piyush

Pls help and tell how it would be like there in lauterbrunnen(switzerland) around 14th April as I and my friend would be there on the day. Would it be greenery around and waterfalls running ?

Melnq8

The waterfalls are spectacular year round. We spent a week in Lauterbrunnen in April a few years back...it was very quiet, as most places close down from right after Easter until early summer. We loved it though as we like the quiet. I have a very detailed trip report posted here from that visit - if interested in reading it, just search under my screen name for "April in the Alps, A Swiss Walkabout".

Melnq8

My photos from that trip are here - you'll see first hand how green it was:

http://www.worldisround.com/articles...4/photo82.html

piyush

Thanks Mel. Your post vanished my concerns. Your photographs were also very beautiful.

PalenQ

Well waterfalls are not spectacular year round as I have been there in August when the huge falls right in Lauterbrunnen was a trickle but in spring it should be a torrent.

Yes there will be greenery all around in April. And most places do not close in April though quite a few hotels will - otherwise stores will be open - just that quite a few hotels close because of a lack of business and the owners take a holiday.

Lauterbrunnen will be open for business have no worry about that.

tomseeley

I agree with others. I was in L in May a few years back. I stayed at a nice B&B and had a wonderful view of Staubbach Falls right outside my room window. I think I recall reading it's the tallest in Europe and does not totally dry up at all, though PalenQ is right it is drier in August than when I was there!

I also recall that in the valley it was green but the peaks right outside town (Jungfaujoch, etc) were all totally snow covered. I rode the trains up to the top of the Jungfraujoch and there were more people in the cars with me wearing ski gear and carrying skis than not! But on the way back down, I got off at Wengen, a pretty village about half way to the summit from Lauterbrunnen, and had a completely lovely totally snow-free hike back down to my hotel.

PalenQ is also right that in May a lot of Swiss take their breaks, but not all of them. I did find enough restaurants open in L that I didn't have to go back to Interlaken for supper but it was definitely quieter than the peak summer or winter months would have been.

Another wonderful falls, IMO, right outside L is Trummelbach Falls. I took a local bus to it and back. It's not as tall as Staubbach, but almost all of its descent from the top of the cliff to the valley floor is INSIDE caverns in the rocks that it has eroded out over centuries of falling! You can take paths and stairs that have also been carved out inside so you can get right up close and personal to much of the fall from top to bottom. As I recall, you ride this rickety elevator up and/or down, and walk up and/or down if you want to. Don't miss it.

You're gonna love it!

Melnq8

Regarding closures...the following is what we experienced the week after Easter in the BO (we'd booked that week specifically because the apartment rates dropped dramatically from the week before).

Most hotels were closed, as were the restaurants within them. Lauterbrunnen isn't chockablock with shops anyway, but the bakery, deli and grocery store remained open, but closed early. There were only two restaurants open in Lauterbrunnen during our entire week stay and only two restaurants open in Wengen.

Buses were running on reduced schedules, so there were longer waits between buses. The Lauterbrunnen-Grutschalp cableway closed for a week for maintenance following Easter. The following week, the Stechelberg-Gimmelwald gondola was scheduled to close for maintenance. The funincular to Allmendhubel in Murren closed for the season following Easter.

The trains to and from Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen were shut down two days for maintenance. Connecting passengers wre being diverted via buses.

It wasn't an issue for us, as we'd plannned our trip expecting closures, but for those unaware, it could be a surprise.

PS - By contrast, Zermatt was a complete zoo (the week before Easter), so it really does depend on location and timing.

Enjoy Switzerland!

PalenQ

I think I recall reading it's the tallest in Europe and does not totally dry up at all, though PalenQ is right it is drier in August than when I was there!>

one August, the famous one of the huge heat wave when even at night in Interlaken the temps were in the 90s and even on the Jungfrau Summit it was in the 80s when normal high in August is about 32 or freezing Staubbach Falls was indeed a mere mist - but that is unusual I believe.

piyush

Thanks a ton, Palen, Tom and Mel. Your detailed information is enough for me to proceed towards Switzerland. I hope that I will find some best moments of my life there. Must be quite, cool and refreshing.

piyush

Dear Mel/Palen/Tom

Can you kindly tell at what time it gets dark there and at what time the light arrives in the morning at lauterbrunnen ?

It will surely help us in catching trains or going on walking trails. Any easy but beautiful trail suggestion from there ? Place to stay for 2-3 days which you have discovered after arriving there?

Thanks.

PalenQ

I should think in April the days will be getting long - there is 12 hours of day and night on around March 21 so say something like 7am to 8pm but it is tricky on sunset because of a place could be blocked out from sun from mountain peaks. But there should be ample time to hike without sunset being a big factor. Check out these sites for good info on the Jungfrau Region - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com - latter two talk about various hikes I believe but mainly cover Swiss trains and mountain conveyances

Melnq8

Per this chart the sun will rise at 6:44 am and set at 8:17 pm on April 14, 2012 in Bern. Lauterbrrunnen remains in the shadows long after the sun rises as it's in a valley. Lakewise, the valley will lose light long before the sun actually sets, but it really shouldn't affect your trip much as you'll still have plenty of daylight hours to work with.

http://www.sunrisesunset.com/calenda...phase=1&wadj=1

piyush

Thanks Palen and Malen.It's of great help.

travel_princess

Melnq8 your pictures are great! Where is the apartment at in Lauterbrunnen it looked very nice.

Melnq8

Thank you travel_princess. Here's the link to the apartment in Lauterbrunnen:

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p95287

PalenQ

When taking the train from Interlaken-Ost to Lauterbrunnen be sure to be in the right half of the train when you depart Interlaken... because this train splits at Zweilutschenen (sp?) with half putzing up to Grindelwald and the other half heading to the Lauterbrunnen valley - each car is labeled as to its destination but inevitably every time I've ridden this train several flummoxed passengers have to change cars suddenly after train personnel informed them exactly where that train car was going and as these trains are often quite full you may not even get a seat changing midway.

travel_princess

Melnq8 thank you for the link to the apt. Unfortunately that one only rents by the week but I found another one on the same site in the same building that will rent by the night! It looks like a lovely location and I love the fact that you have a kitchen and laundry.

Blwetorch

@ travel_princess.....kindly share the details/links etc, if possible. Even we shall be looking for an accommodation for a couple of nights.

travel_princess

Blwetorch here it is http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p95287

You can then just go back and search on all the rentals in Lauterbrunnen. The one I liked was listed as a Penthouse Apt.

Byrd

We had a wonderful week in Lauterbrunnen in April 2010. The waterfall view from our apartment balcony was indeed spectacular.

We stayed at Chalet Horner.

http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/Swi...unnen/p979.htm

That was an interesting time. Remember the volcano eruption which played havoc with airline schedules? .We didn't know when we would get home.

Byrd