Unique Travel Experiences in the Alps

Top Experiences for Millennials in the Alps

Are you an active traveler—someone who wants to write your own adventure?  Do you want to connect with real people, and come home with things money can't buy? Are you an independent traveler with an explorative nature?

Then the Alps are calling your name. Nature wants you back.  

Here are the top ten picks for unforgettable moments in the Alps:

1. Trek the Haute Route

As the crow flies, it's 40 miles from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn—but you'll be hiking over 90 miles. On a high-level route from Chamonix to Zermatt you cross mountain passes, skirt glaciers, and come within view of the highest peaks of the Alps.

2. Discover Digital Detox

Silence the earbuds, escape social media, and give your little laptop a rest. Digital detox is life unplugged—the ultimate freedom. A pastoral alpine chalet, with a garden, a brook, and dazzling views is the perfect place to reboot the soul.

3. Learn Fly Fishing at the Matterhorn

Above Zermatt, with jaw-dropping views of the Matterhorn, an alpine lake holds a healthy balance of Trout and Char. It's just a short walk beyond the lake and toward the glacier to a mountain lodge where your prized catch is prepared and served to you—the freshest fish you've ever eaten.

4. Create Your Own Artisan Chocolate

Bean-to-bar chocolate making starts with the best beans, perfectly roasted, ground, and conched to produce the silky confection. Immerse yourself in the world of fine chocolate with instruction from a master chocolatier and tastings.

5. Climb a 4000-meter Peak

For experienced climbers, peaks like the Matterhorn or Mont Blanc await. But for starters, rent crampons and an ice axe in Zermatt for a non-technical morning ascent of the Breithorn—and be back in Zermatt for fondue that afternoon. 

6. Retrace the Footsteps of JRR Tolkien

The inspiration for Middle Earth came from a trip to the Swiss Alps when Tolkien was a lad. Recapture the magic of misty mountains, underground waterfalls, and the towering cliffs that inspired the Lord of the Rings.

7. Make Your Own Cheese 

You're up for the pre-dawn milking of the cows. Then with a little culture, wood-fired heat, and stirring, the magic happens. Your cheese goes to the cellar for the affinage, while you enjoy a perfectly-aged round from last year.

8. Pick up Plein Air Painting

Find your undiscovered artistic side with the majestic Alps as your mountain muse. Instead, come home with original watercolors that you painted with the guidance of an award-winning art instructor.

9. Hunt for Forest Truffles

With an expert truffle hunter, devoted dog, and a little luck you'll uncover rare black summer truffles in the forests of the Jura mountains. Back at the farmhouse, spread truffle butter over crusty French bread and discover why these fungi fetch hundreds of dollars per kilo.

10. Cross the World's Longest Footbridge

This ribbon of steel is just 25 inches wide, a third of a mile long, and suspended 282-feet above the ground. Not for the faint of heart, but the payout is the spectacular views of the Weisshorn and its glaciers.