Never mind the Med — I stumbled on real summer magic in the Swiss Alps

The Bernese Oberland may be a haven for skiers come winter, but at this time of year, the soundtrack is altogether different.

The swoosh of the slopes is replaced by the clanging of cowbells and the sound of the Alphorn echoing through the valleys.

I’m here for a celebration of the region’s most elite residents. Not the A-list glitterati that descend on Gstaad with the first snowfall, but its 11,000-strong population of Simmental cattle.

At the dawn of springtime, these beautiful beasts are led to Alpine pastures for their annual summer sojourn, where lush grass and wildflowers make for the sweetest milk.

It’s a land of postcard views (if you haven’t seen the Swiss Alps in summer, imagine if Disney made mountain vistas), of cooling lakes for post-hike dips and of Alpkäse, the showstopper cheese of the region that can only be made from the milk of cows who have spend their 90 day summer vacation grazing at high altitude.

Heidi hi!

My adventure begins in Adelboden, a Heidi-like village nestled between the mountains at 1,350m.

I check into The Cambrian, a boutique hotel owned by two Welshmen who fell in love with the region as youngsters and brought a dose of the Welsh valleys to the Swiss ones when they bought the property in 2009. (B&B from around £215 per night.)

Bedecked with nods to home, such as wool blankets and intricate woodwork, it boasts spectacular views across green mountainside, the ever-present soundtrack of tinkling cow bells permeating from afar.

Thanks to the impeccable Swiss transport system, journeying to the heart of the Oberland couldn’t be simpler. Fly to Zurich, take a train via Bern to Frütigen, and then it’s 30 minutes by bus (all of which are on time to the second…), which trundles into the village station directly opposite the hotel.

Car-free travel couldn’t be easier when the excellent Swiss Travel Pass (from £229 for a three-day ticket) covers everything.

Adelboden in the summer is a haven of pavement cafes and children playing in the square.

A walking tour of the village takes in the 15th-century church before we head for the hills, the most challenging part made infinitely easier thanks to a glorious system of gondolas taking the hard work out of the hike.

The Adelboden-Lenk-Kandersteg region is a haven for hikers of all fitness levels, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a route that doesn’t take your breath away.

Drunk on cheese

High up on the Alpine pastures, we finally get a taste of the famous Alpkäse, thanks to cheesemaker Peter Germann. Spending summers in his mountain hut, he lovingly makes each wheel by hand as his father Adolf did before him, and his father before him.

Passing walkers can pick up a hunk to accompany their mountainside lunch. We were welcomed with open arms, plied with plates of sweet nutty cheese, fresh bread and butter and coffee, and invited to have a go at the cheesemaking process: carefully heating the milk, scooping out the curds, straining the whey and shaping it into a press where it’s weighted for 24 hours before being salt brined for half a day, then put away on a shelf to age for at least 12 months.

It’s certainly a labour of love given the yield, and since Alpkäse is a protected name – and a rarity compared to most Swiss cheeses – it makes it even more delicious.

Drunk on cheese in the summer sun, a refreshing dip in the reservoir is much appreciated before heading back down the mountain and indulging in The Cambrian’s open-air spa, watching the sun set and the stars emerge twinkling over the mountaintops.

With views like this, it’s easy to see why the owners chose to settle.

From Adelboden we embark on a scenic journey to Gstaad, the setting for the week’s most glorious of summer celebrations.

The pull of the mountains

The Züglete is celebrated but once a year (the next is on September 6) with the day marking the end of summer grazing as the cows are led, resplendent in floral crowns, in pomp and ceremony from their mountainside dining, down through the town.

It’s a remarkable occasion, a day of festivity that begins with a procession of giant cowbells ringing in their VIP guests along the promenade and the sound of the Alphorn reverberating through the streets.

Each local farming family, some of three generations, takes turns in bringing their herd through the cheering crowds of locals, tourists, and choirs, with keen ears straining to hear the distant ringing that indicates the next troupe is en route.

It’s a truly heartwarming experience, not to mention a far cry from the typical picture of Gstaad with its designer boutiques and personalised number plates.

This is the true heart of the Alps and the kind of cultural experience that ignites the love of travel.

Just days after we left, the town experienced the first snowfall of the season; it seems those farmers were in the know after all.

With the ever-growing trend of coolcations and a yearning to avoid the overcrowded beaches of the Mediterranean, the summertime pull of the mountains becomes more appealing every year.

And with Switzerland’s finest cheese and a parade of flower-crowned cattle calling, who am I to fight it?

Laurel Waldron was a guest of Switzerland Tourism.