This Alpine Restaurant is 100% Swissness Overload

What if you were asked to name the very essence that makes something Swiss?

You might utter words like Geranium or the Matterhorn. Or maybe entire concepts like quality or perfection. On a recent summer weekend while hiking in Braunwald, I tossed words and concepts right out the window. That’s because I saw this quintessentially Swiss mountain restaurant!

Pictures speak louder than words, so have a look at all those intricate details that remind of another era:

Berggasthaus Gumen seems like stuck in time. For one, I remember this exact furniture from my childhood in the 80's...

Has this menu ever changed? Probably not, because they serve only classics like barley soup, spaghetti bolognese or Bratwurst...

... and cold cuts, smoked sausage, salsiz or that iconic mixed salad.

For refreshing beverages, how about Elmer Citro, Sinalco or Rivella? It's a tough call for someone who loves Swiss soda pops as much as I do...

As you can see, I went for Elmer Citro (the Swiss version of Sprite). It is produced not far from Braunwald in the town of Elm.

Then, in the nearby chairlift station, these empty cases of Möhl apple cider waiting to be hauled back to town.

And this concludes my little excursion into a quintessential Swiss mountain restaurant! Did you feel as nostalgic as I did?

More Information

- See the killer views on this hike in Braunwald
- Berggasthaus Gumen