Lauterbrunnen

The Lauterbrunnen Valley is a textbook U-shaped glacial valley. During the ice ages, glaciers flowing down from the high peaks scoured it deep and straight, leaving almost vertical walls over which side streams now plunge as waterfalls. Around seventy of them are usually quoted for the valley, and in early summer, when snowmelt is at its peak, the cliffs seem to be streaming with water. The river Weisse Lütschine runs along the valley floor towards Interlaken.

History and Heritage For centuries this was a poor, remote farming valley, with some small-scale mining at its head. Its fame came with the first travellers of the Romantic era. Goethe visited the Staubbach Falls in 1779 and wrote his poem 'Song of the Spirits over the Waters' after seeing them, and Lord Byron came in 1816. In 1911 the young J. R. R. Tolkien hiked through the region, and the valley is often cited as an inspiration for Rivendell in his books. The railways that opened at the end of the 19th century, including the line from Interlaken and the Wengernalp Railway, turned the valley into one of the busiest corners of Swiss tourism.

Main Attractions The Staubbach Falls are visible from almost everywhere in the village. The water falls nearly 300 metres from an overhanging cliff and often turns to mist before reaching the ground, and in summer a path leads up behind the falls to a gallery in the rock. Further up the valley, the Trümmelbach Falls are entirely different: a series of glacier waterfalls inside the mountain, carrying meltwater from the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau through a twisting gorge, reached by a tunnel lift and stairways. They are open only in the warmer months.

Above the valley, Wengen and Mürren are two of the best-known car-free villages in Switzerland. Wengen sits on a sunny terrace on the eastern side and is home to the Lauberhorn, a classic World Cup downhill ski race. Mürren clings to the cliff edge on the western side at about 1,640 metres, facing the great north faces across the valley. The cableway from Mürren continues to the Schilthorn, whose revolving summit restaurant, Piz Gloria, appeared in the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Tiny Gimmelwald, between Stechelberg and Mürren, is quieter still.

Hiking and Outdoors Easy paths follow the valley floor between Lauterbrunnen, the Trümmelbach Falls and Stechelberg, passing waterfall after waterfall. Higher up, the walk from Grütschalp to Mürren along the edge of the terrace is one of the classic easy hikes of the region, and from Wengen trails lead towards Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg. Mürren is also the starting point of the via ferrata to Gimmelwald, and the valley is famous among BASE jumpers and paragliders for its cliffs.

Getting There and Around Trains run from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen in about twenty minutes. From the station, the Wengernalp Railway climbs to Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg, where trains continue to the Jungfraujoch, and the cable car to Grütschalp connects with the mountain railway to Mürren. Buses run along the valley to the Trümmelbach Falls and Stechelberg, the base station of the Schilthorn cableway. Wengen and Mürren cannot be reached by car, so drivers park in Lauterbrunnen or Stechelberg.

Practical Tips June and July are the best months for waterfalls, while September often brings clear, settled weather for hiking. The valley floor sees little sun in winter and is shaded early in the day all year, so plan photography for the middle of the day. Mountain transport is expensive, and regional passes or rail discount cards can make several days of excursions much cheaper. Check the opening season of the Trümmelbach Falls and the Staubbach gallery before you go.