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For a more luxurious trek, it's hard to beat the Alps for their winning combination of hospitality and scenery. The Swiss Berghaus, or mountain inn, is a venerable institution, offering warm beds and victuals for weary travelers. Ancient paths tread by shepherds and herdsmen through the ages form a cozy network of thoroughfares among snowy peaks and glaciers. Along the way, you'll also encounter the "alps," the mountain farms and cheese dairies from which the mountains get their name. In the Jungfrau region, you'll walk beneath the looming grandeur of the Eiger, Monch, and the Jungfrau itself along with many fellow tourists of varying abilities. For a more remote journey among quaint French-speaking villages, try the Haute Route out of Valais. The great pleasure of inn-to-inn hiking is that, with food and shelter taken care of, you only ever need carry a daypack. Without the heavy load, you can devote full attention to the crisp mountain air and local charm that have drawn visitors here for centuries.

Learn more about hiking in Switzerland.