Mountain Village in Switzerland

I’m not going to lie, I’m more of a wilderness backpacker than a hut-to-hut hiker. I like being out of cell service, far away from roads and without seeing any signs of civilization at all. But there are definitely advantages to hiking in Europe too - like having amazing cheese for dinner instead of another bland dehydrated meal, and getting to experience so much of the culture that makes Switzerland such a beautiful place.

This is Jungen, a tiny mountain village nestled high above the Matter Valley on the way toward Zermatt. There are no roads leading up here, so you either have to hike or take the small cable car from the valley below. It makes me wonder how a settlement ever came to exist in such an inaccessible place, although the beautiful green pastures surrounding the village probably provide part of the answer.

I arrived here after a long day crossing two mountain passes, the Forcletta and Augstbord Pass, plowing through plenty of snow along the way. I had finally reached the last valley of my 12-day Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt in June 2026.

Instead of descending all the way to the valley floor, I found a beautiful little campsite just above Jungen. From my tent, I could look down over the village, with glaciers and snow-covered mountains surrounding the valley in every direction.

Maybe civilization isn’t always so bad.