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Off The Rail: Europe By Train
Story and Photos by Christian Nophsker
Collegian Travel & Adventure Magazine
Spring/Summer 2004 |
| Spotlight Destination: Interlaken, Switzerland |
| If you are looking to escape the bustle of the cities and get some scenic outdoor R&R, then set your sights on Interlaken, Switzerland. Interlaken was one of the original alpine resort towns in Switzerland once known for it's elegant grand hotels. Today it's best known for alpine adventures. Below are some of the most popular activities you can get into. |
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Whitewater Rafting
Water running directly off the glaciers makes for a very cool ride on the mountain rivers of the Lauterbrunnen Valley - continuous rapids and great scenery!
Canyoning
This is pure adrenaline featuring high rappels, huge waterslides and spectacular cliff jumps.
Bungy
Take the 450' plunge off of a gondola surrounded by spectacular alpine peaks.
Take to the Sky
You can choose from tandem skydiving, paragliding, and tandem hang gliding.
Moonwalking
No, not the Michael Jackson dance. It's a mix of high alpine trekking with climbing and caving. |
In addition to these adrenaline-pumping activities, there is always climbing, biking, and hiking. All of these activities are offered through many outfitters based in Interlaken. I would recommend Alpinraft (www.alpinraft.com) and Outdoor Interlaken (www.outdoor-interlaken.ch). I went canyoning and rafting with these guys and they rocked! They can also help you with locating a nearby hostel to stay in. After getting a healthy dose of some of these adventure sports, I would advise getting out of Interlaken and head south into the mountains of the Jungfrau Region. From the Interlaken Ost (east) train station (stock up on supplies at the store across the street before leaving), you can jump on a private train and head into the Lauterbrunnen Valley (less than 30 minutes by train or car). There are many classic hillside villages that lie in the shadows of some of Europe's most spectacular peaks; Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau. Now this is Switzerland.
Take your pick of pensions or hostels in Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald or the spectacular car-less villages of Murren and Gimmelwald. Hiking is the activity of choice here. Take the series of gondola rides (Schilthornbahn) from the Lauterbrunnen Valley floor to the 10,000' peak of the Schilthorn. This peak is famous for the revolving restaurant, Piz Gloria that was actually built for the James Bond film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Enjoy a martini (shaken, of course) as you take in the 360û views of the Swiss Alps. If you like a great hike, skip the gondola and hike down from the peak. You will be high above the tree line on some spectacular trails. Bring a towel because you'll need to constantly be wiping the drool off your face as you gaze across the valley at the majestic mountain tops. This is what Switzerland is all about. |
Planning Your Adventure By Train
RailEurope
www.raileurope.com
RailEurope allows you to book all types of European travel products such as rail passes, tickets and flights, hotels and car rentals. Eurail passes, Euro passes, Single country passes, Point to Point Tickets, Rail 'n Drive passes, Night trains, Special trains, High Speed trains, TGV, Eurostar, Thalys, and more are all bookable online. RailEurope also features online train schedules making it easy for you to research and plan your itineraries. |
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