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Wengen/Lauterbrunnen Hikes

Posted by on

Hi!

I will be staying in Lauterbrunnen and Wengen for 4 nights in mid-may and am looking for some help in deciding an itinerary!

I am trying to research what hikes/trails might be best for me. I wouldn't call myself an experienced hiker-- but am in good shape and can manage pretty well. My concerns are more about hiking solo. Im trying to choose hikes that offer the most scenic views.

I've made note of two short walks from Wengen that I could maybe do on the day I arrive. (to Hunneflue and to Staubbachbänkli)

Then, my plan is to take the cable car up to Mannlichen to do the Royal walk and am trying to decide what to do from there. It appears the Panorama trail will be closed. Im trying to figure out why THAT trail is closed, when all the others in the area appear to be open? Any Insight?

If the Panorama trail will be closed, I was thinking of doing the Romantic Trail down to Apliglen, then taking the train over to Grindelwald to walk around a bit, before heading back to Wengen. OR take the Chamois trail from Mannlichen right back to Wengen and maybe pop over to Grindelwald by train just to walk around.

I guess what I am looking for is 1. An opinion on the above

  1. If these routes seem safe for a solo traveler-- in terms of being clearly marked and easy to follow, and not being in an area I might feel uneasy alone. I am trying to avoid any trails that have longer stretches of dense forested areas-- as I think Id be more nervous there than i would out in the open (even if Im essentially alone in either setting haha)

  2. Any other recs for easy hikes in this area? Ideally, I'd be looking for hikes that left from Wengen or Lauterbrunnen (or Mannlichen / Grindelwald) My main concerns is that the trails are easy to follow/marked well, dont spend too much time in densely wooded/forested areas (looking more for sprawling views!) and seem relatively safe to do alone. Open to durations that are anywhere from 1hr - 4 hrs!

Also worth mentioning that as of now, i plan on spending one of my 4 days in Interlaken-- so will have an opportunity to see the lake views at that point!

There are just so many options online that its overwhelming and hard to discern which are best for what Im going for.

Thanks so much!

Posted by
2390 posts

I was solo hiking in Wengen, Murren and Lauterbrunnen in August 2022. Two local women hikers I met on the trail were astounded that a little old lady from the US was over there hiking by herself. I pointed out that I wouldn't be doing it if the trails weren't well populated with other hikers.

You might enjoy the very informative walking/hiking book on the region published by Laurel Barton, who posts on this forum, and her husband Ric: Walking in Switzerland's Berner Oberland. They give you all the details on 20 walks. I believe there's a brand-new edition of the book out.

Posted by
892 posts

Mannlichen doesn’t open until May 24th, so your plan isn’t an option at all. Summer hiking season doesn’t start until mid-late June because of snow at altitude and/or re-grooming of trails after ski season, so not everything is an option for you.

Some options to consider:
*Kleine Scheidegg > Wengernalp > Wengen
*Grustchalp > Winteregg > Mürren > Gimmelwald
*Lauterbrunnen to the back of the valley past Stechelberg and back
*Grindelwald First to Bachalpsee

Posted by
1220 posts

Please use the search function. This question gets asked almost every week and there are fantastic answers there that people may not want to re-post every week.

Posted by
10 posts

Thank you! Sorry-- Im new to using this forum so didn't realize I could search so easily.

I am SO disappointed to hear Mannlichen will be closed. I had looked it up and saw it was open year round and must have been understanding it incorrectly. This is a huge bummer.

Posted by
135 posts

Rick Steves Switzerland guidebook gave me a good start at researching hikes at difft levels in the area :) - I think we often forget to pick up the OG. Granted you have all the other locations in Switzerland included - but it will just entice you to go back!

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