Fringe Frontiers | Finding Creative Inspiration Beyond the Bucket List
Gimmelwald , Switzerland
Trading traffic for tranquility in the heart of the Swiss Alps
Gimmelwald , Switzerland
Scribbled on the wall of the village ’ s youth hostel is a love note left by a backpacker in the 1970s . It reads , “ If Heaven isn ’ t what it ’ s cracked up to be , send me back to Gimmelwald .” The backpacker was Rick Steves — yes , that Rick Steves — one of the many people inspired by this fairytale alpine village overlooking Switzerland ’ s stunning Lauterbrunnen Valley . Self-discovery seldom happens among a sea of selfies . As one of the country ’ s last remaining traffic-free villages , Gimmelwald is incredibly quiet , contrasting the volume of the scenery that surrounds it . The valley echoes with the faint clicking of trekking poles on gravel pathways , the occasional cowbell and the soft whirr of the cable car — the only transportation to and from the village . It ’ s the perfect place to visit if your flavor of creativity tastes like writing a novel on the terrace of a Swiss chalet , photographing mountain landscapes that hardly fit within your camera frame and trading tall tales with locals who may or may not moonlight as wizards . In reality , Gimmelwald ’ s 100-some-odd residents are mostly cattle farmers , many of whom spend the winter operating nearby ski lifts and maintaining the slopes , since the village welcomes visitors year-round . For those looking for a place to commune with the mountains away from the noise of the city , this is it .
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