I’ve been looking forward to this day since I first decided I was traveling to Switzerland. I’d heard a lot about the beauty of this area from a friend who walked me through all the hikes and all the small towns to visit along the way (most that I wouldn’t have time to experience). He also helped me navigate the Swiss transportation system so that I knew to be careful of what car to board when traveling to Lauterbrunnen.
My plan for the day was to explore the western side of the Lauterbrunnen valley with a loop journey that would include cable cars, hiking, and buses.
I started in the morning taking the cable car from the Lauterbrunnen station up to Grütschalp. Eager to get on my hike, I didn’t take any time to check out the town of Grütschalp. I quickly made my way over to the ridge trail that would take me from here to Mürren. The trail is an easy 4.7km (2.8mi) with little elevation gain, with shaded sections through the woods, cow friends, ripe berries for trail treats, and views of the mountains on the other side of the valley. Looking back on it, I could’ve taken the harder Mountain View trail, which I have heard has better views, but as it was my first day in the Alps, I wanted to start easy. I also wanted to have energy to explore the towns along the way.
At the Winteregg station, I stopped at Restaurant Winteregg for a quick snack so as to enjoy a swing on the panoramic swing. The restaurant offers a real playground for children and this large swing for those of us who are children at heart.
I continued on to the town of Mürren where I had lunch. Mürren is the largest town on this side of the valley, so there were several options for food, tourist shopping, and lodging. This is also the starting point for the more daring people who wish to tackle the “beginner” level via ferrata. A via ferrata is a climbing route that requires you to harness in and traverse the rock face via iron ladders and steel ropes. Maybe if I was with someone else, I could be coaxed into trying out one of these routes, but for now, I enjoyed watching them walk across the 80 meter long Nepalese bridge in Gimmelwald at the end of their journey.
The trail from Mürren to Gimmelwald is another easy 3km (1.9mi). Gimmelwald is the smallest town I visited during my stay, but the rustic wooden buildings, self-serve cheese huts, honesty shop, colorful flower gardens, goats and cows grazing the hillsides, and views of the mountains from every angle, made it one of my favorite places.
Gimmelwald has a few lodging options and dining options. Since 2017, Pension Gimmelwald has also been brewing their own beer: Schwarz Mönch Beer, “tall dark and snow-capped” like the mountain it is named after. Sitting in their biergarten watching the para gliders take off from a neighboring field and looking out over the snow capped mountains was the perfect way to enjoy the end of the hiking part of my day.
Before heading down the mountain, I took a cable car up to Birg. While the cable car can go higher to Schilthorn, I decided not to go all the way to the top because the clouds had moved in blocking any view. If you are interested in going all the way to the top, plan to go earlier in the day since the weather tends to turn in the afternoon.
At the Birg station, there’s a large viewing platform, a small cafe, and a fun Thrill Walk where the glass floor and rope bridge (the other parts of it were closed during my visit) add a little drama to the walk – definitely not as much as if I had completed the via ferrata. The mountains of Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger are as close as they can be, and I enjoyed watching para gliders soar through the mountain pass.
To make it back to my lodging in Lauterbrunnen, I took the cable car down to the Stechelburg Station on the valley floor. Just next to the station is where the paragliders land, so it’s neat that I got to watch paragliders from takeoff to landing. Bus 141 takes people back through the valley into Lauterbrunnen.
This was one of those days where I just held my camera because there were beautiful vistas every few minutes. It’s amazing how the cable cars and train systems make these mountain experiences accessible for so many people. While I opted to walk across the ridge, there is also a train that can take you from one town to another.
Mac On the Map 
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