All language subtitles for Rick Steves Europe Collection 1 04of12 Swiss Alps 1080p

[ Alphorn blowing ]

I'm tooting the horn

for some of my favorite
mountain destinations.

It's the classic corners
of the Swiss Alps.

Thanks for joining us.

[ Alphorn blowing ]

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Switzerland draws travelers
from around the world

for its legendary mountains.

In this episode,
we'll see no grand museums,

no great cities,

just jaw-dropping Alpine beauty

and the rich
and resilient culture

of the people who live here.

It's a land of
dramatic mountains

laced together by
scenic train rides

and spectacular hikes.

Famous peaks are made accessible
by thrilling lifts,

including the highest
in all of Europe.

We'll enjoy alpine life,
from exploring glaciers

to making cheese
the old-fashioned way.

Switzerland is small -- just
half the size of Kentucky.

While it has great cities,

most of the country is
rural and mountainous.

We start in Zermatt,
at the Matterhorn,

take the Glacier Express
train ride,

drop in on Appenzell,

and finish in the
Berner Oberland,

riding lifts to the Jungfrau
and the Schilthorn.

Zermatt, at the foot
of the Matterhorn,

was essentially built
for enjoying the Alps.

It's hugely popular
with skiers in the winter

and hikers in the summer.

With its many lifts, it's a
springboard for countless trails

and unforgettable viewpoints.

The weather's great,
and we're hopping a train

to one of the most
dramatic views in all the Alps.

The Gornergrat cogwheel train
has been wowing visitors

since 1898.

The trip comes with
sweeping views,

first of the town of Zermatt...

then of the iconic peak that
draws so many to this region --

the Matterhorn.

The train climbs steeply
into the high country.

It takes us to over 10,000 feet,

where we reach
the end of the line.

Across the tracks, an old hotel

solidly caps
the Gornergrat ridge.

Grand views stretch
in every direction.

Stunning Matterhorn views
demand the attention of hikers,

but there's more.

Monte Rosa is actually
higher than the Matterhorn.

In fact, at 15,200 feet,

it's the highest point
in Switzerland.

And a 1,000-foot sheer drop
below the platform

stretches the mighty
Gorner Glacier.

It seems
many of my favorite hikes

start partway down my favorite
lifts or train rides.

Hopping off this train
about midway,

I'm in for a sensational
yet easy hike.

Getting to these exciting spots
with so little work

and so far from the crowds,
I feel like I'm cheating...

and I love it.

There's just something
about the Matterhorn,

the most recognizable
mountain on the planet,

that attracts people.

It's a dangerous mountain
to climb.

Each year, while several
thousand make it to the summit,

about a dozen die trying.

And with global warming,

the permafrost that keeps
it solid is thawing,

making falling rocks
a new hazard.

Surrounding Zermatt,

as if to enjoy views of
the Matterhorn from every angle,

are dozens of lifts
and hundreds of miles of trails.

As is the case
throughout the Alps,

handy signposts
make it clear where you are,

what's the altitude,

and how long it takes
to hike to various points.

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Zermatt,
straddling its tiny river,

is a small town of 6,000
with a big tourist industry.

It has more hotel beds
than residents --

and they're often
completely full.

Nearly everyone earns a living
one way or another

from tourists, who flock here
for a peek at the peak.

About two million visitors
a year arrive by train.

Cars are not allowed.

Electric carts weave quietly
through the pedestrians.

The town is a collection

of over 100 modern,
chalet-style hotels,

with a well-organized
and groomed infrastructure

for summer and winter sports.

And this crowd-pleasing herd
of traditional blackneck goats,

which parades
through the town every day,

has had it with selfies
and is headin' for the barn.

[ Bells ringing, goat bleats ]

If you explore a bit,

you can discover pockets
of traditional charm.

200 years ago, Zermatt would
have looked more like this --

little more than a gathering
of humble log cabins.

Zermatt works hard to keep
its visitors entertained,

and tradition-loving locals
seem delighted to do just that.

[ Group singing
in native language ]

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-[ Yodeling ]

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[ Cheers and applause ]

-From the town of Zermatt,
a mighty cable car

takes us to the summit

of a peak called
the "Little Matterhorn".

