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on Adelboden
City Life: On the piste
Look at the lid of almost any tin of Swiss chocolates, and you'll find a postcard-perfect village scene; the snow-sprinkled Alpine town of Adelboden could easily have posed for the picture.
1,350m above sea level, in the mountainous heart of the Bernese Oberland, Adelboden is a village-sized cluster of gingerbread-house wooden chalets surrounded by pine trees and flanked by snow-capped peaks. Switzerland's scenery doesn't get more dramatic than this craggy landscape of plunging valleys and dizzying heights. Criss-crossed by cable cars and ski lifts, the picturesque resort town is a haven for snowsports fanatics and Alpine adventurers, and in summer, when a carpet of greenery covers the slopes, Adelboden becomes the destination of choice for hilltop hikers, spa-seekers and lonely goatherds alike.
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Getting There
Automobiles
There's no car rental service in Adelboden itself, but major outlets such as Hertz and Avis have branches at the four airports, and the roads around the region are fast, safe and efficient - Swiss motorway tax will be included in the hire price. The town itself is readily traversed on foot, although you may find a car useful if you intend to explore further afield.
Planes
You can reach Adelboden from all of Switzerland's major airports - Geneva, Zurich, Bern and Basel - within one to three hours (Bern's the closest). Unless you hire a car or arrange transfers, you'll be looking at a one-to-three hour train journey to Frutigen and then a bus trip through the mountain pass to the town.
Trains
The nearest station to Adelboden is half an hour away in the town of Frutigen - it's on a direct line to Spiez, but the efficiency of Swiss public transport means that making rail connections to anywhere else in the country is a breeze. There's a regular bus to Adelboden that meets all incoming trains.
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Local Knowledge
Dialing
Country code for Switzerland: +41; Adelboden: (0)33.
Reads
Legendary Swiss hero William Tell originated from the neighbouring canton of Uri. Freidrich Schiller's play Wilhelm Tell is the one for the purists, but we prefer PG Wodheouse's light-hearted Alpine romp William Tell Told Again.
Do go / Don't Go
Adelboden is an attractive destination all year round, but if you're going for the ski scene, visit between December and March. Some slopes may be still closed in early December, but if you want to avoid the ski-season crowds, it's the ideal time to visit. The summer months of June, July and August tend to be warm, bright and rainy.
Cuisine
Switzerland's national dish is the fondue, popular in both cheese and meat varieties. Cheese-wise, you'll find rich, tasty blends of local cheeses (including the region's speciality, Emmental), often mixed with champagne, and enjoyed with chunks of bread. Meat fondues use either hot oil or clear soup. Raclette - a puddle of hot cheese drizzled over potatoes and served with pickles - is also a regional staple, as are rösti potato cakes, which often accompany bacon and eggs. Swiss wines don't get much international attention, but this is an export issue rather than a quality concern - many are excellent, with some wonderful Rieslings and pinot noirs produced in the Bernese Oberland. For dessert, pick up thick aniseed-laced gingerbread at one of Adelboden's patisseries.
Taxis
Taxi Bergmann (+41 (0)33 673 2848) is Adelboden's only operator. Alternatively, book a horse-drawn carriage with Ruth and Robert Dänzer (+41 (0)33 673 28 37).
Tipping
Most bills will include a service charge, but most visitors should also expect to round up the bill or throw in an extra five to 10 per cent.
Currency
Swiss Franc (CHF).
Packing
In winter, bring shoes suitable for tramping through snow, and enough warm layers to keep off the chill. Sunglasses are a year-round essential - the light can be blinding.
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Worth Doing
Arts
Adelboden's little village church is the town's centrepoint and still looks just as it did in when built in 1433. It's worth checking out both for the frescoes beside the entrance, and Augusto Giacometti's stained-glass windows. Folklore evenings are scheduled in the summer months between June and August, featuring displays of Alpine traditions such as yodelling, wrestling and dance.
And...
Adelboden is also home to a mineral spring, from which it produces Adelbodner, a bottled water brimming with calcium, magnesium, and general mineral goodness.
Shopping
Adelboden's main (and pretty much only) street, Dorfstrasse is lined with ski shops selling everything the discerning snowsports enthusiast could possibly need - try Crazy Sports (+41 (0)33 673 3000) for snowboarding gear, Oester Sports (+41 (0)33 673 1625) for skiwear. Le Tricot (+41 (0)79 400 8474) sells preppy woollens à la Fat Face, and Couture Schwarz (+41 (0)33 673 43 68) is the outlet of Adelboden's own Armani, bespoke designer Heidi Schwarz.
Viewpoint
You're met with staggering panoramas at every turn in this town, but for a vertigo-inducing scenic ogle, take the cable car up to Tschentenalp - Adelboden's resident mountain and watch the town shrink before you as you ascend. At the top, nab a spot on the restaurant's terrace and admire the valley sprawling below.
Something
If you've a head for heights, hike the riverside trail from Frutigen to Rohrbach and make the dizzying crossing over the longest suspension bridge in Europe.
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Diary
January The FIS Ski World Cup brings a global contingent of skiers slaloming down the slopes and a festival atmosphere consumes the town. February In traditional Alpine dress, two-man sledge teams compete at breakneck speeds in the Horäschlittä-Renä sledge race. June In one of the most impressive annual migrations outside the Serengeti, several hundred cows are led up the narrow paths to the grassy plateau atop Engstligenalp. December The start of the ski season is marked with the Winterylüte festival, which sees an ice rink and Christmas market come to the town.