Berner Oberland Itinerary help!
Nov 3rd, 2015 | 07:47 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Oct 2015
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Berner Oberland Itinerary help!
We'll be in Bernese Oberland for Jan 9-12 and wanted to get some feedback on an itinerary.
Day 1- Fly into Geneva and train to Wegnen (get in about 3-4pm). Explore Wegnen
Day 2- Train to mannlichen and hike to Kleine Scheidegg. Conflicting reports if this is even doable in the winter? Then we'll take the train from Kleine Scheidegg to Junfraujoch and back to Wegnen (too much in one day?)
Day 3- Schlithorn mountain + explore Murren/Gimmelwald
Day 4- Explore Grindelwald OR interlaken and open air museum /cheese making demonstration.
These may not go in order I planned and I know will largely be based on the weather.
Does day 2 have too much? Are there other (short) hikes we can do specifically in the winter? Its hard to flush out in the guidebooks which activities are winter friendly? We'll also be in Wegnen Jan 9-12. Is that too close to the race Jan 15-18? Would we be better off in Murren?
Thanks in advance- I have a lot of questions!
Day 1- Fly into Geneva and train to Wegnen (get in about 3-4pm). Explore Wegnen
Day 2- Train to mannlichen and hike to Kleine Scheidegg. Conflicting reports if this is even doable in the winter? Then we'll take the train from Kleine Scheidegg to Junfraujoch and back to Wegnen (too much in one day?)
Day 3- Schlithorn mountain + explore Murren/Gimmelwald
Day 4- Explore Grindelwald OR interlaken and open air museum /cheese making demonstration.
These may not go in order I planned and I know will largely be based on the weather.
Does day 2 have too much? Are there other (short) hikes we can do specifically in the winter? Its hard to flush out in the guidebooks which activities are winter friendly? We'll also be in Wegnen Jan 9-12. Is that too close to the race Jan 15-18? Would we be better off in Murren?
Thanks in advance- I have a lot of questions!
Nov 3rd, 2015 | 09:34 PM
#2
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,508
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Hi Beautiful scenery,
I'm so excited for you to be looking forward to your time in the gorgeous Swiss Alps!
Just one note -- please watch your spelling of Wengen as it can give you problems when you try to google for information.
Here is a link for winter walking trails:
http://wengen.ch/en/Holidays/WINTER/...Winter_Walking
On Day 2, I would ascend the Jungfraujoch first -- normally afternoons are more cloudy than mornings, so if there were a clear morning, I would go immediately to the peak.
On Day 4, I would head to Thun & Spiez instead of Grindelwad/Interlaken. I love the lakeside towns of Thun & Speiz where far fewer tourists roam, and each of these towns has a castle. This is a chance to visit some towns that are more residential than tourist.
Have fun as you plan!
s
I'm so excited for you to be looking forward to your time in the gorgeous Swiss Alps!
Just one note -- please watch your spelling of Wengen as it can give you problems when you try to google for information.
Here is a link for winter walking trails:
http://wengen.ch/en/Holidays/WINTER/...Winter_Walking
On Day 2, I would ascend the Jungfraujoch first -- normally afternoons are more cloudy than mornings, so if there were a clear morning, I would go immediately to the peak.
On Day 4, I would head to Thun & Spiez instead of Grindelwad/Interlaken. I love the lakeside towns of Thun & Speiz where far fewer tourists roam, and each of these towns has a castle. This is a chance to visit some towns that are more residential than tourist.
Have fun as you plan!
s
Nov 3rd, 2015 | 11:34 PM
#3
Joined: Jan 2003
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Day 2: Here is another link, to a map that shows lifts/runs/trails: http://www.jungfrau.ch/en/winter/tou...ailways-lifts/
The purple lines are walking trails. You'll notice that the winter hiking trail Männlichen-Kleine Scheidegg is very different from the one in summer. You lose elevation first, then it's rather steep uphill again.
The problem with clouds coming in later on the day is by far not as bad in winter as it is in summer. Frankly, considering the fare for going up to Jungfraujoch it is in my opinion not a big loss to skip it, so I'd do the hike first, then decide at Kleine Scheidegg if still wanting to go up. By walking from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg you always have the great scenery in front of you - in the other direction it's in your back, you have to turn around to see it, and the scenery in front is not as exciting.
