Lucy Fuggle Lucy Fuggle

Switzerland

What to do in Meiringen in winter (Swiss life, the snowy edition)

Meiringen – known for its meringues, Sherlock Holmes fame, and being just half an hour from Interlaken – is perhaps at its best in summer, especially if you want to climb, hike, bike… or just sun yourself with a view of the mountains. But it’s Switzerland, and the Hasliberg ski resort is here, so there’s always something to do in winter on good weather days. Here are some outdoor favourites.

Wandering the Swiss moors at Chaltenbrunnen

The hiking season has pretty much come to a close here in Switzerland, but I wanted to fit in one or two more day hikes before embracing the colder weather and spending more time inside. Although the list of unfinished Via Alpina stages on my fridge has been taunting me, most of those hikes are pretty steep – and at altitude (where I can see snow). So I decided to stay a bit closer to ground level and to home, opting for Chaltenbrunnen (or the Hochmoor oderhalb Meiringen).

Living and hiking the literary heritage of Tolkien

The landscape is awe-inspiring here and, of course, more so as you venture up. The literary heritage that the Swiss Alps have acquired is not really a surprise – beautiful landscapes produce beautiful art. Being such a bookish person, it’s probably also expected that as I learn more about the echoes of my surroundings in literature, I love the mountains here that little bit more.