Location: Switzerland

Interlaken

I visited Switzerland for the first time in August 2014 as part of Expat Explore's Taster Tour. We crossed the border from France and from the moment we first arrived on the coach the scenery was beautiful. We made our way to the town of Interlaken where we would stay for 2 nights in the hotel. Interlaken is located in central Switzerland in the mountains between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.

Shortly before arriving at Interlaken.

On the first evening we had a walk around the town where we saw a local band practising. Interlaken has a population of just over 5,600 and approx 25% of those are foreign nationals. You can really see the friendly community that they have with no real traffic light system and bicycles unlocked outside the local supermarket.

Jungfrau

The following day was a free day, though most of the group would join the optional excursion up to Jungfraujoch in the Alps. We took the Jungfrau railway, built in the early 20th century up to the summit.

Heading up into the mountains on the Jungfrau railway.

The train took around 2 hours stopping half a dozen times before reaching the top. Jungfraujoch is the highest railway station in Europe at 3,454 m (11,332 ft). We had the chance to try some sleds at the top as well as of course checking out the breathtaking views. The best thing about Switzerland is its diversity going from green grass to snow in just a few hours is certainly something you can't do in every country.

We made it back down the mountain on the train and in total this was pretty much a full day excursion(Around 7 hours approx). There are several other activities to consider while here such as:

• Paragliding
• Zip Line
• River Rafting
• Canyoning

Overall I really enjoyed my time here. I try to visit different places every time I travel, but I would definitely consider going here again.
You can check out my video from my time in Switzerland below.