Summer things to do in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland

1. Enjoy the giant swing

Reached by cable car from Adelboden, the Tschentenalp is the starting point for many hiking and biking trails, but before you set off, make time to try out the giant swing. Standing just a few minutes’ walk from the top of the cable car station, this is exactly what the name suggests – a large wooden swing, which invites you to jump on and indulge in a moment of childlike glee as you swing out over the grass, the chalets of Adelboden like matchbox toys far below, and the snow-speckled peaks of the Wildstrubel massif facing you across the valley. It’s a satisfyingly low-tech, uncomplicated activity that is guaranteed to put a smile on anyone’s face.

2. Sample the Brienzer Rothorn steam sausage

Whether a bratwurst, schüblig or humble cervelat, the Swiss love a sausage. And twice a week in summer you can sample one cooked in a very special way by taking a ride on the Brienz Rothornbahn. Built in 1892, this cogwheel steam train has been making the journey from the lakeshore town of Brienz up to the summit of the Rothorn at 2,350m ever since. On Wednesdays and Saturdays from early June, the train stops at Planalp where passengers can tuck into sausages cooked in the train’s original steam kettle. Accompanied by special ‘rack rail’ bread, and with sweeping views of Lake Brienz and the surrounding mountains to enjoy while you eat, this is one meal you’re unlikely to forget in a hurry.

3. Feel like James Bond

It’s hard to imagine a Hollywood film crew and cast strolling about the small alpine village of Mürren, but that’s what happened in the 1960s when it was used as a location in the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Walk in the footsteps of George Lazenby by taking the cableway to the Schilthorn revolving restaurant, otherwise known as Piz Gloria, Blofeld’s lair in the film. Unfinished when location scouts turned up, its construction was completed and part financed by the filmmakers. As well as the restaurant – where you can enjoy a ‘James Bond brunch’ or a 007-branded burger – the building has a fun exhibition about the making of the film, with anecdotes from locals who acted as extras or stunt doubles, including one local skier who later became an Olympic champion.

4. Walk with goats

Seen your fill of Swiss cows? For something a little different, join local goat whisperer Sabina Bircher on a walking tour around the Adelboden countryside with her friendly pack of goats. Like a bunch of unruly children, these handsome, long-haired creatures will jostle for your attention as they meander at their own leisurely pace up and down the grassy slopes around Hahnenmoos and beyond, nibbling flowers and grasses as they go. Along the way, you’ll learn more about these characterful creatures from Sabina, who takes on the goats as young animals and trains them to behave respectably around humans before finding them their forever homes.

5. Paraglide over Interlaken

There can be little to match the exhilarating rush of launching yourself off a mountain, drifting around on the thermals and taking in the most glorious views of one of the finest mountain regions in the world. Try the sport for yourself on a tandem flight and you’ll quickly see why Interlaken is so popular with paragliding enthusiasts the world over. With numerous take-off points just a short drive away, and a landing site right in the centre of town in the Höhematte park (where passers-by can watch you make a spectacular entrance), you’ll be hard pressed to find a more accessible and beautiful place to give paragliding a go.

6. Feel the power of the waterfalls

More than half of Switzerland’s domestic electricity needs are met by hydropower – and you need only visit some the waterfalls in the Jungfrau Region to see why. Walk on the path right behind the Giessbach falls on Lake Brienz, feel the spray from the Staubbach fall next to Lauterbrunnen village, or gawp open-mouthed at the sheer volume of water pummelling down through the rock at Trümmelbach falls and you’ll understand exactly how powerful water can be. Not to mention beautiful, hypnotic and more than a little refreshing in the dry heat of a Swiss summer.

7. Go Trotti biking

There’s little to beat the feeling of flying down a hill on a trotti bike. These stand-up two-wheel scooters are ubiquitous in the Swiss mountains, but Adelboden has a particular penchant for the activity, providing 45 kilometres of trails across an area known as Trottiland. Take the Sillerenbahn to the heart of Trottiland, hire yourself a bike and a helmet and take off down your chosen trail past grazing cattle and flower-strewn alpine pastures – an exhilarating, freeing and extremely fun experience you’ll want to repeat again and again (and with a day pass for the cable car, you can).

8. Discover the art of woodcarving

The village of Brienz on the shore of the lake of the same name has a particular claim to fame: it’s the location of Switzerland’s only woodcarving school. Internationally renowned for the craft since the mid-19th century, Brienz founded its woodcarving school in 1884 to teach young people the traditions and skills that had made the town’s name. It is still the only place in the country where turners, coopers and woodcarvers can train. Visit the associated museum to learn more about the craft’s origins in the town and witness carvers demonstrating their skills, before browsing local shops for carved figurines, intricately decorated kitchen implements and more.

9. Brave the Thrill Walk

Don your best head for heights and take a stroll on the Thrill Walk, a cliffside walkway strung below the Birg mid-station on the Schilthorn cableway. With its grated metal walkways, glass-bottomed sections, crawl tunnel and tightrope-like metal rope bridge, not to mention a plunging drop below your feet, the Thrill Walk dares you to face your fears. Stop along the way to take in your surroundings: the Schilthorn above you, with the mountain cabin of the same name on the trail beneath it; the Grauseeli lake and Wasenegg ridge below; and the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau dominating the skyline opposite. Get there early to enjoy the birdsong and marmot chirps before the crowds arrive.

How to get there and around

SWISS offers more than 160 weekly flights from London City, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and London Gatwick (seasonal) to Zurich or Geneva. From Zurich airport it’s around 1.5 hours by train to Bern, and from Geneva it’s around 2 hours. From Bern, you’ll ride along the shore of Lake Thun to Interlaken. Change at Spiez for Adelboden, or at Interlaken for connections to the Jungfrau Region. The Swiss Travel Center offers various railcards, and The Swiss Travel Pass is available from £186 for 3 days in second class.