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Lauterbrunnen Valley
Lauterbrunnen Valley
If you only have time in your trip to savor one alpine region, make it the Berner Oberland's Lauterbrunnen Valley. Ride the cable car up to the 9,748-foot Schilthorn peak and linger among Switzerland's white-capped rooftop before riding down to the hillside hamlets of Mürren and Gimmelwald. Tunnel through the Eiger mountain on a train ride to Europe's highest station, at the saddle between the Jungfrau and Mönch peaks. At the valley's center lies the namesake town of Lauterbrunnen and its mighty waterfall. Your gateway to the valley is the old resort town of Interlaken; nearby is Switzerland's open-air folk museum of Ballenberg. But when the weather's fine, head to the hills, and bask in the Alps' most dramatic panoramas from a spot just this side of heaven.
At a Glance
Towns, Villages, and Resorts
▲▲▲ Gimmelwald Wonderfully rustic time-warp village — and good home-base option — on the slopes of the Lauterbrunnen Valley's western hillside.
▲▲▲ Mürren Pleasant resort town above Gimmelwald, midway up the Schilthorn cable-car line; a good high-mountain home base for those who find Gimmelwald too small and rustic.
▲▲ Kleine Scheidegg Small resort area with breathtaking views of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau peaks; several hotels and restaurants; and train station for pricey ride to the high-altitude Jungfraujoch.
▲ Lauterbrunnen The valley's small-town namesake. From here, a cable car goes up to Grütschalp (with connections to Mürren and Gimmelwald), a train runs up to Wengen (with connections to Kleine Scheidegg and the Jungfraujoch), and the PostBus goes to Stechelberg (with connections to the Schilthornbahn lift).
▲ Interlaken Big town between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, at the "entrance" to the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
Top Lifts and Trains
▲▲▲ Schilthornbahn Two cable cars soaring from Stechelberg, on the valley floor, to the 9,748-foot Schilthorn peak, with Piz Gloria revolving restaurant, James Bond exhibit, and stupendous views. Stops at Gimmelwald, Mürren, and Birg along the way.
▲▲▲ Jungfraubahn Train running from Kleine Scheidegg station and through tunnel inside Eiger and Mönch mountains to 11,333-foot Jungfraujoch saddle, with observation deck, restaurants, tip-top views, and snow activities.
Walks and Hikes
▲▲▲ North Face Trail Relatively easy, view-filled hike from top of Allmendhubel funicular to villages of Mürren and/or Gimmelwald, passing farms with food service, Sprutz waterfall, mountain huts, and meadows.
▲▲▲ Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg Easy, mostly downhill ridge hike from cable-car station at Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg, with spectacular views of Eiger and more.
▲▲▲ Panorama Way Loop Trail Breathtaking two-hour loop ridge hike from the top of the Schynige Platte train line.
▲▲ Cloudy-Day Lauterbrunnen Valley Walk Easy trails and pleasant walk (or bike ride) along the valley floor, plus short trail to Staubbach Falls at upper end of town.
▲▲ Eiger Trail Awe-inspiring hike at the foot of the Eiger's North Face.
▲▲ Schynige Platte to First Demanding all-day ridge walk from Schynige Platte train station to gondola station at First. Fabulous views of Jungfrau-area peaks and Lake Brienz.
▲▲ Birg to Gimmelwald via Bryndli High, scenic, difficult hike from Birg cable-car station below Schilthorn summit to Gimmelwald. Trail winds past knobby summit of Bryndli, with nonstop views.
▲ Sefinen Valley to Kilchbalm Easy trail from village of Gimmelwald up Sefinen Valley to dramatic Kilchbalm, a glacier-carved bowl with streams, waterfalls, and meadows.
▲ Allmendhubel to Grütschalp Fairly easy walk from Allmendhubel down to Grütschalp, with views of the Jungfrau.
▲ Grütschalp to Mürren Super-easy, family-friendly stroll along the ridge with grand views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau.
▲ Mürren to Gimmelwald Super-easy, paved, entirely downhill 30-minute stroll.
▲ Gimmelwald–Tanzbödeli–Obersteinberg–Stechelberg/Gimmelwald Difficult yet highly rewarding all-day hike offering spectacular views and relative solitude (other than goats, cows, chamois, and a cheese maker).
More Sightseeing Options
▲▲ Swiss Open-Air Museum at Ballenberg Fine collection of traditional buildings near Interlaken, on Lake Brienz.
▲ Trümmelbach Falls Lauterbrunnen Valley's most powerful falls, accessed via elevator ride up into the mountain and dramatic walk through several wet caves.
▲ Harder Kulm Easy funicular ride from Interlaken up to a historic restaurant with a grand view.
Plan
Photos
Watch
Read
- Above Gimmelwald, in Search of Edelweiss
- ‘Cheese Sharing’ in the Berner Oberland
- Christmas in the Swiss Alps Glistens with Tradition
- Flying with Fritz in Switzerland
- Gimmelwald: The Swiss Alps in Your Lap
- Obeying the Power of the Alps in Switzerland’s Lauterbrunnen Valley
- Off the Beaten Track in Switzerland
- Peak Experiences in Alpine Europe
- Romantic Europe: Places in the Heart
- Swiss Bliss on a Berner Oberland Hike
- Switzerland’s High Cow Culture
- What’s Cooking in Switzerland