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Grindelwald or Wengen Daytrip from Luzern in Mid-April?

Posted by (New York, NY) on

Which would you recommend?

I visited Lauterbrünnen & Mürren 5 years ago and want to return to the Bernese Oberland. I will have purchased the SBB Saver Day Pass.

I now have a spinal disability so I cannot take cable cars as I would have to stand for a period of time so trains are the way I can travel. Hence I am considering Grindelwald & Wengen. Taking the train to the top of the Jungfrau is not in the budget unfortunately.

I would love to be able to walk around and take in the spectacular scenery of both the Alps & the waterfalls higher than at the valley floor. I plan to have my main meal of the day there as well.

In the middle of April, which would you recommend as this is between the winter and summer seasons? Or is there a third high-altitude option that I can get to by train on the Saver Day Pass?

Thanks!

Posted by
32351 posts

Continental,

I wasn't overly impressed with Grindelwald, and I suspect it will be somewhat quiet in the middle of April. Wengen would probably be my choice, but I'm not sure what that will be like at that time-of-year.

Posted by
4071 posts

Thanks Ken. I want to do a day trip and maybe it means returning to Mürren which was gorgeous. I am not sure how I would do on the funicular as I would not be able to sit.

Posted by
77 posts

Continental - Here are some additional options that don't require standing for any long period of time but get you into the mountains:
- Take the mountain train from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen or Kleine Scheidegg - I'd go to Kleine Scheidegg. You can have a good lunch at Grindelwaldblick Restaurant (short 10-minute walk from Kleine Scheidegg) on the patio with great views of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau (in good weather).
- Take the city bus from Grindelwald to Grosse Scheidegg. The hotel/restaurant at Grosse Scheidegg serves a good lunch on a patio with views of the mountains -- and there are several trails that leave from there. Check out the post I made in "Trip Reports" on "Hiking in the Berner Oberland."
- I think you can get to Kanderstag by train from Luzern. If so, there's a mountain lift (four persons in each car, seated) and an easy 30-minute trail from the top of the lift to Oescheninsee which is a beautiful mountain lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains. You can have a good lunch at Hotel/Restaurant Oescheninsee.

Posted by
7209 posts

The funicular on the route to Murren was replaced years ago by a gondola. Gondolas have bench seating around the edge with reserved space for handicapped.

Posted by
4071 posts

Bill, thank you for your ideas. Kleine Scheidegg sounds doable. As I will have the Saver Day Pass for the train between Luzern and Wengen, I can get off the train at Wengen, either walk around or buy a ticket to Kleine Scheidegg and then get back on the same train as the time table states the train waits in Wengen for 6 minutes. I can decide at that time whether to see Wengen before or after I go to Kleine Scheidegg.

I was very impressed by your trip report! What a fantastic trip.

Tim, thanks for the info about the seating on the Mürren gondola.

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