Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland Travel Guide
A wonderland full of Swiss huts, waterfalls, alpine meadows & dramatic cliff faces.
Lauterbrunnen Valley is a photogenic dreamland full of so many scenic viewpoints, it almost looks made up.
When to Visit:
I would recommend going after March to make sure hikes such as Trummelbach falls will be open. The valley and surrounding areas are a hiker’s paradise, so you’ll want to go when it’s warm - between April and September.
Things to Consider:
The actual village itself does not have much to do. The area exists to embrace nature, and soak up God’s creation and beautiful views. If hiking, paragliding or chasing waterfalls doesn’t excite you, and you’re hoping for a lively, bustling nightlife experience, it may be wise to stay elsewhere and make a day visit to the valley.
A quick note: The sun comes out a few hours after the sunrise, as it is in a valley.
How to Get There:
Lauterbrunnen is located pretty much smack dab in the middle of Switzerland, so it’s a marvelous place to access other Swiss locations. The best part? Each train ride is wildly picturesque, so you won’t be disappointed whilst traveling around.
We took the 20 minute train in from Interlaken Ost. Be sure to pay close attention to your train stop! The doors close FAST.
What to Eat:
Hotel Oberland in Lauterbrunnen for great Swiss mac
Our favorite thing to do was pack a picnic lunch & Swiss cheese to hike!
Lauterbrunnen is so tiny, it only has one pub! Be sure to check out Hornerpub to grab a drink with locals
Things to Do:
Hike the North Face Trail! Absolutely stunning, and we spent an entire day doing this. We ended up trudging through 3 feet of snow - In 80 degree weather, in JUNE!
A must do - Sprutz Falls
Trummelbach falls are amazing! Touristy, but a must see! ~12 euros
Paragliding - a gentler experience to see the best views of the valley! Our paragliding experience began in Murren, where we jumped off the side of a mountain to soar through the skies. If you’re a true adrenaline junkie, it may be too gentle of a ride for you
Base jumping
Take a scenic journey to hike Lake Bachalpsee in Grindelwald, and go zip lining
Experience Jungfraujoch - the top of Europe
Experience the panoramic revolving restaurant, Piz Gloria. The James Bond movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was set at the summit. It was quite pricey to get here, so we skipped this one - but it would be an incredible experience.
If you have a few days on your Swiss journey, a day trip to visit Spiez and Oberhafen Castle and gardens would be worthwhile. To get to Spiez, we took a multi-stop train: Lauterbrunen-Interlaken-Schloss Spiez (allow 2-3 hours). With additional time, I’d recommend taking a boat to Oberhafen Castle, with perhaps a dinner in Interlaken. Plan for delays - travel always takes longer than you think and you burn through time fast.
“There is nothing quite like climbing to the top of the Alps and looking down upon the earth. Everything in the world suddenly makes sense.”
