Gimmelwald
Gimmelwald is located in Bernese, Switzerland. Gimmelwald is a small village, situated between Stechelberg and Mürren. The city is located at 1363 m altitude. Gimmelwald can be easily reached by gondola from Schilthorn.
In Gimmelwald are sold wonderful fresh cheeses. The village has its own school, and fire. The main livelihood of the population of the village comes from farming and tourism. Thanks to beautiful scenery, clean air and unforgettable views, Gimmelwald becomes a favorite tourist destination. Gimmelwald‘s population is one hundred and thirty people.
Farmers in the area of the village raise cows, from whose milk is produced special Swiss cheese. In the village there are several small hotels and one hostel. The village has avoided becoming a ski resort, by being declared an avalanche zone, which does not correspond to reality.
Between Gimmelwald and Mürren us a walkway. With the rest of Switzerland, Gimmelwald connects by gondola.
The first days of the year in Gimmelwald are coldest. The sun appears for an hour at noon, and then disappears behind the peaks. Usually after Christmas and New Year, when hotels are full of tourists, comes the season of wilderness.
In the early days of the year the lift is crowded with tourists who leave. To cope with the situation, the local organize the so-called "race to hell." This is a race in late January, when skiers arrive here from all over the world to descend into the so-called "deep" - the distance you must travel during the descent is over 15 kilometers. This is one of the most complex and lengthy ski descents in the world. Sometimes over a thousand skiers who descend to the abyss come together. Just in case, there are helicopters and medical teams to respond to an incident.
In Gimmelwald, locals work mostly in tourism, but most of them care for their pets early morning and late evening. In winter, older people are busy making poles for the pastures. In April, a competition for cow beauty - "Miss World - Wahl" takes place. Before the competition every householder’s Cow bathes with warm water and special shower gels. For a shiny coat, the cows are brushed with a high-pressure compressor.
In early summer, almost all residents of Gimmelwald climb to the mountain pastures, where they put fencing poles. They are transported by helicopters. Then they determine what day to board the cows on the alpine pastures. Here ancient legends play a big role as Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday cows should not be picked up. It's impossible for this to be done on June 22, again because of old beliefs. If the rule is violated, the cows can be killed by lightning or fire, the elderly are convinced. All cows from the village set off at two o'clock in the morning to the alpine pastures and leave Gimmelwald until the end of summer.
On 21 September summer ends and the cows return from the mountain, each family gets its cheese produced from the milk of these cows. Throughout the village travel carts, filled with alpine cheese, which are stored in warehouses for old cheese. Every family handles fresh cheese by its own secret recipe. The most delicious cheese is aged for two-years, which is wonderful in grated form.
