Gimmelwald - best time of year?

just,

The shoulder seasons are probably your best bet (May / June or Sept. / Oct.). There will be other travellers there at that time of year, but the town shouldn't be swamped.

Our first trip there was the end of Sept- Oct, and our second time was June. Snow was expected the day we were leaving the first of October.

I once asked a local the weather forecast while we were there in June. He said, “ There is no forecast! We are in the alps!”

Both trips there was fog and rain, but we seem to always hit it right. Lucky for us.

We were there in 2005 and 2014 and neither time would I have said there were crowds. Maybe some day trippers, but there aren’t even enough locals to create a crowd!

A vote for September, the month with fewest rain days and very pleasant weather in general. Sunset at the start of the month is around 8:00p (7:15p closer towards October); so long days to experience the natural beauty all around.

Switzerland is always expensive, so, economically speaking, not sure your CHF goes any farther one month versus another (although flights may be cheaper off-season). Crowds is a subjective term ... was there in July a few years ago and even during (that) peak summer month it wasn't really what I'd call crowded. Just a few extra people on the gondolas and trails, but nothing like what's become the norm in places like Cinque Terre, Hallstatt, et al.

I was there in July in the late afternoon and we hardly saw anyone else. The Gondola ride down was beautiful.

One of the problems going in the shoulder season of May/October is that while not crowded many hotels and restaurants (in all the mountain towns) shut down completely until the summer/ski season starts. Also the weather can be very unpredictable which can problematic if you want to do a lot of hiking. If there was a harsh winter most of the hiking trail will still be snowed in until June, and a surprise storm in October will thwart your plans overnight. On the flip side those hotels that are still open will be much cheaper off-season compared to Summer, so you are going to have to balance out the pros and cons.

We were in Lauterbrunnen and traveling all about the Jungfrau Region from Sept 25 to Oct 9 this year. By the 9th, many places were shutting down and many more would in the following few days. Some lifts close in mid-Oct as well, but late Sept was delightful in weather and once away from the Lauterbrunnen train station and Kleine Scheidegg the crowds were light.

We had the same experience as Laurel. The first week in October was nice, chilly but sunny, but some places were beginning to shut down until the December ski season. We stayed in Murren. Gimmelwald is a very small town, no crowds.

Agree with those who say the so-called shoulder seasons (while great elsewhere) are not advised for Gimmelwald: 1. Gimmelwald / Murren is so small that they are really only geared for the full tourist season. You will find a lot of things closed until July. 2. May and even June is still winter at the Schilthorn, so if alpine hiking is your thing you'll be limited to lower altitudes. We were there first week of July and there was still too much snow (18") to hike down from Schilthorn, which was disappointing.

We were there first week of July, and stayed in Murren, and thought it was perfect. Not crowds, but everything is open and enough people to give atmosphere.

I was in the Lauterbrunnen, Murren, Gimmelwald area during mid to late September, and all of the trains and lifts were running then. You will have some closures starting in October.

The hotels and restaurants were open and weren’t too crowded. I had made reservations, but was able to extend my stay for an extra night in my last hotel to take advantage of a beautiful day so I could hike some more.

The weather was good with some rainy and cloudy days, but that’s a possibility any time of the year. There were some beautiful warm sunny days and several cloudy days that were still good for hiking. It was a little chilly at times, but I never used the thick layer I brought just in case it got cold. I did wear a sweater some nights while walking around town.

Most of the cows had been taken down to lower pastures, but there were still some up in the mountains.

I visited Gimmelwald on two separate days; there were other tourists, but not crowded. The cable cars were running to both Stechelberg and to Murren.

All the best,

Thanks for the info, everyone. Sounds like early September might be a good bet.

I have been to Gimmelwald several times in mid-May to early June and it's fine. There is no shortage of open hotels or restaurants. The weather is great, the flowers are in bloom, and crowds are down. The downside is that some cable cars or funiculars might be closed for maintenance and most high elevation trails could snowed in. Meh - my high-elevation hiking days are done.

Went to Murren mid-July. Perfect weather, never felt crowded. There are infinite ways to escape into the Alps.

The mountain village transports never completely shutdown without an alternative being available. Those villages are actually communities of people who actually live there and they have to able to travel about.