Area in Switzerland that is similar to Wengen

Posted by staplej on 04/28/24 05:58 PM

Hello from sunny Las Vegas. We were in Switzerland in 2023. We stayed in Interlaken for 2 nights and then spent 5 wonderful nights in Wengen. We like hikes and walks in nature.

Heading back to Switzerland in 2025 and are going back to Wengen for 4 nights. Would like to find a 2nd base to spend another 4 or 5 nights. Like quiet towns in the mountains with lots of hiking and walking opportunities. We get the OB pass so we are regularly use the trains, gondolas, etc to get to hiking trails.

Could you please recommend a 2nd base for our trip? I am looking at Grindelwald, Kandersteg, Meiningen, Appenzell? Thoughts?

Posted by wynoka54

04/28/24 10:36 PM

182 posts

I loved Kandersteg and Oeschinensee hike, and Fruitigen.

And you can hike the completely different area known as the Loetschental, isolated from much of the world until the '60's.

Posted by wanderweg

Nashville, TN

04/28/24 11:19 PM

612 posts

Bettmeralp is another car free village in the Valais with lots of hiking on the other side of the Aletsch Glacier. Highly recommend!

Posted by Lola

Seattle, WA

04/29/24 03:30 AM

17417 posts

I did not mention Bettmeralp as it is not within the BernerOberland Pass area. Plus I like to keep it out of the spotlight.

Kandersteg is nice and offers good hiking opportunities in the area, in the adjacent Gasterntal, as well as the remote Lötschental. Oeschinensee is beautiful. But some of the hiking trails above there have been closed due to the threat of rockfall from the Spitzerstein.

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/sci-tech/cop26-slpine-climate-threats-living-in-the-shadow-of-the-spitzer-stein-mountain-switzerland/47011992

https://www.gemeindekandersteg.ch/spitze-stei

Also, Kandersteg is home to an International Scouting Center, and the town hosts hundreds of Boy Scouts and Guides. It is great to see all these kids from all over the world learning to enjoy the mountains, but I would not call the village particularly “quiet”.

https://www.kisc.ch/why-kisc

It is a great place to visit and hike.

Posted by staplej OP

04/29/24 02:51 PM

2 posts

Thank you for your responses! Is there another mountain area outside of the OB area to the east that is really nice?

Posted by Laurel

Forest Grove, OR

04/29/24 03:26 PM

11773 posts

To the east, Pontresina is very nice. We have been twice for a week each time and will probably go back in 2025. We go in autumn so not sure about summer crowds.

Posted by Lola

Seattle, WA

04/29/24 03:34 PM

17417 posts

The Engadine Valley is to the east—-Pontresina, glitzy St.Moritz, and some smaller villages. It is known as a hiker’s paradise, but we have yet to spend time there.

https://www.engadin.ch/en/

https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/destinations/engadin-st-moritz/

Posted by Pat

San Diego, California

04/29/24 03:44 PM

5597 posts

Pontressina is a great area, and you could ride the Bernina Express regional trains down to Tirano, and back. We did that post- covid, and the scenery is so spectacular , I enjoyed the way back as much as the way out, about four hours RT.
Enjoy!