Berner Oberland
 

When visiting the Berner Oberland area which town do you prefer? We will visit each but wondering about a home base and if you have lodging recommendations that would be a bonus. Gimelwald, Wengen or Murren??

Hi tidy,

In one of your other posts, you say you're travelling in late May/early June -- is that still correct?

And could you tell us your price preference for your hotel? And how many people per room?

Anyway, I strongly prefer Wengen -- its car-free atmosphere and air make it a clear winner. Mürren is also car-free, but Wengen is a bit less remote.

Have fun as you plan!

s

I'll agree with Swandav, Rick Steves mentions, no raves about Gimmelwald, no idea why. Murren I find somewhat remote, it,s the time it takes to get from there to Lauterbrunnen everytime you want to go out. Wengen is lovely and compact and an easy train ride tgo Lauterbrunnen.

Hi,

We stayed 4 nights in Wengen and absolutely loved it. It would be our choice if we go back to the area.

Wengen, but if in late May/early June then it's going to be very quiet (many hotels still closed) and Lauterbrunnen might be the better option. Frankly, at that time of year I'd probably prefer a small town at Lake Thun (Merligen, Gunten, Spiez or so.)

Good thoughts again. So, I will go with Wengen or do as Ingo mentioned and choose one of the other towns if I find not much opened. We will probably be there the very beginning of June. As for price not sure till I hear what is the norm. Location and cleanliness is important.

When we stayed in Wengen it was mid October and it was very quiet. During the afternoon there would be a few small crowds stopping along the Jungfraujoch journey. Early mornings, late afternoons were quiet. The evenings were even more so. We loved it then the most. The most memorable evening we had:

We walked along a paved "road" from Wengen towards the end of the valley. Not another person in sight. We came across a bench facing the other side of the valley (Muerren, etc.) We sat, the valley below us, surrounded by white peaks glowing red and yellow with the setting sun and absolute silence, except for the distant sound of cowbells.

It can be magical even off season.

Wengen is cold in early June - highs about 0 F -

http://www.holiday-weather.com/wengen_ch/averages/june/ but so are all the other hill towns. Interlaken on the other hand has highs in the 60s and lows around 50 F. Wengen at that time will be sparely populated as are other hill towns except Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald which see tour bus groups come thru and hiking groups.

It all depends IME what you are looking for - a quiet remote town like Wengen or a livelier town like Lauterbrunnen and Grindlewald - younger folk will probably enjoy the latter two more - older folk and families with young kids the former two. Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald have much more lively bars, etc.

Grindelwald especially is a great base with many things a short train or gondola ride away. Wengen more isolated.

You can't go wrong - I strongly prefer Grindelwald but many here prefer Wengen.

Gimmelwald is a tiny hamlet out in the middle of nowhere - just a hostel and a hotel and some B&Bs there - very remote and very quiet.

You can't go wrong with any.

At that time of year I'd consider staying in Interlaken and on nice sunny days doing day trips into the hills but on funky days take lake boat trips in the much warmer weather or to places like Bern or Lucerne.

We just returned from a Switzerland/Italy trip two weeks ago. (I'm due to write a short Trip Report and thank the helpful posters on this site).
Anyway we stayed in Lauterbrunnen for 4 nights. We visited Wengen and Grindlewald, Interlaken and did a Lake Thun cruise.
If (no, When!) we go back we would stay at either Grindlewald or Interlaken.
Lauterbrunnen was absolutely beautiful and we enjoyed hiking around the valley floor there, but it was quiet at night. Not that we need a party scene by any means, but during the first week of October it was quiet.
We thought Grindlewald had more going on and seemed to have a few more dinner options.
Wengen was indeed beautiful, we had a lovely autumn walk there one afternoon but I would venture to say it would be very quiet in the evenings. Nothing wrong with that if that's what you are looking for!
I thought Interlaken would be too touristy for us but surprisingly we enjoyed it and would have been happy staying there too.

If looking for true budget hotels or hostels Interlaken has a flock of them.

Thank you this great info. I will consider Interlaken as it will provide more choice for day outings and evenings depending on the weather. I sure hope it is not that cold in Wengen because we are really looking forward to some hikes. I still think I will wait and either make a reservation a few days before or when we arrive. This gives us flexibility with our schedule. Again thank you.

That weather report says of June for Wengen - chance of sunny day is 7%! chance of rain 61% - wow and as those are averages for the month early June would be even colder than the month average! One reason there may be so few folks in Wengen then.

I loved Lauterbrunnen. I think Wengen could be a good choice, but perhaps not as good if you are looking low end, as the views simply won't be as good. Murren is stunning, but in truth, I was glad I opted against staying there -- I found it a bit too touristy and would have hated the time I lost to getting there and away each day. JMO.

In Lauterbrunnen, I was VERY pleased with the Hotel Staubbach.

Hi again,

Well, if you like hikes . . . again, I'd head to Wengen -- unless you like hiking along valley floors/around lakes (which of course is fine and something I like to do these days). But if you want to hike along the mountain ridges with views over to the other peaks and stunning views down the valleys, then I'd stay up among the peaks. You won't waste so much time getting to/from the trails.

I'm not sure why you think you won't be hiking if it's chilly -- ? There are always some cleared & maintained trails, and of course all you'd need is the right layers to make it enjoyable.

Have fun!

s

"... if you want to hike along the mountain ridges with views over to the other peaks and stunning views down the valleys, then I'd stay up among the peaks. You won't waste so much time getting to/from the trails."

I would think that would depend on WHICH trails are hiked -- if hiking to both sides of the valley -- which is something that I wanted to do -- then staying on EITHER side would seem to me to be less efficient than staying in Lauterbrunnen -- which is to say, IN the valley. JMO. And if one is planning to visit anything outside the area -- places such as the Schynige Platte or Thun or Brienz -- well then again, I think the most efficient option would seem to me to be Lauterbrunnen.

To be clear, I am not saying you shouldn't stay in Wengen if doing so suits your needs and interests. But the views that many people treasure, and that many seek when staying there, aren't necessarily available at every price point - even if hotel web-sites show only the very best of the best views they offer. So as I tried to say above, if your budget can ensure great views, and if Ingo's upstream cautionary notes don't dissuade you, and if the things you want to do can be done even with the extra time it will take you to do them, well then go for it! LOTS of people have found Wengen to be the best option for their interests, and with good reason!

tidy, you don't say how long you will staying in Berner Oberland, but if your time is limited you should stay in the mountains, either Wengen or Murren. We prefer Murren with so many excellent choices for hiking leaving from the village. It also has a good choice of restaurants and accommodations. Check with Denise Fussell at Chalet Fontana for accommodations.(http://www.ferntree.ch/chalet/fontana.htm) It is a wonderful place to stay and Denise is a terrific source of information to make your stay special. Even though you are going early in the season the better accommodations will book up early. By the way, I would not recommend staying in Interlaken. It is just a big tourist town with none of the views or charm of the mountain villages

I'm going to spend a week in Wengen next June (middle of the month). There are a lot of rental properties in Wengen and Lauterbrunnen, and a few in Murren. If you are planning to stay 5 days or more, I would consider renting an apartment rather than staying at a hotel.

<<It can be magical even off season.>>

IMO it's magical because it IS off season. High season is seriously overrated.

Good point Melnq8.

I would not stay in Interlaken , rather stay in the mountains. We liked Grindelwald with more options for dining at night and spectacular views from our balcony. There have posts about lots of tourist buses and crowds there but it wasn't the case when we visited.We visited Murren and Wengen, both lovely, bit we prefer a larger town.