May in Berner Oberland

I’m going in the same timeframe. That is reopening time in the region and hotels and restaurants are hit or miss until the 26th. It won’t be snow covered but it will be chilly in evenings especially. Mannlichen doesn’t open until the 27th. S hilt horn is open. Google is your friend. 😊😊

We arrive in Wengen in mid June this year and Mannlichen didn’t open until the prior week due to snow. Expect some trails to be closed in May. There is always snow at Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn.

Looking back at the photos I took on various outings this year, here is what May looked like:

Lauterbrunnen - wildflowers blooming in fields, waterfalls in full force, in good weather all is green and lovely

View from Schilthorn - Snow covering all mountain peaks in every direction, stunning views on a clear day

Wengen - flocks and herds are out and about, spring flowers blooming and new leaves are appearing on trees. Snow line ends a bit higher.

Hiked Männlichen - Kleine Scheidegg in June and there were some patches of snow, but the walking trail was clear. A few spring flowers blooming, but cows are not up this high yet.

If you go at the end of May, you are arriving before the busy season. Sept and Oct are definitely slower than summer, but the school kids around here have their fall break from Sept 23 - Oct 15 and fall hiking is very popular, so it is possible that things get a little busier again then…nothing like summer though.

Maureen gave a great summary.

We were there in May this year, about the same dates as you are going. It was our first Springtime visit and we loved it! (We usually go in the Fall.) Hikes up high, such as Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg, were not possible due to snow, but we’re elevation hikes were terrific and the snow covered peaks magnificent. The waterfalls were gushing ina way they do not later in the year.

There are nice walks in the area around Wengen, and Grütschalp to Mürren should be open (this year the train and Grütschalp gondola were not running due to construction) for you and that is a lovely route. Certainly the Schilthornbahn and the train to the Jungfraujoch will be operating.

We do love the Fall and go every year (leaving soon!) from mid-Sept to mid-Oct, but it was fabulous to see the area in the Spring.

We were there first week of June (a few years ago) and there was too much snow to hike down from the Schilthorn peak, but we could and did hike down from just one station lower, Birg, down to Murren. It was fantastic.

Thanks for the great advice! We're excited to visit.

Hopefully the weather will be reasonably good at that time of year. It looks like the cable cars will be operating then so you shouldn't have any trouble getting to the Schilthorn. This is the schedule - https://schilthorn.swiss/en/pizgloria/Information .

For your visit to the Jungfraujoch, be sure to check the weather, as if the top is shrouded in fog you won't be able to see much. There are webcams at the top. One other point to note is that the Jungfraujoch is at about 12,000 feet so if you have any altitude issues, that's something to consider. I found that I was moving much slower up there, and stairs were more of an effort.

Thanks for the link and the information. We'll try not to overdo it. This is all so helpful!