Petit-Val And The Swiss Countryside
27 May 2018
We crossed the border from France into Switzerland in the mountains, much closer to Bern than to Zurich actually. We had researched this route before as we would be able to detour to BFM, the brewery that makes one of the absolute best beers in the world, Abbaye de Saint Bon Chien. Unfortunately, it was closed on Sundays, and today is Sunday, so no luck for us. Still, the route looked to be an interesting trek through the mountains and rural Switzerland, so we decided to still give it a go.
The countryside was nothing short of stunning beauty. We passed through amazingly green fields, across flat plains, and up steep mountains, sometimes even through those mountains with all their tunnels. We passed a small raclette shop on a mountainside that made us really wish we saved room at breakfast, and further down the road we passed by a herd of cows, their bells clanking through the mountain air. It reminded us much of when we went out to Heidi’s village, similar in many ways yet the area still had its own unique feel.
We wound along tight roads that curved up the mountainside and made our way into an area called Petit-Val. As the road snaked through the narrow pass between the peaks, the rocky towers soared high on either side. It was like driving through a wooded canyon. We found a spot to pull off right by a small stream that tumbled down the steep slope in a series of stunning little waterfalls. The colors and sounds and the fresh air were so incredible, and the water was just so clean and refreshing, the place had the feel of a deep wooded mountain stream, tucked far away from civilization. It was hard to imagine we were right along a roadside! We wanted to sit in those natural pools, feeling the water flow over us as it tumbled down the mountain. That would have been paradise were it not so cold!
We wound further up through the mountains, watching the landscape change in drastic ways along the route. The Alps didn’t seem to have any interest in holding back their full beauty, and we were blown away with every turn, every direction we chose to face.
We need to spend more time up in the Swiss mountains, that is for sure!
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