We love Switzerland, and are returning this spring for our fourth trip to this amazing country. But even if we felt like we missed something in the core/popular Berner Oberland region on previous visits, I don't think I'd return. Nearly every post I see here and elsewhere involves visiting Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren, and/or Interlaken. And I get it. I have the luxury of saying we have visited once already. But, sometimes I feel like literally everyone visiting Switzerland is going to this one tiny area. Thus my question -- is the region in danger of being added to the classic "overtourism" lists that we see for Paris, Barcelona, Venice, Amsterdam, Prague, etc. Is it all headed to "jumping the shark" à la poor Hallstatt in Austria? I know the pricetag of Switzerland might alleviate some of the stresses of mass tourism, but is that enough? And -- of course this is the root of my question -- has it already crossed the Rubicon, and overtourism has already settled deep into the region's bones?
Posted by
Greater Sacramento
571 posts
Spent a week in the area in Sept 2022, staying in Wengen. The area is highly tourist oriented, yet the crowds really weren’t that bad. The Kleine Scheidigg walk wasn’t bad at all, boat rides on Brienzersee was crowded but still enjoyable, and my walks in the Wengen area I usually had all to myself. One would be disappointed if looking for some obscure untouristed paradise, but the beauty of the area outweighs this. If we didn’t have other places we want to see first, would gladly go back.
Posted by
Nederland, CO
1437 posts
It's been 5 years since I've been to the area, but our experience has been that the smaller villages are not crowded or busy. The only place we've run into tourist hordes is at the "top of the world" at the top of the jungfrau. Even Grindlewald which is much more touristy than the Lauterbrunnen Valley was not overly busy / crowded.
Posted by
Thun, Switzerland
485 posts
is the region in danger of being added to the classic "overtourism" lists
Yes. There were several articles in the Swiss news last year regarding this very thing.
The Berner Oberland is actually a very large area, with so many beautiful locations - and you are right, everyone wants to go to a very small portion of it, namely Lauterbrunnen, Wengen or Mürren. (As an aside, anytime I read “don’t go to Interlaken, go to the Berner Oberland” I just shrug…what does that even mean? Interlaken is IN the Berner Oberland - once you are in Interlaken you have been in the BO for quite a while, depending on which direction you have come from).
Switzerland is full of amazingly beautiful places. I really appreciate people like yourself, who write about their plans to go elsewhere and provide recommendations outside of the very few places that are mentioned the most. I think by doing so it gives people ‘permission’ to try something new and helps to relieve the fear of missing out that we all have when making travel plans.
https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/lauterbrunnen--victim-of-its-own-success/48722922