Switzerland - Bernese Oberland

Switzerland, and in particular the Bernese Oberland, is without doubt one of the most picturesque regions of the Alps. From Zurich or Geneva Airport, Switzerland’s famously efficient train network allows you to delve deep into the heart of the country. As you travel quickly and silently along lakes and through forests, you sense the mountains gradually looming larger and larger. Arriving in Interlaken, situated between the crystal clear glacial lakes of Thun and Brienz, the town acts as a gateway to the valleys of Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald respectively. With each junction of your journey, you are moving further and further from civilisation.

Both valleys allow access to the Jungfrau, the largest mountain and the greatest attraction of the region, and are undeniably stunning in their own way. Grindelwald is one of the Alps most infamous villages, largely due to its relation to the Eiger. Since the golden age of mountaineering in the early 20th century, scaling the Eiger’s North Face has been widely recognised as the one of the most difficult ascents in the world; with at least 70 deaths in the last 100 years, it has earned the nickname of the ‘Murder Wall’. The spectacular cliff faces of the Eiger and the equally imposing Wetterhorn stand directly opposite Grindelwald and offer a stunning backdrop to the traditional alpine village.

Grindelwald towered over by the Eiger and Wetterhorn

The Lauterbrunnen valley, home to the mountainside villages of Wengen and Murren, offers a much more beautiful and heavenly landscape. The U-shaped valley is one of the deepest in the Alps with hundreds of waterfalls cascading from the glaciers above. The most famous of these waterfalls, the breathtaking Staubbach Falls, is located on the edge of Lauterbrunnen village itself and is around 1000 ft in height. Further along the valley, Trummelbach falls have gouged their way into the mountain, and release an unimaginable 20,000 litres of water a second, and by an incredible network of steps and caves, the falls are accessible to visitors for a small price. Your incredible proximity to the falls is deafening and the power of the water is awe inspiring.

Staubbach Falls in the Lauterbrunnen Valley

Located high above Lauterbrunnen, accessible only by an incredibly steep mountain railway, is the village of Wengen. Perhaps most famous for the Lauberhorn ski race (only rivalled by Kitzbuhel in reknown), Wengen sits perched on top of the 1000 foot cliffs and provides a spectacular view of the Jungfrau, Monch and Eiger mountains. Due to the impossibility of transporting cars up to the village, it is entirely pedestrianised, and even at this height the air is recognisably thinner. Wengen is a wonderful retreat as staying in the village is like being on a desert island in that you feel entirely disconnected from the rest of the world. The views are sublime, and despite the villages popularity soaring in the last decade, it still offers a wonderfully tranquil base from which to explore the area.

The view of the Lauterbrunnen Valley from Wengen

Undoubtedly the greatest single attraction in the area, the Jungfraujoch, is home to the highest railway station in Europe and the visitor centre is popularly referred to as the “Top of Europe”. Accessible via Kleine Schiedegg from both Wengen and Grindelwald, the journey to the station is in itself an experience; an exceptional achievement  in engineering even by todays standards (the railway is over 100 years old!), the train burrows its way for over 7 km directly through the Eiger and the Monch before it reaches the summit. The train journey from Wengen, which already has the advantage of being at an altitude of over 4000 feet, takes around 90 minutes to reach the top, so it is important to set off early to allow yourself the most amount of time at the summit. The station at 3,571 metres (11,715 ft) is a year round winter wonderland, offering stunning views over the Aletsch glacier, the largest in the Alps.

The train from Kleine Scheidegg up to the Jungfraujoch

Rather than just enjoying a hot chocolate and admiring the views, there has been sculpted an ice palace inside the mountain, and if you’re feeling even more adventurous, where else can you ski in Europe in August!? The slope allows skiing, snowboarding and there is also a bobsled track. This particular trip is very much the centrepiece of any holiday to the Bernese Oberland, and despite the fact it costs nearly £100 per person, with supplements for the outdoor sports, it is well worth it and will be the highlight of your visit. Setting off early in the morning will not only allow you more time at the peak, there is also a discount for those ascending before 10:30. As the trip is such a highlight, it is therefore very important to choose a day when the weather is at its best; the Alps are extremely temperamental and do not follow the same pattern as the rest of the continent, and so I would strongly recommend ascending on the first day when the forecast is good.

