Blumlisalp - Kandersteg, Switzerland 

We spent one week in the town of Kandersteg during July 2007 (as part of a nine week tour of Europe) and spent all our time in this town at the Hotel Blumlisalp which we would recommend to others. The Hotel Blumlisalp is an intimate, family run hotel located in the centre of the town. We stayed in the new chalet (rather than in the older rooms) and were very pleased with the new, modern, clean, non-smoking room we received (Room 107). Although the new part is more expensive that the old part of the hotel, it was well worth the extra money. The room was very generous in size with ample storage space and a sitting area with couch and chair. The bathroom was brand new and although rather small, was adequate. Our room had a large balcony with pleasant views of the Alps and we spent a couple of evenings enjoying the view. We took the half board hikers package which meant we had breakfast and dinner included in our package each day. The food at this hotel was quite different to the food we had at other Swiss hotels – much lighter and without heavy sauces. It was very tasty and the hotel did an excellent job of catering to our request for no red meat. The layout of the restaurant was conducive to meeting other guests, most of whom were Swiss. The hotel has good facilities which include the restaurant, a terrace with views of the Alps, a general lounge area with games and library, a self service laundry and a basic wellness area. There is a computer in the shared area with Internet access available to all guests for free. Staff were obliging and tended to stay very much in the background - we would have liked a little more interaction from the owners who kept a low profile. The town of Kandersteg is located in the Bernese Oberland region and should be the postcard example for a Swiss Germanic mountain town. It is extremely picturesque, well laid out, neat, tidy and beautifully presented. Although the town is not a car-free resort - unlike the other Swiss mountain towns we visited - the traffic is very low key and quiet. It is frequented predominantly by the Swiss rather than tourists and as a consequence has a distinctly Swiss feel to it. Not everyone speaks English so we had some entertaining situations given that we cannot speak German or French. The most amazing sight we saw however, was the shopkeepers leaving all their wares out in the street on display over lunch and even over the weekend when the shops were closed. In Australia where we live, the stock would be stolen within an hour, but in the town of Kandersteg theft is clearly not on the agenda!!!! The hiking in the area around Kandersteg was excellent, however we felt that it was more strenuous than the hiking available in the more touristy areas we visited such as Wengen and Murren. The highlight or our hiking was when we came across an elusive ibex and her kid which apparently are quite common in the area. Overall, we enjoyed our time at this town and this hotel and would recommend it for keen, fit walkers who are looking for an authentic Swiss mountain town experience.

Having previously visited Kandersteg and stayed in the Blumlisalp over New Year, we wondered what it would be like returning to the hotel and village in the height of summer. We need not have had any concerns. The hotel was wonderful, the staff great and we got the feeling that the owners, Madi and Christian, could not do enought to make the visit a memorable experience. My waist line is still suffering from some of Christian's desserts! Kandersteg provides a great base for exploring the surrounding area and Madi was always to hand to provide tips and advice on suggested routes and places to visit. Memories of sitting on the terrace with a glass of something cold and refreshing after a hike in the hills will have to keep me going until we next visit. Alistair & Fiona, Central Scotland