Trip Overview:
People who have vacationed in the Wengen area of the Bernese Oberland describe the addictive quality of hikes based in this car-free village high on a hillside beneath the imposing trio of the Jungfrau, Eiger and Monch mountains. Many say that want to hike in other areas, but are continuously drawn back to the beauty of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. In recognition of this incredible beauty, the area, including Switzerland’s Aletsch Glacier, has been designated a World Heritage Site.
Our walks in Wengen, ranging from rambles to hard hikes, depending upon your wishes, are in an area that has provided the world with much Alpine history and fiction. Think Eiger Sanction, Reichenbach Falls and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. From Wengen it is possible to take a train ride up the Jungfrau to the world’s highest train station.
Wengen is located on a tranquil, southwest-facing shelf that manages to provide nice hotels and restaurants while retaining its chalet-style village character and local traditions and music. You won’t forget the sunset’s from the hotel’s terrace with views of the Jungfrau, the white cone of the Silberhorn and the tail of the Staubbach Falls.
Highlights:
- A stay in a lovely hilltop village that has retained its Alpine character
- Famous mountains and unparalleled scenery
- 4 star hotel with excellent food and friendly service
- The fun of returning to the scene of several literary crimes of books based in this area.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Zurich, get Swiss passes validated and board the train to Wengen. The final leg up to the village is on a steep cog rail way that affords the first glimpses of the glacially carved Lauterbrunnen Valley and its waterfalls. Our lovely, two hour warm-up walk today takes us up to Leiterhoren with views of the village of Wengen, the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and the Jungfrau, Silberhorn and Breithorn peaks.
Day 2: We’ll take the train down off our high mountain terrace to Lauterbrunnen and hike out the valley floor past the Staubach Falls that were celebrated in Goethe’s poetry. Our walk takes us to the extraordinary Trummelbach Falls hidden inside the mountain. From there we walk or ride a lift up to the village of Gimmelwald for lunch on a terrace looking across the valley. From here we may decide to ride the exciting cable car up the Schilthorn for spectacular views of the famous trio of mountains, and, for James Bond fans, a viewing of a film on the making of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, which was filmed on the Schilthorn.
Those with energy to spare can ascend above Gimmelwald for an adventure that combines incredible mountain views with a walk past active dairy farms. We return to Lauterbrunnen via the historic Grutschalp lift and then take the cog railway back up to Wengen.
Day 3: We ride a cable car up to Maennlichen for one of the classic walks of the area: the hike on the Panorama Trail to Kleine Scheidegg, the base for climbs up the next-to-impossible North Face of the Eiger (don’t worry: that’s not on our docket), and a station for the train up the Jungfrau. We hike on the Eiger Trail, attempting to find the famous windows in the wall of the Eiger used to rescue climbers, walk down to Alpigen and then take the train to Grindelwald. We’ll have time to explore this cosmopolitan resort before taking a train back to Wengen.
Day 4: Sherlock Holmes fans will be in their element today. We’ll travel back by train to Grindelwald and switch to bus for an exciting ride up to Grosse Scheidegg. From Grosse Scheidegg we’ll hike down the Reichenbach Valley through a landscape where time seems to have stood still. Historic farms, a narrow virtually one lane road, and the nostalgic Hotel Rosenlaui are highlights of this hike through a gentle landscape that is towered over by the Wetterhorn Peak.
We walk to the Reichenbach Falls where Moriarty supposedly pushed Sherlock Holmes to his death. The place where the evil deed occurred is marked with a star on the cliff above the fall. After that we ride the historical funicular down to the small city of Meiringen, and enjoy a dessert filled with sinful amounts of meringue, the sweet treat named after this town.
Day 5: Options for our last hiking day include a challenging hike up to Hotel Tschingelhorn, a mountain refuge across from Gimmelbach, or a visit to the Alpine Garden at Schynige Platte.
Day 6: After our usual hearty Swiss breakfast we depart Wengen early by train back to Zurich to connect with homeward-bound flights or other destinations.
Please bear in mind that this is a typical itinerary, and the actual walks and sites may vary due to season, special events, weather or the group’s experience level. We will alter the itinerary to improve the tour and your experience, and to customize it to your group’s needs.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Cost:
- The cost of this trip will vary depending upon the specific itinerary we develop for your family or group of friends. Please contact us for a quote for your trip.
- Rating
- Moderate to high energy
- Transportation
- Swiss Rail Passes and cable cars.
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Switzerland
Hiking & Trekking
Archeology/History
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