Wanderlust- the German word for the desire to hike. Even though I don't speak the language, I love the word. It represents my family's need to explore the outdoors. If I ever get a vanity license plate, that'll be it;)
The hiking in Grindelwald and the surrounding Jungfrau region is unmatched. Prior to our travels, I had visions of steep and narrow treks that were unsuitable or unsafe for young hikers. Instead, we've experienced a range of hikes from easy to hard that were possible for my 8-year-old twins. Alpine transportation allows modifications to suit the needs of each family.
Here are the hikes that we did during our month-long stay in the area. I would do any of them again if I had the opportunity.
For reference: Our kids are experienced hikers. We have been hiking with them since they were very young. Before Grindelwald, our longest hikes were 6-7 miles (with a lot of complaining) and with some elevation change. Having said that, they are kids and don't always think things through. We don't feel comfortable taking them on hikes where there are life-threatening risks and avoid paths with steep drops at all costs.
General Info
Trail Maps: I have yet to find a comprehensive online map of all the possible trails. However, you can find a list of almost all of the local hikes here. The individual links provide length and time info. In all of the Jungfrau ticket offices, there are paper maps of the whole region and all available hikes. Only after looking at this map, did I totally understand the lay of the land. Definitely grab one for reference.
Trail Marking: Once you choose a trail, signposts clearly mark the hiking trails throughout Switzerland. Most of the signposts are at crossings where there are more than one trail. You will rarely find trail-markers on the trees, rocks, or on the straightaways. On maps, yellow is the designated color for Wanderweg (hiking paths) and white and/or red mark the Höhenweg (high mountain paths). Höhenwege tend to be more difficult terrain.
Equipment: The weather changes quickly here and we almost always had a jacket with us, despite the fact that it was summer. Some hikes, we even carried rain jackets. Sunglasses and hats kept us sun safe and lots of water is a must even though it wasn't very hot. We usually carried 3 big bottles for our family and refilled whenever possible. Any water source in Switzerland is safe to drink unless noted otherwise. Hiking shoes are preferable, but not absolutely necessary. I hiked in sneakers and sometimes Keen sandals, but ultimately caved and bought a pair of water-resistant hiking shoes for snow or wet grass. Henri teases me constantly about the hiking poles that I now carry strapped to my backpack. I managed to collect bonus points at the COOP (local supermarket) to get a very discounted pair and I was so excited! In my opinion, they really do help on the steep uphill and downhills-but I admit that most people I see with them are retirement age!
By the pictures, it may look like we are on one big long hike. I assure you we are not-we are just always wearing the same clothes;) Oh, backpacking.....
So let's talk specifics. Here is a list of our family hikes and any of the useful (or not) information I can remember about each.
Bussalp-Bort (First Grindelwald midstation)-Grindelwald
Length: 6 miles (450 ft up and 900 ft down elevation change)
We came flying out of the gate with this one. It was our first big hike in the area.
We chose it because we thought we could ride the public bus to the trailhead for free. In reality, we had to pay for the "mountain" section of the bus, even though we have a free pass for the city bus.
The bus left from Grindelwald Bahnhof bus station and traveled up the narrow mountain roads to Bussalp. Henri and I were shocked that the areas we traveled were included on any bus route. It's in the middle of nowhere on winding mountain roads!
The kids loved the bus because of its circus-like horn that warns people around blind corners. The whole thing is surreal, but effective! You can hear it in the distance all over the mountain.
When we arrived in Bussalp, we were totally confused. The bus dropped us at a restaurant and the first trail marker pointed to a random meadow without a path. We weren't the only ones confused and a group of us set off in the general direction of the marker.
Just after embarking on the hike, we saw a marmot! We weren't sure what it was at first. It dove into a hole as we got closer, but the kids were thrilled to add a new species to the list of animals we've observed while hiking.
Down the hill and across a stream, we approached a well-marked gravel path. In the 5 minutes we were on the trail, my shoes and socks were already soaked from the wet grass (guess my Costco Adidas sneakers weren't going to cut it!)
We quickly passed through a herd of cows with bells, which are everywhere in Switzerland. It is the most wonderful sound. It sounds like church bells but quieter and more meditatively consistent. The herd had calves. We tried to get a closer look, but didn’t realize the fence was electric. When I touched it, I was zapped! Ouch! My hand was also numb for a little while afterwards. Unfortunately, Ollie touched it at the same time I did and learned the same lesson.
