Top Reasons to Go to Berner Oberland

Top of the world: At 11,400 feet, the Jungfraujoch peak isn't the highest place on the planet, but you could probably see it from here.

Twin peeks: The upwardly mobile head to the adjacent, mountaintop villages of Wengen and Mürren to find the Switzerland of cheese, chalet, and chic cliché.

Shangri-la found: The Lauterbrunnen Valley is Yosemite blown up to the nth dimension, complete with 76 cascading waterfalls (among Europe's highest).

Gstaad, dahling: Money attracts money, and there's certainly lots of it here. Mere mortals can indulge in exquisite meals, skiing, and overnight stays in paradise.

Old Switzerland, in a nutshell: Ballenberg is a delightfully reconstructed Swiss village—à la America's Williamsburg—with traditional crafts on show.