One stop in Switzerland - Best home base for 4 nights in late March?

Let's put it this way- no one is ever ready to leave the beauty of Murren and/or Wengen, no matter how long they stay. And many of us return as much as we can!Safe travels!

March 21st is still ski season. Are you a skier? If not you should probably be looking at places at a lower elevation such as Lucerne.

I'm not a skier but that's the only time I can travel. I was thinking that Berner Oberland was the best spot to visit with only a few days in Switzerland. Is that accurate?

It’s beautiful but unless you snowshoe you wont be hiking. Hopefully one of the regular posters on here from Wengen can fill you in on what’s available to do outside of skiing or snowshoeing. And maybe what the weather is typically like at that time of year. Sitting by a fire and enjoying that view does sound wonderful.

I'm going to be the outlier , but consider this - Given the season and only ;four nights . take the 45 minute train to Luzern . Its a lovely place and will provide you with a great deal to enjoy if the weather is less than cooperative , While in Luzern you could easily visit Pilatus and Rigi , both of which will give you a taste of Alpine splendor ( although , not quite as dramatic as the Bernese Oberland ) Consider this , its a reasonable compromise - EDIT I missed Margie's post , I'm with her !!

Steven, are you suggesting that I stay in Luzern instead of spending the time in the Bernese Oberland?

Yes , for the reasons I mentioned . I've made several visits to the Oberland , and it is indeed stunning , but given the time of your trip , considering Luzern might afford you some good alternatives without putting yourself at an increased risk of adverse weather . The views from Pilatus and , the boat trip on the lake and up to Rigi on the cog railway are really beautiful . Give this a thought .

Just to add, we’ve been to Switzerland four times because my husband has Swiss family near Zug. Lucerne is a charming place even if the weather is crummy. We’ve been in the Bernese Oberland when the weather has been good and the views are spectacular and we’ve been there when the clouds touch the Lauterbrunnen Valley floor, in other words you see nothing. The choice of what to do is yours, no one can predict what the weather will be. But if you stay someplace like Lucerne, you will have more options if the weather is not good in March even to take a day trip to Wengen if the weather is good.

It’s beautiful but unless you snowshoe you wont be hiking

We have hiked in the Lauterbrunnen area in winter. Trails are groomed and no snow shoes required. Grütschalp to a Mürren is good any time of year as is walking the Lauterbrunnen Valley floor. Even the Northface Trail, though shortened in winter, is feasible. Bring or rent trekking sticks.

Winter hiking is very popular in Switzerland. Here is a link for the Jungfrau region’s hikes with live status of the trails, and also a photo so you can see what these lovely, groomed trails are like. Winter hiking trails are marked with pink directional signs (vs. the yellow summer ones).

https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/winter-hiking

As Laurel says you can rent poles. There are lots of locations for this.

All of the beautiful walks in Wengen are open in the winter.

https://wengen.swiss/en/about-wengen/walking-in-wengen/walking-trails-around-wengen.html

What I always bring with me when I hike or just walk at elevation at this time of year are my YackTrax - the simple coiled wire ones are sufficient. If there are places where the snow has melted in the day and freezes at night then just whip these out of your backpack, put them over your footwear to safely get over the sections of ice.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Yaktrax-Winter-Traction-Walk-Cleats-Medium-Black-Men-s-9-11-Women-s-10-12/990786476

If you really want to go to the Berner Oberland, then why not? Where I live in Thun (gateway to the Berner Oberland) it is very easy to access a number of different valleys and often if one is socked in, another nearby valley has bright blue skies.

When faced with a foggy day you can go to your hotel reception or the local tourist info and ask them to find you some sun - they will know what webcams to check out. Perhaps you will be lucky.

If you decide for Luzern, also a good choice, then I would do the same things as above to get the most out of your holiday.

Follow up note to say that I LOVED Lucerne! It was a perfect place from which to explore other areas and there was plenty to do when the weather was cold and rainy. Thanks to all for your tips!