A popular town with holidaying Europeans, Adelboden is less well known with tourists of other nationalities. It is arguably though one of Switzerland’s best kept secrets. We spent a glorious few days of summer exploring this town. Here’s our top things to do in Adelboden.
Stay at The Cambrian
Adelboden is only a small town with a handful of accommodation options. However The Cambrian makes my list of ‘must visit’ hotels, famed for the stunning mountain views from the comfort of their heated pool. A Swiss chalet with stunning views of over the mountain side, this is the perfect spot for a true Swiss experience. Open the doors to sweeping views of the Swiss Alps on your doorstep. Such a wonderful way to start your day!
Winter may be considered the season when this place really cranks up. However, I have always enjoyed Switzerland in the summer full of green hills, gushing waterfalls and clean air. It’s definitely different, but still stunningly beautiful.
Prepare yourself!
You might be surprised that unlike most of Europe, and a multi-lingual country like Switzerland at that, to find a lot of the locals don’t speak English. It makes for good fun at the Friday evening markets, but worthwhile being prepared for. A few basic words or having a translator on hand will help ensure you’re not left floundering over a dinner order.
For those who like to try out products that are quintessentially local, there are plenty of foods and drinks to try local to the region. But the easiest one to get your hands is the local water – Adelbodner. Those snowy mountain caps melted down into a bottle – pure H2O perfection!
Get out and explore the Alps
From Adelboden, you can jump on a gondola (of the sky, not the boat variety) and head up into the Alps to complete a range of hikes and other activities. There are some longer, tougher hikes, and some easier ones. This has to be one of the purest things to do in Adelboden.
The tricky hikes start easy and end up a bit harder. You could easily spend a couple of weeks here taking in the variety of walks available. Be sure to take a bottle of Adelbodner, and enjoy the scenery that you’ll share with just a few other people along the way. Stop off in Englistenalp which is a flat plain, high up in the Alps. The echo of the cow bells here makes you feel like you’re surrounded by a million cows, a truly quintessential Swiss experience.
Get on your trotti!
The real fun comes when it comes to descending the Alps. Such is the height, you can hire a ‘trotti’ or scooter which is a downhill bike. It is possibly the most fun thing to do in Adelboden. There are a number of roads/tracks you can take with varying descents and distances. Having taken the gondola up, it’s a different and enjoyable way of getting down the Alps and back to town where you can return your trotti.
Getting to Adelboden
Adelboden is a little out of the way and not necessarily ‘on the way’ to anywhere. You’ll need to get yourself to Frutigen railway station and pick up a bus just outside the station.
We arrived via Milan on our trip, and departed to Bern when leaving. The bus will take around 20-30 minutes. It will be one of the most scenic bus trips you’ll ever taken.
The Adelboden bus station is right in town, so you shouldn’t be more than a short walk from your accommodation.
If you’re visiting Switzerland any time soon, you might want to think about adding Adelboden to your itinerary. It is a gem and represents all the very best that Switzerland has to offer.
If you’re in the Swiss Alps, you might want to think about linking in with a trip to Zermatt or Grindelwald as well which both also offer excellent outdoor activities.
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