Switzerland: a country known for its idyllic landscapes. From the Alps to the glaciers to the valleys; its beauty extends in all directions.

Photographer and Videographer, Zach Fackrell, was privileged to spend three days in the country in the midst of a 6 week backpacking trip from Italy to Finland. His father lived there for a brief time in his life, and Zach wanted to see some of the places he had always been told about.  He climbed mountains and stood on peaks, only to descend through the clouds for swims in the lake. He was sure to try infamous chocolate as well! His was a holistic Swiss experience.

Read journal-style narratives of Zach’s trip, below.

Day 1

We arrived in Switzerland from Italy around 5pm. The winding train ride took us through the towering mountains and dense green forests. Waterfalls pouring out from the hills opened up to wide green pastures with tiny houses in the distance. I’ll never forget the final turn as we arrived in the popular town Interlaken: we looked out the window to see the perfect blue-green water of Lake Thun.

Switzerland-Zach-Fackrell

Zach-Fackrell-Switzerland

Some people we met in the train station recommended a place to grab some food. We bought sandwich meat for dinner then took a bus over to the lake. Once we got there, we hiked through the forest and down a hill, past a little cottage. We climbed down rocks into a little cove and laid out our camping mats and bags. We went for a little dip in the water; it was freezing but so much fun. We dried off, ate our dinner, and watched the sun set into the Alps.

Switzerland-Zach-Fackrell

Switzerland-Zach-Fackrell

Day 2

We woke up and walked around Interlaken, then decided to climb Hader Kulm, a mountain that overlooks the two lakes of the city. We made sure to buy some chocolate from the Swiss chocolate chalet before the hike; it was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Instead of sticking to the marked trail, we walked along the rails of the mountain tram. When we reached the very top, we stood on an observation deck, which stretched out above the trees. Dusk started to settle in and we watched another beautiful sunset.

Switzerland-Zach-Fackrell

Switzerland-Zach-Fackrell

Switzerland-Zach-Fackrell

Day 3

We traveled to the city of Mürren, where we planned to climb yet another mountain to marvel at the views below. Upon our arrival, however, we learned that it was a 5-hour hike to the top and, because of the time, we’d likely miss the last tram down. We decided that wasn’t reason enough to forgo our plan; James Bond “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” was filmed up there, and we had heard about a restaurant at the peak that spun around 360 degrees so that you could see all views of the surrounding mountains.

Switzerland-Zach-Fackrell

Switzerland-Zach-Fackrell

It was well worth it: at the top, we were treated to the most amazing view of the Alps. It was breathtaking. We took tons of pictures, danced around, and walked right to the edge of the mountains. We were lucky in that we were able to catch the last tram down; it traveled right through the clouds. Amazing!

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