As we continued to walk through the herd, a cow assumed an aggressive position as if she were going to charge Ollie and Henri! I'm guessing she was the Mom. They backed away from her and we redirected down the hill to give the girls more space. It was frightening- and not our last encounter with cows on this hike. They look so innocent, but it is still important to take care!!
The trail from Bussalp to Bort (the midstation of the Grindelwalk First gondola) was breathtaking. We had a great view of the snow-covered peaks of the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau. The green hills and the jagged peaks are the most beautiful scenery I have ever witnessed. The path was well-maintained and mostly level. We enjoyed the serene sound of the cow bells all around us.
When we were nearing Bort, we heard bells in the distance that sounded more frantic- like the cows were running. We thought it odd but kept walking on the path because it wasn't near us. But the sound kept getting closer, and at one point, I looked up the hill and saw a herd of approximately 40 cows running full speed towards us.
We were terrified of being trampled and starting running as well. Hoping to find a gate in sight, we saw nothing except an out building in a nearby field. We told the kids to run to it and jump the electric fence. We got there just in time. The cows surrounded the fence and seemed very agitated. We have no idea what caused them to charge (Ollie was worried it was his red coat!), but we would've loved to have an idea so we could avoid any future issues.
We were so lucky that the building was there. I don't know what we would've done if it hadn't been. The twins were very frightened but calm. Eventually, the cows lost interest and walked away. We cautiously crawled under the fence and made our escape. We are so grateful that we were safe after this perplexing incident. We are told by our Swiss friends that this is very unusual, especially in a herd without calves. Leave it to the Americans to almost get trampled by a bunch of dairy cows.
Ollie wore his coat inside out for the rest of the hike!
We made it to Bort in one piece and ate our lunch at a picturesque playground. The kids loved it. It was just what we needed before continuing our hike to the next bus stop. After getting lost on the path out of Bort- and receiving rude feedback from a Swiss couple on their porch (no, we are not blind!)- we eventually found our way.
The path leaving Bort was totally different than the first half, but equally beautiful. Waterfalls and meadows full of wild flowers dominated the landscape. A local farmer even had a vending machine of cheese, just in case one becomes desperate!
The total hike was more than 10 miles. We were so proud of the kids for their stamina and perseverance.
When we reached our bus stop, we realized it wouldn’t arrive for almost an hour. This is typical of the mountain buses. Walking down the mountain another mile brought us to station that was on the free bus line and had a playground for the kids. We also saw a bird exhibit that was an unexpected treat. There were two snow owls that seemed to have an enclosure littered with dead baby chicks. Yicks! Elsie started to ask questions but I was able to divert quickly, thank goodness.
Today’s hike will be hard to beat, but we are going to try! Plus, we have to get over our acquired fear of cows.
Oh, and the aftermath
2. Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg: Panoramaweg
Length: 2.8 miles (600 ft elevation change mostly down)
If you have young kids and time for only one hike, do this one. It's a beautiful panoramic (mostly downhill) hike that is just the right distance for kids. I had been looking forward to this hike since arriving in Grindelwald.
The Männlichen gondola leaves from Grindelwald Terminal and opens at 8:45AM. It takes you past the Holenstein midstation all the way up to the top of the peak. It's a beautiful ride. We were lucky to have sunny day with very few clouds.
A fantastic playground was waiting at the top of the gondola. It included a huge wooden cow slide, trampolines, and an obstacle course. The views are insane.
If you want to add on to the hike, be sure to check out the Royal Walk up to the lookout above the restaurant. It's all uphill and a bit challenging, so decide whether you can expend the extra energy. Once on top, you see the famous neighboring valley of Lauterbrunnen while standing on a gold crown platform. After that short hike, we headed back to the playground/restaurant and ate our picnic lunch.
The panoramaweg trail towards Kleine Scheidegg is well marked and maintained. It is a very popular hike and often busy, especially on the weekends. The hike was easy without much elevation change or steep drop-offs. The kids were very excited to see snow on the trail!
