Hiking - Lauterbrunnen

 We started our morning with a lovely German breakfast on the floor above our room. Over coffee, we chatted briefly with Matthias and learned more about the history of the house. The building has 29 rooms and nine staircases. Matthias and Claudia bought the house in 2000 after it had sat vacant for nearly 30 years.

Looking through their book on the history of the house, we were amazed by their dedication. They had recorded the countless hours spent restoring it. Their creativity and attention to detail shine through everywhere—it truly feels like stepping into another century.

The house’s story is fascinating:

• 1341 – Built by cloisters, served as a tax house
• 1643 – Burned during the Thirty Years’ War
• 1689 – Burned again in another conflict
• 1698 – Rebuilt
• 1744 – Became a private residence
• 1870 – Owned by the Catholic Church, home to an associate pastor
• 1956 – Purchased by the city, used for social services
• 1988 – Vacant
• 2001 – Restored once more as a private residence by Matthias & Claudia

From there, we continued our travels and arrived at our next Airbnb in Iseltwald. It couldn’t be more different—modern, clean, and attached to a house, though thankfully with our own bathroom (a must when we travel!). Best of all, it sits above Interlaken and overlooks Lake Brienz. The view is absolutely stunning—I can hardly imagine waking up to that every day. We’ll be soaking in every minute of it while we’re here.

Since it was still late afternoon, we drove to Lauterbrunnen. We parked by the church and walked to Staubach Falls. The town is very touristy, but with good reason: the dramatic mountain peaks tower above, while the picture-perfect Swiss chalets nestle below. I felt giddy finally standing in the Jungfrau region after years of admiring photos and videos.

The trail to Staubach Falls only climbs partway, leading to a small opening where you can peer through the mist of the water. From there, we followed the paved path down toward Trümmelbach Falls, but we had arrived after closing, so we missed that.

It was our first hike of the trip—4 miles, the beginning of our journey. On our way back, we stopped at Hotel Christina in Wilderswil. A local beer was the perfect refreshment. Scotty ordered spaghetti carbonara, while I had rösti. Both were delicious and so simple—it makes me wonder why we don’t make them at home more often.