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Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

My family just returned from our European vacation. We used Rick's books as guides. I wanted to say that Lauterbrunnen was fantastic! He was right on the mark about staying at Hotel Staubbach. And we ate several times at Hotel Oberland where the food was delicious and the owner Mark was super friendly. Trummelbach Falls is a must see and of course the Schilthorn. This was a relaxing village and we had a very nice time.

Posted by
67 posts

Sounds great! We're heading there next month. Did you take any hikes/walks that you can recommend? We're energetic urban walkers, but not very confident about walking in more rugged terrain.

Posted by
426 posts

I too love Lauterbrunnen and have stayed and dined at the Hotel Oberland and also stayed in the Hotel Staubbach and in a double room at the hostel. So yes, I have been three times - that's how great I think it is. Sadly, it has been 5 or 6 years since my last visit.

I enjoyed walking through town and up to the path beside the river. There we found the biggest slugs we have ever seen, but it was such a fun little walk. I am sure these were not the source for the delicious schnecken (german for escargot) at the restaurant!

We also did hikes up in the high mountains on the Gimmelwald side of the valley - beautiful, but take your picnic because there is not much up there except stunning wildflowers and perfect views. And finally we enjoyed the trip up to the Jungfraujoch. Be sure to rent a saucer for some sledding to build up an appetite for some good rosti back at Kleine Scheidegg. To mix it up, you can return via Grindelwald which was much more developed: read shopping, and there we walked to a sommerodelbahn that my son enjoyed.

Posted by
1419 posts

hcota, most of the trails in the area a very well groomed, some are even paved. One of the "easiest" and most beautiful is the hike from Mannlichen to Klein Schiedegg. Two others that I would consider easy and not on rough terrain are the hikes from Murren to Gimmelwald and from Murren the other direction (sorry can't remember the name of the train stop).

Posted by
57 posts

Jill,

Are you thinking of the station at Winteregg? Lovely views of the Eiger to be had from there!

Posted by
4 posts

There are several nice easy walks above Murren. Both start at the Almendhubel funicular. One is a simple walk back to Murren. The other is the North Face trail. It has a brief uphill part that isn't easy. It has markers that provide background information on the mountains.

The Jungfraujoch has a nice walk up to the Monchsjochhutte. Though slippery, it's not difficult. The snow is well packed; just make sure the weather is good. Besides great views, the hut has fun ambiance and provides a little insight into the mountain climbing environment.

Posted by
4 posts

I meant to say that the uphill part of the North Face trail isn't difficult.

Also, there are several restaurants in the trails above Murren.

Posted by
23 posts

This takes me back to my last 2 European vacations when I stayed a few days each time in Lauterbrunnen - defintely the best base for this area - not too touristy - and very accessible to everything. And the hike from Mannlichen to Kleine Schidegg was the most memorable of my life - on a beautiful fall morning - all alone before any tourists got up there - it was magical - I felt on top of the world and it absolutely silent.
Janice

Posted by
7 posts

We recently returned from a stay in both Lauterbrunnen and Gimmelwald...and I'm happy to report that Walter, owner of Hotel Mittaghorn, is alive and well. Although we didn't stay with him due to confusion over scheduling, we had a beer with him on his patio and he was happy to sit and talk for a good half hour. We reminisced about staying with him 27 years ago, and nothing has changed! So nice to see that. There are several other places to stay in Gimmelwald--we chose the Gimmelwald Pension, in the heart of the village. Views are incomparable, and we took numerous hikes from there.