Visiting Switzerland... Inexpensively
Our excitement built with every passing kilometer. After several hours of driving though the lower undulating terrain of the Alsace Department in France, the mighty Alps burst into view as we drove south across the French-German-Swiss tri-border. Almost a year since we last gazed upon them, we finally were heading back into the mountains and we couldn't have been any happier.
John Muir said it best, "the mountains are calling and I must go..."
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Switzerland and mountains are synonymous...and expensive ones at that. While the US Dollar to Swiss Franc was nearly one-to-one during our week-long stay, the baseline is generally on-par with that of New York or Washington, D.C.; everything is incredible expensive. Despite the high-cost of living (or visiting), we managed to be fairly frugal and efficient in our planning.
Every June, our church holds a summer retreat at the Seminar fur Biblische Theologie in Beatenburg, a small village located northwest of Interlaken on the side of a mountain. The seminary sits in a great location and is an overall cost-saver—the nightly rate included full board of three meals a day, a 1-day pass to the village’s heated indoor swimming pool, and a commanding view of the Jungfrau—the 30th highest peak in Switzerland that soared over 10,000 feet from the valley floor to a height of 13,642 feet. 
During our week-long stay, we were blessed to sit under the instruction of Dr. Richard Gamble, Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, who taught on John Calvin--his life, his theology and his impact on the Reformation and the city of Geneva.
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Amidst our academic instruction, we were afforded plenty of time and opportunities to explore this corner of Switzerland. Immediately out the north side of the Seminary were miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. A large group hiked and climbed to an outcropping, which overlooked Beatenberg and the Thurnersee, one of the two lakes bordering Interlaken.
Wednesday was a designed non-academic day allowing the us to more thoroughly explore the region. In the morning we explored the St. Beatus Caves, followed by an afternoon of swimming at a lakeside pool in Bonigen. Two pools coupled with swimming in the lake made for an extremely enjoyable way to close out the afternoon, even with the lake water being extremely cold!
Following dinner, our host village of Beatenberg held its annual traditional music festival. In front of their village "town hall," yodelers, alphorns and dance groups held everyone's attention as they presented an amazing piece of Swiss culture.
At the conclusion of the retreat, we opted to stay an additional night at the Seminary enabling us to explore the iconic Lauterbrunnen Valley Friday afternoon. Describing the Lauterbrunnen in words is a challenge; next to the Matterhorn, it may be the most photographed location in Switzerland. From the valley floor, a train works its way up to an altitude of over 11,000 feet where (in good weather) you can view the surrounding area and even go out for walks on the glaciers adorning the Jungfrau. Numerous waterfalls fed by melting snowpack line the valley and several gondolas wisk tourists up the slopes for hiking, bike riding and other explorations of the Swiss countryside.
For more information on the Jungfrau region, Rick Steves produced an entire episode dedicated to it. After departing the Seminary, we returned home by way of Lucerne. Lucerne is one of my favorite cities and features a world-famous 14th Century covered bridge as well as the Lion Monument dedicated to fallen Swiss soldiers.
We're anxious to get back to Switzerland in a few short six months to continue exploring.
Wednesday was a designed non-academic day allowing the us to more thoroughly explore the region. In the morning we explored the St. Beatus Caves, followed by an afternoon of swimming at a lakeside pool in Bonigen. Two pools coupled with swimming in the lake made for an extremely enjoyable way to close out the afternoon, even with the lake water being extremely cold!
Following dinner, our host village of Beatenberg held its annual traditional music festival. In front of their village "town hall," yodelers, alphorns and dance groups held everyone's attention as they presented an amazing piece of Swiss culture.
At the conclusion of the retreat, we opted to stay an additional night at the Seminary enabling us to explore the iconic Lauterbrunnen Valley Friday afternoon. Describing the Lauterbrunnen in words is a challenge; next to the Matterhorn, it may be the most photographed location in Switzerland. From the valley floor, a train works its way up to an altitude of over 11,000 feet where (in good weather) you can view the surrounding area and even go out for walks on the glaciers adorning the Jungfrau. Numerous waterfalls fed by melting snowpack line the valley and several gondolas wisk tourists up the slopes for hiking, bike riding and other explorations of the Swiss countryside.
For more information on the Jungfrau region, Rick Steves produced an entire episode dedicated to it. After departing the Seminary, we returned home by way of Lucerne. Lucerne is one of my favorite cities and features a world-famous 14th Century covered bridge as well as the Lion Monument dedicated to fallen Swiss soldiers.
We're anxious to get back to Switzerland in a few short six months to continue exploring.