The breathtaking Sphinx Observatory at the Jungfraujoch's summit

It would be amiss of me not to forewarn any visitor of the costs of Switzerland. Since their decision to retain the Swiss Franc, and so avoiding the demise of the Euro, Switzerland’s economy has thrived and the country is resultantly much more expensive than its neighbouring countries, with costs much more akin to Scandinavia. There are however many ways to reduce the costs; the Swiss Pass for instance, costs around £160 for a weeks unlimited travel throughout the country and also allows free entrance to many museums and discounts on cable cars and the mountain railways, such as the ascent of the Jungfraujoch. The pass is also often available at a ‘2 for 1’ discount, and I would highly recommend purchasing one as it also allows the freedom to explore the country as a whole, with places such as Lucerne, Bern and Verbier (home to the Matterhorn) particularly recommended. This should not however put you off from visiting the country as I honestly believe that it is the most beautiful place in the world.

The entirety of the Bernese Oberland is equally magnificent year round; skiing of course is a huge attraction of the area, and the presence of snow of course accentuates the alpine feel, but I would contend that the area is even more beautiful in the summer. There are literally hundreds of kilometres of hiking trails to explore and there is certainly no end of picnic spots to choose from. There is nowhere else in Europe that feels quite so far from civilisation, and the holiday is a wonderful alternative to a city break or a beach holiday. The beauty of the surroundings are quite simply incomparable and the region offers something for everyone, with challenging hikes and climbs for the adventurous, and tranquility and serenity for those on a family or romantic holiday looking to relax and enjoy the surroundings. There is a humbling magnificence to the mountainous scenery and it is impossible to visit the Bernese Oberland without falling in love with it.

A detailed map of the Bernese Oberland - Grindelwald valley (left) Lauterbunnen (right), Jungfraujoch (centre-top)

Madrid

Arriving at nearly one o’clock in the morning in a city that neither I nor my girlfriend had visited before, there was of course some trepidation about whether or not we could find our way and whether or not the city would be safe. After taking the efficient and inexpensive metro from Barajas Airport, a 45 minute journey to the city centre and our hotel, our concerns disappeared immediately as we emerged from Sevilla station to find the city full of life; hundreds of people of all ages bustling here and there, people sat on street corners drinking casually with their friends, music and chatter infusing the city with energy and excitement.

View from Plaza de Cibeles up toward Metropolis

If you were to find dozens of teenagers sat on street curbs in the UK, adorned with cans of Lager and crates of wine, they would be marked as hoodlums and feared appropriately. In Madrid, the sight of youths with Sangria, the welcoming and relaxed atmosphere of the city centre, and a sense that the night was only just beginning simply made me want to join in the fun. One o’clock in any English city and you could expect to see the effects of binge drinking - the violent and the violently sick - but the unfortunate fact is that most of our European counterparts have a much greater understanding of how to have a good night.

If any European city can lay claim to being the beating heart of the continent, I believe it is Madrid. The city is quite simply alive, perhaps the Siesta provides the invigorating effect on the people! There is a prevalence of passion and wild abandon throughout Spanish culture, especially evident in Madrid. Go see a bullfight at Las Ventas, a quintessentially Spanish experience encapsulating the recklessness and excitement of the people at its most extreme. Las Ventas is the most famous bullfighting arena in the world and tickets are not as difficult to come by as you might expect, some for under €10. The season runs from March to October on Sunday evenings, but the prestigious San Isidro festival runs nightly through May and June.