Prices are steep,

as the community has invested
hundreds of millions of dollars

in their mountain lifts
in recent years.

These lifts are absolutely
state-of-the-art

and just experiencing them
is worth the splurge.

At 12,700 feet,

this is the highest
cable-car station in Europe.

While the view of the Matterhorn
from this angle

is not the iconic
postcard profile,

the views from this
observation deck are stunning.

On a clear day,
the Alps fill the horizon

with all their glory.

♪♪

The Zermatt train station
is busy each morning

as travelers invest a day
of their vacation

to take one of the most scenic
train rides in the world,

riding the rails
across southern Switzerland

on the Glacier Express.

This journey,

designed to maximize
your sightseeing thrills,

features a masterpiece
of railway engineering.

The Glacier Express trainline
crosses 290 bridges and viaducts

and goes through
90 tunnels in 8 hours

as it connects two of
the leading alpine resorts --

Zermatt and Saint Moritz.

Over a quarter million
Alp-lovers

ride this train each year.

People kick back and just relax,

enjoying big windows
for bigger views.

The scenery unfolds
as the train carves its way

through the Swiss landscape.

In the glaciers high above

are born some of Europe's
great rivers,

which flow from here to both the
Atlantic and the Mediterranean.

Now we're trading away some
of the staggering alpine peaks

for an insight into the Swiss
and their heritage.

This is Appenzell --

cowbell country
and storybook-friendly.

According to legend, the devil
was flying over these hills

with a sack filled with houses.

A sharp peak
tore a hole in the sack,

and lots of chalets
sprinkled over the countryside.

To this day, the farms and
hamlets remain widely scattered,

and the canton of Appenzell

remains one of Switzerland's
most traditional.

The Swiss are famously
independent, and historically,

the big threat
to their independence

was the Habsburg Empire
from Austria.

In the Middle Ages,
this region was fragmented

into small cantons, or states.

In the 13th century,

three of these cantons joined
together to fight the Habsburgs.

By 1291, they established
their independence,

and Switzerland was born.

This union eventually grew
to include 26 cantons

and the country we know today.

Switzerland is unique
among its European neighbors.

It's not in the EU,
and, rather than the euro,

it uses its own currency.

This stubborn pride

and the resulting survival
of local traditions

is one thing
that makes Switzerland

such a rewarding place to visit.

[ Cowbells clacking ]

You feel the strength
of that tradition

here in the town of Appenzell.

Amazingly, it wasn't until 1990

that Appenzell women
were given full voting rights.

This has been the capital
of the canton for 400 years,

and many of the buildings
date back to that time.

[ Bicycle bell rings ]

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Switzerland's independence
distinguished it

from European high culture.

Back then, it took royalty
or the Roman Catholic church

to pay for big-time
cultural achievements.

So, instead of lots
of grand palaces and cathedrals,

today, travelers see
Swiss culture

on a small and personal scale.

Folk museums here
give an intimate peek

into Appenzell's
humble rural culture,

with rooms replicating
everyday life,

from where they
raised their families

to where they worked.

In this 400-year-old building,
the ceilings are low,

and the floors are creaky
with centuries-old beams.

Simple folk art shows
the importance of cows

and the ritual
of taking the herd

up to the high meadows
for the summer

and back down for the winter.

This room shows life as it was
for the herder in the high Alps,

who spent summers alone,
milking cows and making cheese.

These decorative cowbells
awaited the festive day

when the herd would descend
from the high meadow.

It was a world of wood.

The woodshop is where milk pails

would be fashioned
out of maple and fir,

soaked in water
to be made pliable,

assembled watertight
with no nails,

and then artfully carved.

The woodworker's bedroom

reflects the pride
he had in his profession.

He earned enough to afford
some fine painted furniture.

This wardrobe dates from 1817.

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Whether traveling
by train or by car,

mountainous Switzerland
has fine infrastructure,

and you can get nearly
anywhere in the country

in just a few hours.

The Berner Oberland
is a particularly scenic region.

Its Lauterbrunnen Valley,

which stretches south
from the city of Interlaken,

is a wonderful springboard

for some of my favorite
Swiss Alp experiences.

Lauterbrunnen Valley,

with its vertical sides
and flat bottom, is U-shaped,

a textbook example of
a glacier-shaped valley.

