the thrilling cliff walk . You can take the cable car to the restaurant , enjoy the view and some food and have a good time. That's pretty much what we did the day my husband didn't feel good.
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8/1/2016 02:36:27 am
Oh my! The views from The Hotel Kirchbühl and your appartment!
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Gerlinde Debroekert
8/1/2016 12:22:06 pm
They are spectacular !
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8/19/2018 04:48:23 am
All I can say is wow! As we were reading your post the first photo was gorgeous and then the next and the next one all like beautiful post cards. What an amazing experience.
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Gerlinde
9/23/2019 09:55:17 am
Thanks Bobbie, I would love to go again.
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