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Hiking Trails and Information in the Berner Oberland

My wife and I will be staying in Lauterbrunnen in late June. We plan to do alot of hiking and from a search within the RS website, I found this link:
http://www.jungfrau.ch/en/tourism/travel-information/hiking-trails/summary/

Does anyone know if the map on this website and the information about the trails (brief description, Nature, Family, Culture, Fitness, Difficulty, etc) can be purchased or obtained anywhere? Can I buy or obtain some/all of this information when I arrive in Lauterbrunnen at the tourist office there?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Posted by
715 posts

Cicerone Guides has lots of books on hiking in the alps. They are available on Amazon. Kev Reynolds has a great one on the Jungfrau Region which is where you should start.

Posted by
9096 posts

Jungfrau.ch has a fancy free map/brochure of all the trails listed on the site (very similar to the "overview map" on the page you are looking at). You can it pick up at your hotel, train/cable car stations, and the TI offices.

Posted by
101 posts

Get a copy of Kev Reynolds book "The Bernese Alps: A Walker's Guide" http://www.amazon.com/bernese-alps-walkers-guide/dp/1852844515. It contains all the information you will need for hiking in the Lauterbrunnental area.
General hiking maps are available locally. More detailed maps are available from Schweizer Wanderwege. Maps #254T and #264T cover the whole area on both sides of the valley. http://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/internet/swisstopo/de/home/products/maps/leisure/hiking/hiking_50.html
Two of our favorite hikes are from Murren to Rotstock hut, and Stechelberg to Obersteinberg and Oberhornsee.
By the way, just my opinion, but don't stay in the valley in Lauterbrunnen, stay in the mountains in Murren where you can enjoy the magical views every moment. Early mornings and late evenings are the best times to be in the Alps.

Posted by
8365 posts

DB when we were there in 2014, there were free trail maps (like the ones at ski resorts) all over town: at the cable stations and hotels for example. Its not wilderness, so everything is well-documented.

Posted by
11230 posts

I would say that is a pretty good list. I don't know that you can buy anything like it but you will get lots of helpful info and maps at the TI. Be sure to buy a pass for the lifts! I found the Berner Oberland Regional Pass a better value than the Jungfrau VIP Pass.

We spent a week in Lauterbrunnen last fall and hiked all over the area, both sides of the valley. We selected Lauterbrunnen because it is the transport hub with ease-of-access to both the Muerren side and the Wengen side.

We hike a lot, but not long, difficult hikes, so some we've enjoyed were #6 First to Grosse Scheidegg on the list (note you take the Post Bus back to Grindlewald) and #41 Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen, which we did in reverse, coming down the hill after hiking Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg, #33. #60 on the Schynige Platte is also a great experience. #52 is classic, but notably missing are a couple from the Rick Steves Guide: Allmendhubel and the North Face Trail.

Posted by
99 posts

jkc and brdcollie - Thank you very much for your suggestions. I think I will buying the book and the maps.

Michael and stan - I wasn't quite sure what would be available at the TI office so thank you for letting me know.

Lola - Because there was so much information on the website I referenced I didn't even notice that it didn't include that information. Thanks.

Laurel - My wife and I chose Lauterbrunnen because we are going to be there for 6 days and wanted a convenient place to access both sides of the valley. Thank you for the suggested hikes. Like you, I don't know if we will attempt any real strenuous ones.

Posted by
17 posts

Locally, you can pick up a map that has the towns, trains, and trails. I used that when I was in Bernese Oberland. A lot of the nicer walks (the ones I remember most) are from village to village. Hiking from Murren to Schilthorn is a good workout and you can have a meal at the summit. Your local library might have hiking guides too... but for me, it was nice to just look at the map and go for it. The cable cars are great too to gain elevation and walk.