Our family had planned on spending 3 nights in Gimmelwald this June, but wanted to know if it is getting to touristy and if it is, does anyone recommend another small quaint place? We enjoy hiking and local culture.
Posted by
Elk Grove, CA, USA
6898 posts
You'll love Gimmelwald. It's really too small to be overly touristy. There are only a few places to stay and less places to eat. If you are there in early June, the farmers are walking their Swiss cows up to higher pasture. Wildflowers in the alps are in full bloom. Also, it's a short gondola ride up to Muerren (about 300 feet higher) which is a larger Swiss village but still quite small. There is also a trail (road used by service vehicles) between the two towns that you can hike up or down. Very scenic. Lot's of places to hike out of both villages. From Muerren, you have easy gondola access to the top of the Shilthorn. Go up to the Piz Gloria for breakfast. Just great.
For more hiking, gondola down to the valley and go to the Lauterbrunnen train station and take the train to Klein Scheidegg. You can hike down to Wengen (which you passed on the way up). All great villages and local culture.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
Ha, I can't even imagine what a touristy Gimmelwald would look like! "Too Touristy" would be Zermatt (in my opinion). I was so accustomed to the alpine feel of Muerren and Gimmelwald I was REALLY disappointed and shocked in Zermatt.
Go for Gimmelwald...there are no NEON billboards just yet!
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
If there is some kind of ratio, tourist infrastructure to tourists who visit, then Gimmelwald would have one of the lowest ratios in the world. Other than a few rustic places to sleep and buy cheese, there's little in Gimmelwald that most people would call "touristy".
Posted by
OP
Dayton, OR, USA
57 posts
Everyone, Thanks for the reassurance to definately go there!