While the main town,
also called Lauterbrunnen,

sits on the valley floor,

neighboring towns
hang on cliffs high above.

"Lauterbrunnen" means
"loud waters" -- an apt name.

Waterfalls plummet from cliffs
all along the valley.

Staubach Falls -- one of
the highest in Switzerland --

drops nearly 1,000 feet.

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The valley --
with its riverside trails,

traditional farmhouses,

and chorus of surrounding
peaks cheering you on --

is a magnet for nature lovers.

Towering high above

are the icy Jungfrau, Monch,
and Eiger peaks,

named for the legend of
the young maiden, Jungfrau,

being protected
by the monk, or Monch,

from the mean ogre, or Eiger.

And perched on a saddle
between two of those mountains

is the Jungfraujoch Station,

and that's where we're going
by train.

From the valley floor,
a cogwheel train

takes tourists
and mountaineers alike

on this ear-popping journey.

As we gradually climb,
the views continually unfold.

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[ Cow moos ]

Eventually, we arrive
at Kleine Scheidegg,

a rail junction
at the base of the peaks.

For well over a century, this
has been the jumping-off point

for rock climbers
attempting to scale

the foreboding
north face of the Eiger.

Kleine Scheidegg
has souvenir shops,

hearty food for hikers,

and rustic
19th-century hotels --

a reminder that tourism
is nothing new here.

With the craze
for social media these days

and with millions of people

from countries
with emerging economies

now able to afford
that dream trip to Europe,

famous destinations like this
can be really crowded.

Do what you can
to minimize the crowds.

Arrive early, arrive late --
it really helps.

Continuing our journey to
Europe's highest train station,

the ingenuity
of Swiss engineers is apparent

as we climb the railway
they built back in 1912.

Amazingly, our train tunnels
through the Eiger

on our climb all the way
to the Jungfraujoch.

Think about it --
the Swiss drilled this tunnel

through solid rock.

It's four miles long.

This train is smooth,

and they did it 100 years ago.

Why?

To show off their engineering
skills and to celebrate nature.

Halfway up, the train stops
at panorama windows.

While expert rock climbers
can exit here

into an unforgiving world
of ice and air,

sightseers get their thrills

by simply marveling
at the icy views.

[ Train rumbling ]

Continuing up the tunnel,

from here the train's cogwheels
earn their keep.

You emerge at 11,000 feet --
the Jungfraujoch.

Spectacular views
of majestic peaks

stretch as far as you can see.

Cradled among these giants,

you understand the timeless
allure of the Swiss Alps.

The Jungfraujoch is like
a small resort

perched on a mountain ridge.

From the highest viewing point,
you can see the Aletsch Glacier,

which stretches about
10 miles to the south.

While shrinking with
the warming global climate,

it's still the longest
glacier in the Alps.

The air is thin --

people are in giddy moods.

The station is a maze of shops,
restaurants, and amusements.

A tunnel is actually carved
through the glacier

to a cavern of ice sculptures --
an especially big hit

for visitors from lands
where ice is a rarity.

Outside on the glacier,
people enjoy the scene.

From here,
many venture even higher

as a snowy trail leads
to more mountain thrills.

But for me, I'll call this good

and savor the sense
of accomplishment I get

when climbing to
11,370 feet before lunch.

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The Berner Oberland
has something for everybody.

Part of the fun
and much of the expense

of enjoying the Alps
is riding the various lifts.

Funiculars let hikers
gain altitude quick and easy.

This lift actually lets visitors
ride on the rooftop --

a great way
to more fully appreciate

the staggering beauty
of the region.

And once again, it's fun
to leave the crowds

by getting off
at an intermediary station

and taking a hike.

There's a special camaraderie

with people who actually
get out and hike.

And within moments, you're
sharing the experience

with fellow hikers and enjoying
the Alps in a way so many miss.

Towns like Murren were developed

to accommodate
nature-loving tourists.

They cater to your every need.

You can stroll through
traffic-free centers,

and towns are springboards
for a popular option --

the electric bike.

While service roads
in the high country

may be closed
to regular traffic,

e-bikes are more than welcome,

and they make you look fitter
than you actually are.

Remote towns may be beyond
the reach of your car,

but all are accessible
by various lifts.

