I can't help but notice...

Gimmelwald is to the BO what Rue Cler is to Paris: over-touted by a few and justly ignored by most. Very few people go to either one twice.

To see the BO, take two pocketbooks and go to Grindlewald -- that's where the real beauty is. The Jungfrau Railway will really set you back, but it's a once in a lifetime experience. You can save a bit by taking the early morning train. The Jungfraujoch is about as high as you can go. To keep the price low, you have to head back down by about noon.

That leaves several hours for light hiking before you cap the day by walking to the east end of town and riding the gondola to First. Do this an hour and a half before sundown so that the light hits the north face of the Eiger. If I did nothing else in Switzerland I would do this.

Grindelwald's night life is not great, but it beats Gimmelwald hand's down. The drawback is that Grindlewald is super-touristy -- signs and menues in seventeen languages, etc; you just have to ignore it and look at the scenery.

To save bucks and get more of the nightlife of a small city, stay at Interlaken and train/drive to Grindlewald during the day. I'm not sure I'd make the trip twice, but if I did, the thing to do would the Jungfrau and First one day and a bunch of hiking the second.

When hiking try to stay level or take one of the many lifts up and walk down. Hiking at altitude can make you sick as a dog if you're not used to it.

Kristi, i think Gimmelwald is beautiful, but i will be honest with you, i would have been bored to death staying there...We like hiking and the outdoors, but it was to quiet for us. We prefer Lauterbrunnen, that is where we stayed, i would stay in Mûrren or Wengen too.

My preference is Murren. It's a car free (mostly - work vehicles and some residents are allowed), small village just minutes above Gimmelwald. Lots of great hiking from Murren (and all over the BO). I loved walking from Murren down through Gimmelwald, but I wouldn't want to stay there, it's just too rustic for me. But everyone likes different things. We did not care for the Jungfaujoch. Way too expensive, took way too long to get there and back, and wasn't worth it, in our opinion. We've been to the BO twice and LOVE it, but I do have to say, going to the top of Mont Blanc (from Chamonix) was 100 times better than the Jungfraujoch, for us. But I do prefer the BO for the wonderful Alps experience.

Gimmelwald is another example of a place that gets played up as unique and magical when in actuality, it is fairly typical. It's unique for the Lauterbrunnen area in that it is the only village that maintains a significant pastoral economy, but similar villages are scattered throughout Switzerland and Austria. My reaction was "Yes, this place is pretty", but the only unique features are all the Rickniks that flock here.

Also, the time of the year is a consideration as well. If you go to ski, I wouldn't stay here because it isn't convenient to the slopes. I would avoid the whole area in the shoulder seasons because the weather is lousy (including frequent dense fog cover that obstructs your Alpine views) and most businesses close.

Kristi,

I haven't noticed too many on the HelpLine not recommending a visit to the Berner Oberland? It's a beautiful and scenic area, and one important point to note is that there's a choice of small villages to stay in. Gimmelwald was to some extent "discovered" by Rick, so many (but not all) of the people that stay there are "the faithful".

If you don't feel you'd like the rustic charm of Gimmelwald, you could stay in Wengen, Murren, Lauterbrunnen or even Interlaken (Interlaken tends to be a bit more "up scale" though). If night life is a concern, one of the larger cities would probably be better.

Have a look at the Switzerland Guidebook if possible, to get some ideas of the facilities and "character" of the different villages. Murren would be a good choice as it's a bit larger, only about a 30-minute hike from Gimmelwald so you'd be able to have a "cold one" at Walter's Hotel or the Pensione. Having a Beer in the late afternoon and watching the sun fade over the mountains is one of my favourite pastimes! Murren would be a great "home base" for hiking in the area, and the Guidebook has excellent descriptions of the various hiking trails in that area. You could take the Allmend-Hubel Funicular from Murren and hike down through alpine meadows (easy hike - there's a Hotel/Bar part way down).

You could also take the Gondola to the Schilthorn and Piz Gloria, reportedly the world's first revolving restaurant, with views of the Eiger, Monch & Jungfrau. The James Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service was partially filmed there. The more adventurous tourists try Hang Gliding from either Murren or the Schilthorn (a bit expensive but an awesome experience and great views).

Given the fact that you're "nature lovers" and want to "explore the essence of the Alps", the Berner Oberland would be a really good choice (IMHO of course).

Happy travels!

