SketchTravel Switzerland 2022

December 23, 2022

Trains and trams
Arriving in Lauterbrunnen
Although much of our time traveling this trip was in Italy and Spain, Switzerland was our first destination. It could have easily been its own trip as we needed warmer clothes and heavier hiking boots, which we only used in Switzerland. 
It was an incredible sunny day when our train arrived in Lauterbrunnen. Nestled in a hanging valley with giant cliffs on all sides, the picturesque village was accented by the dramatic horsetail falls – Staubbach Falls – quite visible as we entered the village. It turned out to be very close to our lodging. (see it in the photo)

To Murren, Grindelwald, and Zermatt

It seemed crazy to go from Lauterbrunnen straight up the cliff on a tram, but that’s how we got to the higher train. That train of two passenger cars took us the short distance to Murren, where we took two trams up to the top of the mountains. It was a 360 degree view with a revolving restaurant on top, and famous for being used in an old James Bond movie.

At Grindlewald we took a small train up and deep into the mountains. We transferred from train to tram in Wengen, after having a hearty lunch of fried potatoes and sausages at a local town event celebrating the cows coming down the pastures with their milk. Quite a lively event. I loved seeing the green pastures rolling down from the woods, with the sound of cowbells and views of sturdy old wood houses with their massive overhanging roofs. It had turned rainy and wet, but not too cold. At the highest point we jumped off the tram to walk part of the way back down to the next tram station.

The weather in Zermatt did turn colder and rainy. There we again took the trams to different parts of the mountains with vast beautiful views of the Matterhorn and surrounding mountains. It was awesome to see the Matterhorn from the village as well. The rain and cold presented challenges for sketching, but I was usually able to find roof overhangs for a little protection when it was raining. When conditions don't allow for easy sketching, I pencil the main image in quickly, adding contrast and details later.

See the map below for the specific areas we were in.