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Switzerland - Lauterbrunnen (end April 2009)

Posted by (KL) on

Hi,

I'm planning a trip to the Jungfrau Region, specifically 25 - 28 April 2009. It would be my first time in Switzerland. I will be touring Germany after my time in the Swiss Alps.

I'm thinking of staying in Lauterbrunnen, and making trips up the Jungfraujoch and the Schilthorn as well as to see the Trummelbach Falls.

My questions are as follows:
(1) Would end April 2009 be a good time to visit this area?
(2) Will towns like Wengen and Murren be open during this time?
(3) Is Lauterbrunnen a good place to stay? I will have a car. I am also considering staying in either Beatenberg or Interlaken. What are the pros and cons of staying in these places?
(4) Are there any other places to visit around Lauterbrunnen?

Would really appreciate your kind advise on the above as well as any other info that might be important.

Thank you!

Rebecca

Posted by
12040 posts

"(1) Would end April 2009 be a good time to visit this area?" Actually, no, this is probably the worst time of the year to visit the region. Too late to ski, most of the best hiking trails are impassable, the mountain towns virtually shut down to tourism, and the mountain views are often obscured by clouds in the early spring.

"(2) Will towns like Wengen and Murren be open during this time?" I'm not positive about Wengen, but Murren will be a virtual ghost-town.

My advice? If you're planning to see the Bavarian or Tyrolian Alps, skip the Berner Oberland at this time of year. It's too expensive to justify the costs in the shoulder season when you can't do or see that much.

Posted by
10344 posts

Rick Steves in his book on Switzerland gives the same advice as Tom, it's the Lauterbrunnen "in between" time.

Posted by
2 posts

Thanks for the helpful info! Might consider another destination instead of Switzerland.

Posted by
6898 posts

It will be most quiet there. But, you can visit both mountain tops. The difficulty is that it could be quite cloudy. One hotel that I know will respond to your email is the Hotel Silberhorn www.silberhorn.com They can advise you if and when they will be closed. They did that for us when they closed down in November to prepare for ski season.

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