You will get out of the "large city" hustle and bustle in either Wengen or Mürren, as well as Gimmelwald. (But not Grindelwald, which can be packed with tour busses and people on day tours.)

Gimmelwald is basically a collection of houses and farms; there is not a real town there. Which means that if you want groceries, whether for picnic lunches or food to cook at the Mountain Hostel, you walk up to Mürren. My kids (in their 20's) stayed there and the walk to the grocery store was the only downside for them. They enjoyed the socializing with others that goes on, and didn't miss the nightlife in the least. It's a good base if you want to hike every day, as you are close to some of the best trails.

It's a good place for nature lovers who want some peace and quiet, but you can find that in Wengen or Mürren as well (along with a wider selection of hotels and restaurants). We like to stay in one or both of these villages on each visit to Switzerland (4 times and counting).

If you'd really like to get out there and be among Swiss people instead of mostly Americans, try one of the Berghotels in the area. These are reached by hiking or lift, not by car. There are two above Mürren, three up at the end of the Lauterbrunnen Valley (I believe these might be in Rick's book), a couple up at kleine Scheidegg, one partway down to Grindelwald at Alpiglen, and others here and there. The one I'd really like to try is Berghaus Bort, which you reach by riding the First gondola from Grindelwald. Great views, and a great base for hiking up to the Faulhorn or the Panoramaweg to Schynige Platte, or over to Grosse Scheidegg, or. . . At any of these places you will be completely isolated (along with the other guests) in the evening, but that is for us a plus. Maybe not for everyone, though.

I have stayed in Murren twice. We have gone in late May where it's still quiet but we have a few restaurants to choose from in addition to a couple shops and a well-stocked supermarket. Gimmelwald is an easy walk but we prefer more options for eating.

We hiked around Murren, Wengen, Gimmelwald and down into the valley. We even took one day and took the train over to Grindelwald, a quick walk through town and up a lift to the top of First to do trotti-biking down. Instead of hiking anymore we walked back through town, took a gondola from Grund (walking distance) up to Mannlichen, had lunch, checked out the views and then took a lift down to Wengen and then trains from there back down into Lauterbrunnen taking the lift back up to Murren. It was a great day with less hiking and we saw so much - and both valleys.

Murren or Wengen are, IMO, the ideal places to stay. We hiked each day from Wengen and did pass through Gimmelwald one day. It is charming and we bought some cheese from the "cheese hut" but it is a bit too small--not sure what you would do for meals there. OTOH, both Murren and Wengen have COOP markets which are great for buying sandwiches, water, etc for you day hikes. We did not find Interlaken to be a place to stay--good for train connections.

We stayed in Lauterbrunnen for 6 days at the Valley Hostel and was very pleased. If you want to save movey that is the place to stay. Easy access to Murren, Wengen and Gimmelwald.

Ask to stay on the top floor...view of Eiger, Monch and the Jungfrau. We have pictures taken from our balcony.

http://www.valleyhostel.ch/pages/en/home.php?lang=EN

Lola nails it. And while I also prefer to stay in Murren, I have met people that just love Gimmelwald and return again and again (Ed's assertion that no one returns to Gimmelwald or Rue Cler is just plain made up). I did stay there when I was younger and hosteling and that was great, but now that I'm a bit older and want better hotel choices, restaurants, a public laundry, etc, I prefer Murren. But the worst that it will be for you is inconvenient, so if it sounds like your kind of place, go for it.

Yes, they are really near each other, but very different in terms of the lodging experience.

Out dilemma is always between Wengen and Mürren---I love them both and have trouble choosing. Generally we try to stay a few nights in each, enjoying the different hikes that originate from each side, and experiencing some of the other amenities of the villages---including the lovely tennis court at Mürren, and the Asian restaurant there.

I've stayed in Gimmelwald, Interlaken and Grindlewald. Based on your self description I'd say go for Gimmelwald. But like someone said, be sure to pack in the groceries. Have a fabulous time finding the essence of the Alps.

I would like to stress that Murren and Gimmelwald are REALLY near each other. You don't really have to sweat the choice between the two. You can walk between them. If you are energetic and nature lovers, Gimmelwald could work for you. Hike all day and sit in the evening. If you want to have your choice of restaurants, an athletic center, a grocery store, and being around a few hundred others instead of a few dozen, then stay in Murren. But you can enjoy both places the same day.