Before getting to Kleine Scheidegg, the boys turned off towards the Lauberhorn. Elsie and I decided to continue to the train station and wait there. We didn’t have to wait long! The boys had mostly run the trail and decided to turn back before reaching the peak. Ollie was exhausted and fell while running. His knee and flank were all scraped and bloody. Poor guy. Here they are before the fall:
We nearly missed the Kleine Scheidegg train down to Grindelwald Grund (only leaving once an hour), which is right next to Grindelwald Terminal where we started. It is a lovely old cogwheel train. I could’ve fallen asleep during the gentle rocking.
This is such a great hike for families. The options to add on more trails allows each family to customize by ability. Definitely check it out!
3. Schynige Platte Panorama Hike
Length: 3.4 miles (elevation change 450 ft feet both up and down)
Most of the major sites in the Jungfrau region are listed as "Top of....." something. The Jungfraujoch is the Top of Europe. Harder Kulm is the Top of Interlaken. Schynige Platte is the Top of Swiss Tradition.
It is accessed by an ancient cogwheel train that first opened in 1893. Alphorn players demonstrate this traditional instrument for passengers upon arrival. A lovely restaurant serves traditional Swiss food such as alpine pasta and Rösti (Swiss hashbrowns).
We weren't initially planning on hiking here. Henri just happened to see an advertisement that promoted a free train ride and dessert for everyone on their birthdays! Given the cost of alpine transportation (it would've been $80+ for the tickets), we took advantage on June 13th-our shared birthday.
We were so impressed with the atmosphere in the restaurant. This was the first meal in Grindelwald restaurant. The staff had decorated a table for our birthday with an eccentric and nature-themed center piece. The food was filling and fantastic and the service was very friendly. I would highly recommend it during a visit to Schynige Platte.
Our birthday already felt complete, except for the epic hike ahead.
We walked the Panoramaweg trail. The length and elevation are suitable for a family, but the trail has steep drop-offs in places. We weren't aware of this before we started. They are fenced but it still made us a bit nervous and we didn't let the kids hike ahead of us.
It’s a loop trail and the views are spectacular (no surprise). It is also quite frightening in places. The first half of the loop is an easy hike without much elevation change. We didn't have great views because of the clouds, but it was still very nice. It was also extremely cold and windy.
Up some stairs and we were looping back to the train station. This part of the hike was not for the faint of heart. The trail was stable and well maintained, but tracked along a ridge that went straight down to the lakes of Interlaken. Extreme care is needed if hiking this trail with kids despite fences.
On the way back to the train we found an amazing alpine playground. This one had the scariest slide ever! If you survive the hike, it's the slide that might get you ;)
4. Lieselotte Trail
Length: 2.2 miles (1800 feet elevation change downhill)
Lieselotte, the cartoon cow, has created the perfect hiking trail for kids-full of distractions to keep them moving down the trail and the mountain.
This trail is completely geared towards families. I expected it to be very busy, but it was the exact opposite! We only passed 2 other groups.
It starts at the Männlichen gondola. At the ticket office, the agent provided us with two maps for the trail's scavenger hunt and informed us that there was a prize at the end if you complete it successfully! You are hunting for letters of a secret code. The map shows the stations on the trail and each station has a fun Swiss activity (think alpine horn, cow milking) plus a stamp with one letter of the secret code. Fun, right?! We were excited.
The stamps at each station are in the leather backpack.
We took the cogwheel train up to Schynige Platte from Grindelwald Grund and hiked to Männlichen in order to get in a few more miles. Most people just ride the gondola up. It was easy to find the trail's start and we headed down. The stations are so fun and the kids were running to see what was next. The trail is well maintained and all downhill.
There is a beautiful picnic area about halfway down and we had our lunch there. There is a grilling station as well. In Switzerland, a campfire icon on any hiking map designates a grilling area, where all the wood is provided! There are websites where you can find these sites all throughout the country.
We completed the trail and deciphered the secret code. It ends at the midstation of the Männlichen gondola and you can ride it to Grindelwald Terminal. In the Intersport store at Terminal, you can pick up your prize. I don't want to give it away but can tell you that it was small and sweet and the kids were happy.
Check out this easy trail if you need motivation besides the beautiful scenery to keep your family hiking!
5. Grindelwald First-Bachalpsee-Faulhorn
Length: 3.5 miles (1800ft elevation change up....it's all up!)