One of my favorites is the
idyllic village of Gimmelwald.

The village --
established in the Middle Ages

precariously on the edge
of a cliff --

was one of the poorest
places in Switzerland.

Gimmelwald works together
like a big family --

in fact, most of the
hundred or so residents here

share one of two last names --
von Allmen or Feuz.

My friend Olle,
long the village schoolteacher,

enjoys showing me around.

This is the oldest house,
from 1658.

And the woodwork
is generally unpainted --

just bleached in the sun.

Originally hay up top
and cows below.

For generations,
families have lovingly tended

their vegetable gardens.

They still are relied on
to put food on the table --

and this one comes
with an artistic side.

Retaining their
traditional ways,

farmers here make ends meet

only with help
from Swiss government subsidies.

They supplement that by working
the ski lifts in the winter.

Modern tourism has contributed
to the local economy as well.

Pension Gimmelwald's
terrace restaurant

is filled with happy hikers
at dinnertime --

enthused by the memories
they earned with today's hike.

I've been coming
to Gimmelwald all my life,

and it never gets old.

With the world changing
as fast as it is,

I find it refreshing to know
that there are places like this

that still embrace
their traditions.

Dairy is the traditional
industry here.

Collecting grass to get
their cows through the winter

on these steep slopes
is labor-intensive.

Each family fills silos

with enough to feed
a dozen or so cows.

But we're here in the summer,
and the cows are in the high Alp

enjoying a diet
of fresh grass and flowers.

From their milk, some of the
most prized cheese in the world

is still made
in the traditional way.

We're joining
a small tour group

organized by
the village tourist office.

Of the countless visitors
in this valley,

these travelers
took the initiative

to enjoy this intimate peek
at local culture in action.

Once the milk is heated
to just the right temperature,

the cheesemaker, using his teeth
as well as his hands,

masterfully scoops about
ten kilos of curds

from the bottom of the cauldron.

He then plops
the sopping cheesecloth

into a circular mold.

It's quickly pressed

to remove as much of the liquid,
or whey, as possible.

[ Cheesemaker speaking
indistinctly ]

As the moisture is removed
and the aging process begins,

a wheel of wet curds
becomes a wheel of Alp cheese,

frequently brushed with brine
and stored flat on shelves

in a shed like this one
for up to two years.

[ Alphorn blowing ]

In the high country,
I also enjoy a chance

to hear traditional music --

and up here,
along with yodeling,

that means the long,
legato tones of the alphorn.

The alphorn has a range
of nearly 3 octaves.

But with no valves, it's limited
to the same notes as a bugle.

Used throughout the Alps,

this horn has played a role
in this culture for 500 years --

to call cows from pasture
to the barn for milking,

as a way for herdsmen
in the high meadows

to communicate with people
in the valley below,

and even as a call to prayer
through remote valleys.

[ Alphorn continues blowing ]

♪♪

Oh! -- and we've got time
for one more Swiss summit.

High above this meadow,

a peak called the Shilthorn
emerges from the clouds.

And in good Swiss fashion,

a modern cable car --
the Schilthornbahn --

zips visitors
effortlessly to its summit.

In the Alps, while the valleys
may be blanketed in clouds,

the peaks can be
brilliantly sunny.

Get an early start:

the peaks are often clear in
the morning and then cloud up.

The 10,000-foot summit of
the Schilthorn

awaits skiers, hikers,
and sightseers --

both winter and summer.

This station, which capitalizes

on its role
in a James Bond film,

awaits with
a revolving restaurant --

perfect for spies
nursing their 007 martinis.

Meanwhile
on the panorama terrace,

families pick out the peaks

while others thrill at
360 degrees of alpine splendor.

For me, the majesty
of the mountains

is easiest to appreciate
on my own private perch.

As always, try to make a point
to get away from the crowds --

to be alone to savor
an unforgettable moment.

Switzerland may be
a small country,

but its mountains are mighty --

and we hope you've enjoyed this
look at a few of its very best.

Thanks for joining us.

I'm Rick Steves
high in the Alps.

Until next time,
keep on travelin'.

-[ Yodeling ]

♪♪

To know that
there are places like this

that embrace their traditions --
[ Cellphone chimes ]

...it makes me want to
answer the phone.

-Oh-ho!

-Ah!

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