You are being extremely helpful! It's just as important to know when and where NOT to go, so I don't take them to the wrong place. This I can tell you. I went to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald last week on a scouting expedition for some other friends who are coming in August and want to do the Jungfraujoch and the only wildflowers I saw were the ones directly along the sides of the road and/or traintracks. The other scenery, of course, more than made up for that! Had my first spotting of those great shaggy cows and an actual farmer person using an actual scythe. Almost embarrassed to admit what a Swiss newbie I am!

I don't know about Grindelwald, but the only shaggy cattle around here are Galloways!!! and they are bred for beef!

I'm still looking around for flower sites on the net though, so maybe we'll come up with something yet.

Re Newbie - I bet there are a quite a few genuine Swiss who don't know where you can find wild flowers either.

If I was you I would head toward the Engadin.
The original "Heidi village" is situated high above the lake of Maloja.
Its called GREVASALVAS and is near to Plun da Lej, Sils.
To get to the village you must walk up the small path from the lake side.
In july its a fantastic view over the lake towards the BERNINA.

Your search for wild flowers is quite simple, the mountain flowers are at there best in the spring. the mountain springtime goes from about the start of may (at 1000mts) and reises about 100 mts each week. The spring flowers in the Engadin (more than 1600mts) start towards the end of june.
This explains why you saw very little in Grindelwald.
In the Engadin the FEXTAL and ROSEGTAL are nature pure.

On a day trip GRIMENTZ and the LÖTSCHENTAL are at that time of the year, worth a visit and like I said before if you go up to between 1600 and 2000mts you will have the atmosphere you are looking for.
Hope this helps.
Salut zamma

Just an update for those who are also looking for wildflowers. Deep Purple and Tolala were much, much too subdued in their description of Rochers-de-Naye. It was stunning. A vast profusion of wildflowers everywhere on the train ride up the mountain. The slopes were covered. A great experience from beginning to end.

And to think that I had trouble getting my husband to accompany me on my pre-visitor reconnaissance mission on a sleepy Sunday morning! He was like a crazed photo-maniac the whole time.

Thanks so much for everyone's suggestions.

One of the best meadows I've ever seen here in Switzerland was in Zinal in early July 3 or 4 years ago - there is a meadow on the hillside to the east of the village, at the start of the walks leading up towards Alp Arpietta (or something like that!). It was completely stuffed with more wildflowers than I've ever seen, including liles, orchids and columbines. You definitely needed a good flower book and a lot of time to climb up through this area. The views from further up the hillside were also really lovely, so a nice area to walk.

It's possibly a bit far for your friends, but if anyone is heading over to Zinal it's worth checking out. I'd recommend the campsite (Les Rousses) and there was a small restaurant next to it with a variety of small animals to visit.

Glad you enjoyed it. When I went there it was September, so that may account for the difference

I will have to visit earlier in the year next time

We've just come back from a fantastic walk today at Leysin and walked a beautiful route which I thought may interest you. We took the canle car to the top of Berneuse (16SF or 11SF with TCS discount) and then followed the large path down to the Lac de Mayan buvette. Nice flowers en route, mainly gentians, globe flowers and anenomes. The buvette is great, in a fantastic setting - can't recommend it enough! Then we followed the path which contoured fround to Brion and towards Les Fers. The first kilometre is gently down hill and through some gorgeous fields of flowers - a really good selection inc some typical "alpines". Then there was a terrifying descent down a crag; although there was a chain to help it was quite challenging so I'd only attempt it if you were OK with scrambling... We had our 3 yr old with us so had to pass her down all the rocks and she was not particularly impressed. Then it's either a trip to the Les Fers buvette or a gentle walk downhill back to Leysin. Great views of the Les Diablerets glacier too. Totally walking time with a small child was three hours, so quite doable for adults.

I personally love Schynigge Platte, between Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen. Gorgeous views of the lakes going up the train, and you can do easy or monster hikes depending on your fitness level. Fantastic garden up there with sweeping views of the valley, and often not as crowded as the big attractions (Kliene Schiedegg or Murren) that lead to the mountains. They also have a pretty nice Sunday buffet breakfast.

If you want something closer, you an also check out the Apnzell, especially Santis. There is great wildflowers around the base, and a nice lift of the mountain for the full Swiss experience, only about an hour from Zurich nd easily do-able as a day trip.

It think Big Mara got it in one, although I think the best wildflowers I've ever seen here were in the Poschiavo/Puschlav valley, over the other side of the Bernina pass. If you've got the $$, then I hear that the red rattler (Bernina Express), is one of the top 10 train rides in the world, and I would believe it. My grandparents have done it twice and said it was amazing. Probably couldn't be further from Lausanne though

My parents are in town and my stepmom is a huge flower enthusiast. These posts have inspired me to take them to Rochers-de-Naye. I hope the weather clears up this weekend!

I have seen some beautiful alpine flowers very high up, well away the trampling feet of tourists.

Some of you have been complaining about the long winter. Well, spring has sprung.

Yesterday, in spite of snow in some places, we found a sunny bank covered with delicate scilla (spring squill) and later a bank full of the brilliant yellow flowers of the coltsfoot.

A lovely surprise to brighten a rather grey afternoon.

In the grass patch in front of a neighbour's house, some little blooms like these:


Could they be Swiss snowdrops?

In my garden snowdrops and crocuses and are all in full bloom. The wild primroses which have seeded all over the place have just started to flower in the sunnier spots. Daffodils are well up and I reckon will start to flower in a couple of weeks. Tulips are just pushing up their shoots.

YES, they are the "Schneeglöggli" indeed generally perceived as signs of approaching spring-time

Hi all,

Can anyone tell me what the bright yellow flowers are that are planted by the farmers everywhere. I assume they are planted as they seem to be in rows.

Do they use them for something specific?

It's our first spring here so everything is new to us! very exciting!

Rapeseed? Grown for oil.

Trubsee between Engleberg and Titlis has a mountain flower trail. There must be over 100 species labelled. It was great there today

I have a passonate interest in Swiss wild flowers. Last year I photoed lots of them around my place in Geneva but this year I think I would go up the mountains. Do you have where and when is the best time to do so with zero experience of hiking?

If you havent already done so, you should pop up to the alpine garden of Rochers de Naye (you can take the train from Montreux). But you'll have to wait until June for the garden to open for the season.


http://www.montreuxriviera.com/en/cu...ns/LaRambertia