Resort: Lauterbrunnen is an attractive village set in one of the most impressive valleys in the Alps, just over 2 hours from Geneva and Zurich, and fifteen minutes from Interlaken. Sitting between gigantic rock faces and mountain peaks and with 72 thundering waterfalls, secluded valleys, colourful alpine meadows and lonely mountain inns, the Lauterbrunnen Valley is one of the biggest nature conservation areas in Switzerland.

Winter: In the heart of the Jungfrau ski region skiers in Lauterbrunnen can chose to either take the cog railway up to Wengen or the funicular up to Murren to the mighty Schilthorn at 2970m. With 44 lifts, cable cars and charming trains give access to three ski regions of Grindelwald-First, Kleine Scheidegg-Männlichen and Mürren-Schilthorn and over 200 km of slopes. The challenging Lauberhorn World Cup Downhill in Wengen and Inferno down from Schilthorn and some twelve kilometre-long runs down to the valley keep experts and racers happy and there are plenty of easy cruising runs too. Over 40% of the slopes are equipped with snow-making machines so good conditions are guaranteed.

Summer: Over 500 km of signed footpaths offer walkers everything from easy paths to challenging Alpine hiking accessible by cable cars and trains. This is the most dramatic classic hanging valley in the Alps and the breathtaking panorama with the world-famous Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains as a backdrop makes this area a unique pleasure to visit at any time of the year. The lakes of Thun and Brienze and the busy town of Interlaken are just fifteen minutes away and offer many summer pleasures from golfing to boating.

Property: Lauterbrunnen is in the canton of Bern and the local rules permit 50% of new properties to be bought by foreigners but as only one apartment building is built per year these apartments are usually snapped up off plan. Apartments rent extremely well in Lauterbrunnen in both winter and summer and they are possibly the best value in Switzerland – a three bedroom apartment costs around 450,000 sfrs.