Where to stay in Bernese Oberland?

I have a preference for Wengen of the two. Grindelwald is more a of a small city, IMO, with traffic. Wengen is a car free village with many great hiking trails very close by and across the valley. Mürren and Lauterbrunnen are two other good choices.

You can easily daytrip to Grindelwald to see it. One way to do this is to hike from Männlichen, which is right above Wengen and reached by gondola, to Kleine Scheidegg, then take the mountain train down to Grindelwald, have lunch, and then another train back to Lauterbrunnen and up to Wengen. Great scenery and an overview of the area. There great hikes at Grindelwald, too, of course, but the valley and the two sides, Mürren and Wengen, offer a high concentration of options.

I'm sure your going to love the area, so pretty. October many of the lifts are closed for maintance and/or wind. This time of year is after the hiking season of summer and before the ski season of winter. Both Wengen and Grindelwald would not be my first picks of places to stay in the OB, too many tourists. I like Murren better, if feels more special. J

Honestly, there is no “best”, as each village has its own assets, but they are very different, so depending on what you like, one may be better for you than the others. We have stayed in all three on various visits.

Laurel gave you a good reason for choosing Wengen, and I agree with her assessment—the carfree villages are really pleasant. They are one of the reasons we love to visit Switzerland. But for a dedicated hiker, there are good reasons to choose Grindelwald, as there are more good hikes right from there than from Wengen. But of course you can always travel by to more distant trailheads by lift or train for your hikes.

Grindelwald also offers more in the way of restaurants and nightlife, if that matters.

But there a reason you are not considering Mürren? Like the previous poster, we favor that village, as it offers both a charming carfree village atmosphere, and easy direct access to some terrific hikes. Also out favorite views of mountain peaks right from the balcony of our apartment. We will be back there in mid-September ourselves.

What level of hiking do you prefer? Like distance and elevation gain/loss? That may help us to advise you on a good option.

We loved our week in Grindelwald and visited Murren and Wengen. We preferred Grindelwald with more choices of dining and trains. Beautiful town.

I vote for Murren!

Another vote for Murren. As joanne said, feels more special. Love Murren.

Thanks, everyone, for the advice! You've given me a lot of info to mull over. I especially appreciate the links showing when things will be open. So glad to know mid- Sept. - early October is not too late in the season for hiking and accessing the amazing transportation.

Another vote for Murren! We stayed in Gimmelwald many years ago, back when we mostly hosteled, and spent much of our time in Murren. A few winters ago we went back and stayed in Lauterbrunnen and did day trips to both sides of the valley, Murren and Wengen. We far preferred Murren and Lauterbrunnen over Wengen. Lauterbrunnen had a nice selection of restaurants and easy access to the whole area.