I am planning to write a separate blog about this hike and our stay at the Faulhorn Hotel, the oldest mountain hut in all of Europe. It was built in 1830. The whole experience is something we will never forget.
I will say that this was the most epic and difficult hike our family has ever done. All previous hikes were in preparation for this. We tackled it with our dear Swiss friends and their kids. The trail is uphill and extremely challenging but safe and without any steep drop offs until you get to the hotel.
I was very nervous about this hike and cannot necessarily recommend it to families with young kids-it's just depends on everyone's abilities and comfort. It isn't a long hike, but the uphill is killer. We broke it up by spending some time eating lunch at this beautiful mountain lake. Henri even swam in it! He is ready for swimming in Lake Superior!
Most people don't stay at the Faulhorn-they continue on to Schynige Platte and take the train down. You can also do the hike in the opposite direction and start at Schynige Platte. The uphill is more gradual this way.
I was so proud of the kids for completing the hike and staying in the mountain hut was a memory that we will carry forever. It deserves it's own post....stay tuned.
6. Grutschalp-Allmendhubel
Length: I don't even know....we kept adding on and hiked 10+ miles (the Höhenweg is all up hill)
We have been anxiously awaiting a day trip to Lauterbrunnen and Murren. They are in the next valley over from Grindelwald. We’ve seen these beautiful valley towns from Männlichen but never actually made it there.
Surprisingly, all transportation to Murren (including cable cars) was included with our rail pass. This is very rare! All of the trains were very busy and unpleasant because it was a beautiful sunny Saturday. We arrived at the Lauterbrunnen train station. But there was still more transportation needed-a cable car to Grutschalp. It was so busy and the line took forever. We were packed into the cable car so tightly that it was difficult to enjoy. Once we got to Gruschalp, most people grabbed the train to Murren. We decided to hike from there and finally got some space. It changed everything.
While on the wanderweg, Ollie and Henri noticed a Höhenweg (mountain path) sign also heading to Allmendingen, our intended destination. After a bit of “discussion”, we decided to take the trail-which was bound to be more difficult than our original route. There were a few people on the trail with us, but they seemed to quickly stop or turn back. That always makes me nervous!
The trail was difficult. It was all uphill. We had to pass a few herds of cows, including one with babies, but thankfully we didn’t have any further issues. The kids are legitimately scared of cows now. I feel terrible! But I also completely understand given our prior experiences.
The hike was magnificent. The views were some of the best we’ve had, if not the best. We saw the Eiger, Monch, Jungfrau, Jungfraujoch, and then a part of the mountain range that was new to us. I loved the perspective of the views- green hills stretching up to glaciated mountain peaks and all of it over meadows of wildflowers.
The path was quiet and beautiful, truly beautiful. It was strenuous because of the climb but definitely doable. We eventually joined with the Flower Trail that heads to the Spielplatz at Allmendingen. It was another amazing alpine playground. The kids loved it! There were other Americans there and the kids joined them. We had our picnic lunch and decided to walk down to Murren next.
There were several marked paths to Murren. We took the panoramic one and it was longer than we thought. The kids (and MOM!) were starting to get a bit grumpy when the hike wasn’t living up to the posted distances/times. We eventually made it to Murren and I’m so glad we did. It is so charming and worth seeing.
We hiked out of Murren towards Gimmelwald. As we approached Gimmelwald, we found an outdoor bar with a beautiful view. Henri and I felt like a drink and thought we could get something small for the kids too. Unfortunately, they were no longer serving food. It didn’t stop Henri and I. We grabbed two drinks-a big stein of local dark beer and a Negroni, and we were in heaven! Of course the kids were upset that there was nothing for them, but overall they were gracious about it. We headed off to the cablecar that took us down to the bus station and then back to Lauterbrunnen.
Spielplatze
One of the best surprises about our hikes in Grindelwald has been the Spielplätze (PLAYGROUNDS). Forget watches, chocolate, or cheese, the Swiss are killing it with their alpine playgrounds. For my kids, there is no better bribe on a hike than a spectacular playground at the end.
Phew, this was a long post! I couldn't cut anything out and still express how amazing the Jungfrau region is-especially for hikers. It is paradise. Even if you are traveling with kids, there are still many options to safely enjoy the Wanderwege.
Thanks for reading. All the best to everyone at home. We miss you all.
Love,
Steph