(Btw, it's cable car to Männlichen, not train.)
Day 3: Another expensive excursion, and I would definitely do not both Junfraujoch AND Schilthorn. There's nothing to explore in Gimmelwald, btw. Hiking Grütschalp - Winteregg - Mürren, with detour Allmendhubel, and down to Stechelberg is fine for that day IMO.
Day 4: The open air museum is closed in winter. The castles around Lake Thun are also closed. Only castle Thun is open on Sunday afternoons. You'll find Interlaken quite boring in January, too. And I'm not sure what you expect to see in Grindelwald except hotels, restaurants and shops. Why don't you go tobogganing? From Bussalp down to Grindelwald is a long trail for that and you can rent the equipment. For exploring a town head to Thun, better even to Bern.
The purple lines are walking trails. You'll notice that the winter hiking trail Männlichen-Kleine Scheidegg is very different from the one in summer. You lose elevation first, then it's rather steep uphill again.
The problem with clouds coming in later on the day is by far not as bad in winter as it is in summer. Frankly, considering the fare for going up to Jungfraujoch it is in my opinion not a big loss to skip it, so I'd do the hike first, then decide at Kleine Scheidegg if still wanting to go up. By walking from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg you always have the great scenery in front of you - in the other direction it's in your back, you have to turn around to see it, and the scenery in front is not as exciting.
(Btw, it's cable car to Männlichen, not train.)
Day 3: Another expensive excursion, and I would definitely do not both Junfraujoch AND Schilthorn. There's nothing to explore in Gimmelwald, btw. Hiking Grütschalp - Winteregg - Mürren, with detour Allmendhubel, and down to Stechelberg is fine for that day IMO.
Day 4: The open air museum is closed in winter. The castles around Lake Thun are also closed. Only castle Thun is open on Sunday afternoons. You'll find Interlaken quite boring in January, too. And I'm not sure what you expect to see in Grindelwald except hotels, restaurants and shops. Why don't you go tobogganing? From Bussalp down to Grindelwald is a long trail for that and you can rent the equipment. For exploring a town head to Thun, better even to Bern.
Nov 3rd, 2015 | 11:58 PM
#4
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 25,720
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I think Ingo has nailed it.
I must admit that I skipped the trip to Jungfraujoch -- too expensive for my blood, especially given that I generally prefer looking UP at mountains rather than DOWN from them. I did enjoy Schilthorn, from which I could look both up AND down.
As a "bad weather" plan, I agree that Bern would provide a great option, and a better one than Thun.
"Would we be better off in Murren?"
IMO, no -- Murren is less convenient to the main transit routes than Wengen. JMO
I must admit that I skipped the trip to Jungfraujoch -- too expensive for my blood, especially given that I generally prefer looking UP at mountains rather than DOWN from them. I did enjoy Schilthorn, from which I could look both up AND down.
As a "bad weather" plan, I agree that Bern would provide a great option, and a better one than Thun.
"Would we be better off in Murren?"
IMO, no -- Murren is less convenient to the main transit routes than Wengen. JMO
Nov 5th, 2015 | 04:33 PM
#5
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,168
Likes: 83
If you do end up in Murren, there's a fantastic sledge run between it and Gimmelwald. If you have a Swiss Pass or similar, you can sledge down (free), take the gondola back up (Swiss Pass or similar), then sledge down, take the gondola back up, sledge down...
We had a blast doing just that several years ago, and we're a bit long of tooth for sledging. Best Murren memory ever.
We had a blast doing just that several years ago, and we're a bit long of tooth for sledging. Best Murren memory ever.
Nov 6th, 2015 | 02:12 PM
#6
Original Poster
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 15
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Thank you for your advice- what great tips! I'm becoming a forum addict to help plan Switzerland I was bummed a lot of things in Interlaken/Thun were closed in the winter (boat rides, castle, museum) so we might cut our trip short a day and spend the time elsewhere
I was bummed a lot of things in Interlaken/Thun were closed in the winter (boat rides, castle, museum) so we might cut our trip short a day and spend the time elsewhere
