If, for some reason, the Alps aren’t enough of a clue and the street signs in Swiss-German don’t give it away, then taking part in a Forest Fondue will certainly confirm the fact you that are in this part of the world.
Because this just says “I’m in Switzerland!”
The Definition Of A Forest Fondue
What the heck is a Forest Fondue, you ask? Well, it’s an experience more than anything else. One that will leave a lasting impression of a trip to Switzerland.
It is fondue – made from Swiss cheese, which was probably made in the very village you’re staying – over a campfire on the edge of a forest outside of town with a Swiss accordion band playing music.
The hosts – which in PubClub.com’s case was a husband and wife team from the town of Lenk – do all the work while the guests huddle around the fire and chat.
The husband and wife work together, the husband huddled over a flame stirring cheese as it melts into a kettle, the wife going around to guests with little squares of bread and filling up shot glasses that hang around the neck with wine. Gotta keep the guests happy!
All the while a small Swiss band, with a guy who looks as he’s never left the Alps, is on the accordion playing traditional mountain music.
The food is great but the real thrill is this true Swiss atmosphere. It’s not fake, not some contrived big tourist attraction like the luaus in Waikiki Beach. It’s simple, basic and an experience that you’ll be telling people was perhaps the highlight of your trip to Switzerland.
PubClub.com had the Forest Fondue experience in Lenk, and after we dinner finished, our hosts put the kettle to another good use: Making a koffee drink spiked with schnapps!
We were then given torches to light our path for the short walk back to the village. Or, in PubClub.com’s case, they lit the way to the Tipi bar!
To experience the Forest Fondue, check with your hotel or the tourism office. In Lenk, contact the Meyers husband and wife team at 033-733-24-54 to set up this unique cultural experience; they can handle a few or a large group.
And frankly the larger the group the better the party!
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