Wengen

Have you read Rick's related guidebook or bounced around his website?

Yes, Rick's Switzerland book has all the answers to your questions. In the 4000 characters per post that we are limited to on this Forum, no one can duplicate all the detailed information he has in the book. His Berner Oberland chapter is one of his very best; he really loves the area and it shows.

Just a warning - I'm not sure how much "live music" there is in Wengen. The point of the Berner Oberland villages is to see the mountains, not the villages themselves, which are very small. If you're looking for anything like urban excitement, you may be disappointed.

I didn't eat in Wengen, but I had great meals at the Hotel Bellevue and the Hotel Blumenthal in Mürren. Double-check train times on the Swiss Rail site to see if you can return from Mürren to Wengen after dinner: https://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html

To arrive in Wengen, you will take the 15-minute train from Lauterbrunnen up the mountain. Wengen is small, so you can easily walk through town and check out restaurants that appeal to you. The last time we were in Wengen, we tried to eat cheaply since Switerland is expensive! (breakfast was provided at the hotel, lunch as picnic food from the small grocery store, and cheaper choices for dinner plus one nice meal). We had planned ahead of time to aim for our better meals in Italy.

To reach Trummelbach Falls, take the 15-minute train back down to Lauterbrunnen. You can take a bus to the falls, but we enjoyed just walking from Lauterbrunnen.

One option for hiking is to take the Mannlichen gondola up from Wengen, walk the very scenic fairly flat trail to Kleine Scheidegg and take the train back to Wengen. You could also go from Kleine Scheidegg further up on the train into Jungfrau Mt. We also did some easy walks around the walking trails on the edge of Wengen.

Music - check what's happening in town when you arrive. Both times we were in Wengen there were events: a beer garden-type huge tent with live music, the Jungfrau marathon with some lively local bands entertaining the crowds.

I just read the other comments that you received while I was typing. Yes, Wengen is amazing because of the unbelievable views, not because the town itself is the destination. Each morning when we woke up and looked out the French door onto our balcony, the view was almost too amazing to be true.

I've stayed in Wengen at the Hotel Baren which I believe serves a very good dinner also. I also agree with previous posters that it would be a good idea to invest in the RS guidebook. There are numerous hikes in the area, not much live music. One of my favorite hikes from Wengen area is to take the gondola up from Wengen to Mannlichen then hike to Klein Schiedegg. It's more of a walk than a hike, but incredible views.

Another vote for hotel Baren. Get the full board. Best value in town, not to mention the best restaurant in town.

Getting Full Board means you're stuck at your hotel for EVERY SINGLE MEAL. It may definitely be value for money - but who wants to be stuck at one place when there are MANY fine establishments dotted all around the town? And what guarantee do you have that you'll actually be IN Wengen at every meal time? Definitely you want to explore Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, Murren - you certainly don't want to have to cut your visits short in order to run back to Wengen to get your meal.

I'm a great fan of Half Board at Swiss hotels, breakfast and dinner. You won't find better value and it is a different menu every night. And it saves on the flip side. "Where are we eating tonight?" "I don't know, what do you want?" "Gee, lets look around." "Want some of that?" Nah, we had that last night." " This place looks good." " Yeah, but look at the prices!" etc, etc.

And sometimes rather than a full meal you can go to the Coop, buy a wedge of cheese, fruit and a nice bottle of wine and enjoy whatever you want. And if you do it that way you'll save mega $$$.

As an aside, Hotel Baren has the highest rated restaurant in Wengen. That's where most people in town go to eat, whether they are staying at the hotel or not. It also has amazing views to dine by. Half board was an extra 40 Swiss Francs per night for two people. 40 Swiss Francs is a smoking deal for a three course dinner in Switzerland, especially given the quality for the local organic food.