Adrenalin hits, spa bliss & stunning mountain views above make Switzerland a great escape
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AS I'm gripping on to the handrail of a walkway suspended 45 metres above the Swiss town of Grindelwald, I ask our guide: 'Is now a good time to tell you I'm scared of heights?'
We're just south of Thun, one of this year's UEFA Women's Euros host cities and a dizzying 2,000 metres above sea level.
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Summit for the weekend in Grindelwald
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Spread your wings with First Glider
Credit: David Birri
On a misty day like today, we're even higher than the clouds as I look down over the edge on the First Cliff Walk.
And this is actually the tamest activity I've signed up for. . .
FLYING START
I stop for a hearty potato rosti topped with bacon, cheese and a fried egg, £21, at Berggasthaus First, before plucking up the courage for the First Flyer, an 800-metre-long zipwire that reaches speeds of 50mph (Berggasthausfirst.ch).
Once down, I realise it would have been a better idea to eat lunch after, not before.
But I'm soon back up the mountain to try First Glider, where I'm harnessed face down, then pulled back and launched through the air like an eagle (though I don't feel quite so graceful).
Mountain carting – a cross between a go-kart and a sledge – proves my fave, as I speed down a twisty, 3km-long track back towards town.
Tickets for two activities cost £91 per adult (Jungfrau.ch).
The Fire & Ice Spa at my chic hotel, Bergwelt Grindelwald, just minutes from the gondola, is a welcome change of pace.
I warm up in the outdoor sauna with views of the imposing, ragged face of Eiger mountain, before soaking in the heated outdoor pool – the sound of cowbells nearby is the only playlist.
Derrick Rose and girlfriend Alaina Anderson enjoy family vacation in Switzerland
TOP OF THE ROCKS
A 30-minute train ride away is the town of Interlaken, home to the Harder Kulm mountain, where it's a short trip by the 100-year-old funicular to the summit (Interlaken.ch).
At the top, I find Panorama Restaurant, serving 'the coldest beer in Interlaken', £6, in an ice-bottomed glass, as well as daily Alphorn concerts to soundtrack dinner.
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The Fire & Ice Spa at my chic hotel, Bergwelt Grindelwald, just minutes from the gondola, is a welcome change of pace
Credit: Anja Zurbrügg
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Double rooms at Bergwelt cost from £155
Credit: Anja Zurbrügg
I arrive early and take the hour-long circular hike around the mountain top to work up an appetite, then order the Monch Spezial, £21 – a charcuterie board of Swiss air-dried beef, home-made sausage, smoked ham and alpine cheese – followed by Alpine-style macaroni, £23, with potatoes, onions, cheese and apple sauce (Restaurantharderkulm.ch).
Higher still is Jungfraujoch – Europe's highest railway station and the only place in the region where you're guaranteed year-round snow.
From the Grindelwald terminal, I take a gondola up to the Eiger railway station, before hopping on a train through the mountain to the top of the glacier.
All in all, it takes about 45 minutes, and is well worth it. I send a letter from the highest post office in Europe and take in the panoramic mountain views from the Sphinx Observatory.
Sadly, I can't sledge at the Snow Fun Park, due to blizzard-like conditions, so seek shelter in the Ice Palace, a maze carved into the glacier, with incredible frozen sculptures lining the walls.
At Crystal Restaurant, views rival the observatory and I tuck into a starter of creamy home-made lobster soup, £12.75, and moreish cheese fondue, £26.
As I make my descent, rather than checking tickets, the train conductor hands out chocolates. It definitely beats my usual commute.
FYI
Double rooms at Bergwelt cost from £155 (Bergwelt-grindelwald.com).
A Jungfrau Travel Pass, from £38, covers unlimited train, cable car, bus and cruises (Jungfrau.ch).
Plan a trip at My switzerland.com.
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