Gimmelwald in the Summer - or Alternatives

I love Switzerland, and I love the alpine villages of Murren, Gimmelwald, Wengen (and I stay in Murren every year) - but I would never never base myself in Gimmelwald. Yes, of course, visit it for maybe an hour, the views are breath taking. But so are the views from Murren (just above Gimmelwald) where you have hotels, restaurants, a grocery store. Both Murren and Gimmelwald are villages, but Gimmelwald is just not a vacation destination...in my opinion of course.

It's very easy to navigate between the two villages as they are connected by the Schilthornbahn gondola and the paved walking path is one of my favorite walks (down from Murren to Gimmelwald).

Summer might be off-season for skiing, but it's peak season for hiking and other sports around the valley. We would certainly make a home base up on the mountainside, to be able to wake up to those views each morning. If you don't need all the handy services of Muerren, then staying in Gimmelwald is probably the best way (aside from camping) to feel like you're "getting away from it all."

Laura is correct. We stayed in Gimmelwald. There is not more feeling of getting away from it. There are a three places to eat in Gimmelwald and we have been to two of them, they are great. The grocery store is up in Murren as are alot of restaurants. Stay up in the mountains, Gimmelwald, Murren or Wengen. There is one bike shop in Murren to rent bikes. You can ride around. Take the trail down to Stechelburg. There are some paved trails that get into the mountains North Face Trail and the trail to Almendhuble come to mind. On the valley floor, you can ride on the walking trail from Stechelburg to Lauterbrunnen which is very flat.

I would stay three nights. Book as soon as you can, because the best places get filled up and prices rise quickly.

I agree with Tim; stay in Murren. We hiked through both villages, and figured Gimmelwald was worth about 10 minutes of our time. Yes, you might get a feeling of being away from it all, but I believe you can get that same feeling in Murren or Lauterbrunnen. They are all quaint villages, in my opinion. The Lauterbrunnen Valley is stunning and definitely worth of multi-day visit, wherever you may stay.

Bobby,

There's not a lot to do in Gimmelwald but if you don't mind quiet evenings after a day of hiking & biking, it's a good choice. It depends what you're looking for. There's usually a lively group in the Mountain Hostel in the evenings, and even if you're staying in one of the other lodgings, you can still drop by there for a "cool one". I thought the food at the Pensione restaurant was good, but it's been a few years so that may have changed.

If you want more hotels, more restaurants and services, then Mürren would be a good choice. I have stayed in Gimmelwald, but normally stay in Lauterbrunnen these days, as it's the transportation hub for the area and therefore easy to get to either side of the valley. Lauterbrunnen is on the valley floor, and many travellers prefer the views that Gimmelwald and Mürren offer.

It's probably helpful for first timers to realize that it's only 5 minutes on the gondola from Murren to Gimmelwald.

I would not have thought of Gimmelwald or Muerren as a winter ski destination anyway. Do people go there to ski? I thought the area around there was mostly private farm land.

stan,

Yes, the area above Mürren is definitely a ski area. This is a few years old, but shows the lift station being constructed at Birg, which is a mid-point station between Mürren and the Schilthorn - https://eagle07.smugmug.com/Travel/Switzerland-2006/i-KCXLSsg/A . They have ski racks inside the station at Birg, so that's a good indication. I believe the Allmend-Hubel Funicular is also used for skiers, although I've never been there in the winter.

Oh my gosh: Have you ever heard of the Inferno Race? The whole area is a huge ski destination :-)

https://www.inferno-muerren.ch/en

or the Lauberhorn in Wengen:

http://www.lauberhorn.com/en/

Do people go there to ski? I thought the area around there was mostly private farm land. Oh yes! This is one of the most popular winter sport destinations in the world. Skiing is the biggest money-maker for the region, and it generally subsidizes the costs of Alpine animal husbandry, which would otherwise be economically unfeasible. Grazing cows on the ski pistes is the best way to keep them groomed and from becoming overrun. Personally, I found the skiing on the Mürren side of the valley a little underwhelming, but the Wengen-Grindelwald side has some of the best I've experienced anywhere. And remember how James Bond escaped from Piz Gloria? It certainly wasn't on the back of a cow!

...OK, technically they filmed most of that scene at Saas-Fee, but they could just have well filmed it above Mürren...

Good to know! I just kept picturing people flying downhill past Gimmelwald into the valley. I am just glad that Mürren is not overwhelmed by ski shops and related resort trappings.

Thanks for all of the helpful tips. I plan on getting Rick's book on Switzerland to help decide precisely where to go and how to get there. But, if I'm coming on a train from Paris, which station should I plan to get off at, if I want to go to the Meurren and/or Gimmelwald area? This would be in late June.

Bobby,

When travelling to the Lauterbrunnen Valley, you'll need to disembark at Interlaken Ost which is the second stop. You'll then transfer to the Berner Oberlandbahn for the short ride to Lauterbrunnen (about 20 minutes).

From Lauterbrunnen there are two choices so I'd need to know whether you're going to Gimmelwald or Mürren first.

Change trains at Interlaken Ost. When getting on the train to Lauterbrunnen make sure the car you board says Lauterbrunnen and not Grindelwald. The trains splits at Zwiessimmen. They will make an announcement. If you are on the wrong car, simply switch cars, they will give you time. There are signs outside the train on one side with the car's destination when the train stops at Zweissimmen.

For those who have been to the area, how often/late does the gondola from Murren to Gimmelwald run? We want to stay in Gimmelwald to really do the middle-of-nowhere thing, but I think I am going to prefer having more restaurant choices... is it possible to have dinner in Murren and head back to Gimmelwald on the gondola in the evening?

is it possible to have dinner in Murren and head back to Gimmelwald on
the gondola in the evening?

Of course! Even if it's late and the gondola isn't running, Gimmelwald is an easy down-hill walk from Murren.

Excellent, good to know, thanks FastEddie

Since Switzerland's public transport system is so well connected, even buses, boats, and lifts are reflected in train schedules at www.sbb.ch or the German version at How to Look Up Train Schedules and Routes Online. In Muerren, you need to choose a preferred station (lift or train) and then the sites will figure the fastest connections for you.

Thanks Laura! Very handy!

Looks like 1 per hour in the evening up until nearly midnight (!) for anyone interested.