Las Ventas - the most famous bullfighting arena in the world

Another must see is of course Santiago Bernabeu, home to the most successful club in world football, Real Madrid. A stadium tour is impressive for even non football fans, but if you are in the city (let alone manage to find a ticket!) for El Classico (Real v Barcelona) or El Derbi madrileño (Real v Atlético) you will get a feeling for Spain, the reigning World and European champions, and their obsession with football. Part of the reason for my visit was to go to DCODE music festival at Madrid’s university which over the last couple of years has drawn bands such as The Killers, Kasabian and The Hives. Taking place in September each year, the event is a great way to end the festival season, especially if you have never been to a festival outside of the UK, and the unbelievably low price of €90 for a weekend ticket is hard to beat anywhere in Europe!

For a more relaxing and intellectual afternoon - perhaps as an escape from the soaring lunchtime temperatures of Madrid (it can reach 40 degrees!) - a visit to Museo del Prado is an absolute must. As a student under 25, you can gain free access to what is by many accounts the finest collection of art in the world. The building itself is beautiful, but the art collection inside is frankly astounding and almost certainly surpasses the Louvre. So many works will be indelibly marked in your memory; Goya’s ‘Saturn’ is particularly unforgettable and exemplifies the passion, the genius and the madness of Spanish art. The museum also has large numbers of works by Velazquez as well as Rafael, Titian, Rubens and Bosch included in the 8,000 plus works in the museum’s collection. Only a small proportion of these can be displayed at any one time despite the fact that the Prado is the largest gallery in the world.

Goya's Saturn - an unforgettable image

Coming out and feeling suitably satisfied that you have fulfilled your cultural obligations, (and maybe even surprising yourself by how much you enjoyed it!) head over to the nearby Jardines del Buen Retiro. The park is a wonderful escape and has a beautiful lake at its centre which you can rent a rowing boat on for under €5. Truthfully, the park is relatively busy in some areas, but the park is so massive that it is very easy to find a secluded spot in it’s vast and elegantly tended gardens. Madrid as a whole is a grand, beautifully constructed metropolis, and is surprisingly green throughout with large open spaces meaning that there is little of the claustrophobia that can accompany major cities.

The fountains and lake in Jardines del Buen Retiro

Part of the fun of any first time visit to a modern city is when you stumble across magnificent and unexpected sights. The cathedral, next door to the Real Palacio, is impressive but was actually only finished in 1994 so lacked the history that I find interesting in these buildings. Instead, I got much more of a thrill from discovering some smaller but undoubtedly more spectacular churches such as the Basilica San Francisco el Grande, a sensationally decorated church and undoubtedly one of the most intricate and truly ‘grande’ that I have ever seen. Hidden gems like this are all around Madrid.

Inside Basilica de San Franciso el grande - no photograph could do this church justice

Even well known attractions such as the Cibeles Palace offer far more than the average tourist will see. Rather than simply admiring the cathedral like building from outside, head inside to see temporary exhibits and also head to the upper floors. Don’t however pay the €2 to head up to the top, there is a restaurant and a stunning rooftop bar with equally good views just below, so wander in there even if you decide not to have a drink!

In terms of hotels, I would certainly recommend finding somewhere in the Sol district as it is truly the hub of the city and it is perfectly located for all the main attractions; five minutes walk to Plaza Mayor, ten minutes to Real Palacio, and ten minutes the other way to Museo del Prado. I personally stayed at the Hostal Aguilar; it was admittedly basic, but the hotel is clean and comfortable, the staff were very helpful and the hotel was safe and secure. All this for €20 per person in a private room in an ideal location, you can’t ask for much more can you?. If you’re heading on a romantic adventure, I probably wouldn’t recommend it, but if you’re expecting to spend most of your time  exploring rather than in bed, I certainly would.

Madrid is an ideal destination for a city break, particularly if you’re looking for culture as well as a relaxing escape, and it is definitely now one of my favourite European cities.