Switzerland tends to conjure images of winter—ski runs, snow-covered rooftops, frozen lakes—but spring is in many ways the country's most beautiful season. As the snow retreats, the valleys come alive with wildflowers, the waterfalls run loud and full, and the mountain peaks remain dusted white above it all, a combination that the winter crowds rarely get to experience.

Lauterbrunnen Valley is one of the finest places to take all of this in. Hiking trails of every level wind through emerald meadows, with the majestic Alps as a constant backdrop, and the valley's centrepiece, the 300 metre cascade of Staubbach Falls, is bound to impress no matter how many photographs you have seen of it beforehand. From Lauterbrunnen, it is easy to travel further up to Mürren, a peaceful, car-free village where the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau - three of Switzerland’s most celebrated peaks - line up across the clear blue sky.

Getting there: Take the train from Zurich to Interlaken, then connect to Lauterbrunnen.

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