Beyond the Jungfraujoch Crowds
Most visitors to the Jungfrau Region follow the same circuit: Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, the train to the Jungfraujoch, perhaps Grindelwald First. They are popular for good reason, but the valleys between Interlaken and the Eiger also have quiet villages, side valleys and walks that see a fraction of the traffic. The places below are all reachable by public transport and work as a half-day or full-day trip from Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald.
Gimmelwald: The Village Without Cars
Gimmelwald is a farming hamlet on a ledge above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, between Stechelberg and Mürren. There is no road for ordinary traffic; you arrive by the Schilthorn cable car from Stechelberg or on foot. It has a handful of guesthouses, a small hostel, farm buildings and honesty-box stands where farmers sell cheese and other products.
The simplest visit is to take the cable car up to Mürren and then walk down to Gimmelwald on the paved path, which takes about 45 minutes, before riding the cable car back down to Stechelberg. Note that the cableway closes for maintenance for a couple of weeks each autumn; a replacement bus usually runs.
Isenfluh and the Sulwald Cable Car
Isenfluh sits on a sunny terrace above the entrance to the Lauterbrunnen Valley and is reached by a winding road and PostBus from Lauterbrunnen. Few tourists stop here, which is exactly its appeal. From the village a tiny cable car climbs to Sulwald in about ten minutes, where a small restaurant sits beside the top station.
From Sulwald, a mountain path leads in roughly two hours to the Lobhornhütte, a simple mountain hut beneath the jagged Lobhörner peaks, with a view straight across to the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. The path is a proper mountain trail, so wear hiking boots. Experienced walkers can continue to Grütschalp and descend to Lauterbrunnen by cable car.
The Upper Lauterbrunnen Valley
At the end of the Lauterbrunnen Valley road lies Stechelberg, and beyond it the valley is a protected nature reserve with no road traffic. A trail climbs through forest via Trachsellauenen to Obersteinberg, a mountain inn about two hours above Stechelberg, facing glaciers and waterfalls on the valley's headwall. Fit hikers can continue about another hour to Oberhornsee, a small glacial lake at just over 2,000 metres.
This is a full-day outing with plenty of climbing. The higher sections can hold snow into early summer, so it is best between July and early October. Bring food and water, and check in Lauterbrunnen whether the trail beyond Obersteinberg is open.
Side Trips: Bussalp and Giessbach
Bussalp above Grindelwald
Grindelwald gets busy, but its quieter side is the alpine pasture of Bussalp, reached in summer by bus from the village. It has a mountain restaurant and wide views of the Wetterhorn and Eiger, and you can walk back down to Grindelwald on farm tracks in about two hours. Strong hikers use Bussalp as a starting point for the climb to the Faulhorn.
Giessbach Falls on Lake Brienz
On the southern shore of Lake Brienz, the Giessbach Falls tumble through the forest in a long series of cascades. Take a lake boat from Interlaken Ost or Brienz to the Giessbach landing, then ride the historic funicular, one of the oldest in Europe, up to the Grandhotel Giessbach. A footpath runs behind one of the cascades, letting you walk under the falling water. Boats run mainly between spring and autumn, so check the timetable outside summer.
Schynige Platte Alpine Garden
Schynige Platte itself is not unknown, but many visitors ride the old cog railway up from Wilderswil just for the view and skip the alpine botanical garden next to the station. It displays hundreds of native alpine plant species along short paths, labelled and arranged by habitat. It is at its best in June and July when most plants flower. The railway runs only in summer, from about mid-June until late October.
Tips for Quieter Visits
- Go early or late. Lifts and trains are busiest between about 10:00 and 15:00.
- Consider a regional pass. The Jungfrau Travel Pass covers many of the region's mountain railways and cable cars, but not every bus and small lift (the Bussalp bus, for example, costs extra). Swiss Travel Pass holders get discounts on many mountain lifts.
- Check lift closures. Many cable cars close for maintenance between late October and early December, and some side-valley lifts run only in summer.
- Respect farmland. Close gates, keep dogs on a lead near cattle, and do not pick flowers in protected areas.
With a little planning, you can spend a day here hearing more cowbells than tour groups, even in high season.
