I am not a particularly skilled photographer but, sometimes, a destination is just so beautiful that it is impossible to take a bad picture. That was true during the Wheelchair Travel Group Trip to Switzerland, where I was fortunate to take a group of readers in September.
Here, I am excited to present an article that is part trip report, part photo journal. I hope you enjoy stepping-in to our incredible tour of the Swiss Alps!
Starting Our Journey in Interlaken
Travelers flew from various cities in the United States to Zurich and, after arriving there, we traveled to Interlaken — our home base for the first half of the tour.
Interlaken is a beautiful resort town located along the turquoise waters of Lake Thun, surrounded by the towering peaks of the Swiss Alps. We enjoyed the breathtaking mountain scenery, charming Swiss architecture, and the easily rollable streets with shops and cafes.
The city was an especially convenient starting point for our later adventures, with two train stations within walking/rolling distance of our beautifully appointed hotel. Interlaken's railways connected us to some of Switzerland’s most iconic destinations, which you will read about below!
Mürren and the Lauterbrunnen Valley
Our first full day was one of the most beautiful, beginning with a short rail journey to the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
Here, we were able to ride the impressive cable car from Stechelberg to the mountain resort of Mürren. We strolled through the village and took countless pictures of the spectacular alpine scenery.
After a short train ride to Grütschalp, we enjoyed lunch on the cafe terrace with panoramic views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau (Ogre, Monk and Maiden), three iconic peaks in the Swiss Alps.
A short train ride returned us to Interlaken for a restful night of sleep.
The Swiss Capital of Bern
We traveled to Bern, the de facto capital city of Switzerland, where we enjoyed lunch and a view from the Rosengarten overlooking the city.
In the afternoon, we met our tour guide who revealed many of the city's highlights, from the UNESCO-listed Old Town with its famous Clock Tower (Zytglogge) to the Bear Park and Federal Parliament building. We saw the former apartment of Albert Einstein, now a museum and cafe, where the mathematician first devised his theory of special relativity. In our free time, we enjoyed dining and shopping beneath the city's historic arcades.
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Riding the awe-inspiring GoldenPass Railway to Château-d'Oex
The GoldenPass Railway is one of Switzerland's most picturesque journeys, winding through breathtaking Alpine landscapes, lush green valleys and charming mountain villages. Along the way to Château-d'Oex, we enjoyed panoramic views of the Swiss countryside, where traditional wooden chalets dotted the rolling hills beneath towering mountain peaks.
On the day of our journey, fog concealed some of the highest peaks, though the mysteriously shrouded atmosphere was attractive in its own right.
Once we arrived in Château-d'Oex, we enjoyed a traditional Swiss fondue lunch and, for some travelers, it was their first-ever fondue experience. I have to say, The Melting Pot chain of restaurants with which you might be familiar has nothing on the real thing.
Château-d'Oex was the launch point of the Breitling Orbiter 3, which in 1999 became the first hot air balloon to circumnavigate the globe. The gondola from the earlier Orbiter 1 is displayed outside the Balloon Museum, which we saw while wandering the village.
Exploring Lucerne and Mount Rigi
After relocating to Zurich for the second half of our trip, we traveled to and explored the city of Lucerne.
Our guide led us through the picturesque Old Town, where we visited the historic Chapel Bridge, admired the Lion Monument and walked along the lake promenade which offered stunning views of the surrounding area.
Next, we traveled by ferry to the city of Vitznau, where we boarded the iconic cogwheel railway.
The cogwheel railway has been modernized to be wheelchair accessible. The train took us up a remarkably steep slope to the summit at 1,900 meters (approximately 6,200 feet), where breathtaking panoramic views of Lake Lucerne and the surrounding Alps awaited us. We enjoyed lunch in a cafe at the top.
After taking far too many pictures, we descended Mount Rigi in part via the cogwheel railway, followed by a short cable car ride down to the village of Weggis and Lake Lucerne.
We returned to Lucerne by ferry, then rode in our wheelchair accessible vehicle to Zurich. It was a long day, but worth the effort!
Excursion to the Rhine Falls
The Rhine Falls, Europe's most powerful waterfall, is a breathtaking natural wonder — we enjoyed watching (and hearing!) the Rhine River thunder over the falls' rocky precipice, sending clouds of mist into the air.
We watched from the many scenic viewing platforms, but got even closer on a wheelchair accessible sightseeing boat ride that took us right up to the waterfall.
After our boat ride, we enjoyed lunch and shopping before returning by train to Zurich for a free afternoon.
Falling in love with Zurich
The city of Zurich is Switzerland’s largest city, set along the banks of the Limmat River and Lake Zurich. During our guided tour of the historic Old Town, we enjoyed seeing the colorful guild houses and other architectural treasures like the Grossmünster and Fraumünster churches.
The sounds of the city, the people, the on-street trams, and the bicyclists riding by were music to my ears. I love a beautiful urban landscape! Our tour continued to the lakeside promenade, where we saw the opera house, beautifully landscaped gardens and a lively waterfront atmosphere. We enjoyed dinner at a local tavern a short walk from the lake, and sat outside in the lovely autumn weather.
Curated Tour of the Lindt Home of Chocolate
As we approached the end of our tour, we enjoyed a relaxing day with a ferry ride from Zurich to Kilchberg. There, we enjoyed a pleasant roll through a lakefront park, before arriving at the Lindt Home of Chocolate.
Our guided tour gave us front-of-the-line access to the many chocolate tasting stations — we enjoyed tasting chocolate morsels while learning about the history of the chocolate trade in Switzerland.
It was a truly sweet way to end our Swiss adventure, and I look forward to returning there with a group next year!
Final Thoughts
Every group tour is special, but this trip certainly ranks among my favorites — not only for the incredible destination and its stunning natural beauty, but also for the wonderful people who were so much fun to travel with. I am happy to say that, as of publication, five of the travelers in our group have already signed-up for another Wheelchair Travel Tours Group Trip in 2027! Whether it is in Switzerland or somewhere else, I hope to meet you on a future wheelchair accessible tour!
