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Things to do in Lauterbrunnen thats NOT hiking

Posted by (Boston, MA USA) on

Hi everyone,

I will be staying in Lauterbrunnen for two and a half days in early June for my birthday. I saw Rick's video for the region and fell in love. As the trip is only three weeks away I'm starting to wonder what there is to do there besides hike. My boyfriend and I are both young and have walked miles and miles around cities in Europe before but, I wouldn't say we're avid hikers. I love the idea of visiting the towns above such as Murren and Gimmelwald but is there anything to do in those towns? Where can we go to see them make cheese? What is your most memorable experience? Any suggestions are helpful thanks!

Posted by
69 posts

My most memorable non-hiking experiences: helicopter flight (just amazing views), Trummelbach Falls (really awesome), Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn, Allmendhubel (flower trail and the most comfortable benches for a nap), apple strudel with a view of the Eiger, and watching the cows be herded through Wengen to summer pasture. Have fun!! It is a wonderous place to behold.

Posted by
7209 posts

"What can I do there that I can't do in say Vermont?" - stand in the shadows of the massive Swiss Alps?

Posted by
768 posts

There's a local museum in Laut. after the road forks left and downhill over the river.
You can take the Postbus to Trummelbach Falls and hang out there for awhile.
There's a cheese-making building with big windows for you to watch. It's near Winteregg. Take lift to Grutschalp then train to Winteregg (half-way to Murren). Ask for directions from the restaurant at Winteregg.

Having said all that, you're cheating yourself if you don't walk at least some to see the best views on earth, and each hike is about 2 hours. See my "3 classic walks" descriptions which are in several replies to Wengen, Lauterbrunnen questions in this forum.

Allen

Posted by
32212 posts

Heidi,

Some of the activities that I enjoy.....

  • Exploring the small towns in the area - Lauterbrunnen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Wengen, Grindelwald. There's always a lively crowd at the Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald, or you can visit the Horner Pub in Lauterbrunnen.
  • Take the Cable Cars or trains to the Schilthorn (one of the James Bond movies was partially filmed there a number of years ago).
  • Take the train the Jungfraujoch, the highest station in Europe. Expensive but unique.
  • Visit Trummelback Falls
  • Take the Allmend-Hubel Funicular and then walk down through the alpine meadows (it's not really a "hike"). As I recall, there are a couple of bars along the way so you can stop for a "cool one".
  • If you're adventurous and your budget will allow, try Paragliding. The flight from Mürren is quite reasonable (about a 20 minute tandem flight).
  • Take a trip to Interlaken and take a cruise on one of the boats.
Posted by
11327 posts

Ken has outlined some great ideas for touring around the region. You can get a Berner Oberland Regional Pass and spend all day riding lifts to fabulous viewpoints!

Posted by
16893 posts

I'm not an avid hiker, either, but there are some easy routes that almost anyone can do, such as Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg.

A couple of events that I happened upon on my first trip included a cow judging in Stechelberg (I was parking my car there) and a yodeling contest in Winteregg (which I saw on a poster in Muerren).

For the cheese making in the video and nearby, see two replies on this recent post: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/switzerland/alp-cheese-making-near-murren. When you're there, the tourist office or your hotelier should be a good resource for any special local events. They might even have a map of cheese makers.
This page lists a few cultural events at the bottom, but not all with dates, so you'll have to probe further: http://mylauterbrunnen.com/en/Holidays/TRADITION__CULTURE/Tradition_and_Culture

More links: http://jungfrauregion.ch/en/Info/Services/Tourist_Informations

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